"The Tech Stage for the Third Act of Life:

Everyoung Korea’s Vision for a Life Without Retirement"

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As of 2024, the legal retirement age in South Korea is 60 (Article 19, Clause 1 of the Act on Prohibition of Age Discrimination in Employment and Elderly Employment Promotion). However, many people leave their primary jobs before reaching this age, making the real average retirement age even earlier. While many wish to continue working beyond 60, the pension eligibility age is 65, which can leave retirees without income for up to five years. Retiring before 60 only widens this income gap. For most, the national pension alone is insufficient to ensure a comfortable life post-retirement, prompting many to consider a second or even third career in later life.

 

According to a survey on the perceptions of economic activities after retirement by Hankook Research, respondents hoped to retire from their primary jobs at 64 and wished to completely stop economic activities at 66. Moreover, 86% of respondents agreed that they should continue economic activities during retirement. The reasons cited included financial factors such as living expenses and family support costs (56%); sustaining well-being, including personal fulfillment, leisure, and health maintenance (29%); and social participation (16%).

 

Key reasons for continuing work in retirement

[Hankook Research "Survey on the Perceptions of Economic Activities after Retirement"]

 

Notably, those aged 60 and above showed relatively higher motivation for sustaining personal well-being (37%) and social participation (18%) compared to other age groups. This may be attributed to the significant value Koreans place on work and career, which makes it challenging for retirees to find meaningful activities outside of work or maintain regular social connections.

 

The challenge, then, is finding a workplace that offers opportunities for personal fulfillment and social contribution, even in retirement. Everyoung Korea, a tech firm that has been hiring older people since 2014, serves as a prime example of how the desires of most retirees for meaningful work and social engagement can be fulfilled.

 

Everyoung Korea previously provided map-blurring services for Naver, Korea’s leading search engine, focusing on obscuring people’s faces and vehicle license plates to protect privacy. Their primary role has since evolved to real-time monitoring of harmful content on Naver, where they block inappropriate material, such as illegal advertisements and sexually explicit content, to ensure a safe and pleasant user experience.

 

Located in Seoul’s Jongno District, Everyoung Korea’s headquarters employs approximately 300 people. Given the nature of their work, most employees have the option to work remotely, with only a few commuting to the office. Working hours are flexible, with morning or afternoon shifts available. Employees typically work 4 hours a day, 5 days a week, earning around KRW 1 million (approximately USD 737) before taxes. Benefits include access to an in-house library, team meal allowances, and sponsorship for eye exams. Unlike typical Korean companies, which provide condolence payments for the death of a parent and congratulatory bonuses for weddings, childbirth, and parents' 60th and 70th birthdays, Everyoung Korea offers senior-friendly benefits, such as bereavement support for the loss of a sibling, life event bonuses for the birth of a grandchild, and milestone rewards for employees' own 60th and 70th birthdays.

 

To join Everyoung Korea, candidates must pass a series of document and interview screenings, along with practical tests assessing digital literacy and internet search skills. Age, gender, education, and prior work experience are not critical factors. Instead, the company prioritizes sociability, eagerness to learn new things, and a positive mindset. Basic qualifications include proficiency in email and internet usage, knowledge of Excel, and corrected vision of 20/40 or better.

 

Everyoung Korea is widely recognized as a great workplace for older adults, where age is not a concern. The official retirement age at Everyoung Korea is set at 100, meaning employees can continue working as long as their health permits. The average tenure, with most employees in their 60s and 70s, is around six years—relatively long for the industry. Approximately half of the original staff members are still employed as of 2024, reflecting high job satisfaction.

 

The opportunity to continue working in retirement, along with the age-friendly atmosphere, benefits, and work-life balance that allows ample personal time for hobbies or religious activities, explains the company's appeal. Employees report feeling alive, happy, and confident in their work, with many stating they no longer experience loneliness. One employee even described Everyoung Korea as a “garden of the golden years.”

 

  

Morning-shift team at Everyoung Korea’s HQ 

[Source: World Daily News Agency, Everyoung Korea]

 

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CHUNG Eun-sung, CEO of Everyoung Korea and Hyundai Welding, a welding materials and equipment manufacturer, founded Everyoung Korea in 2013 with the ambition to address various forms of discrimination in Korean society. Having turned 50 about a decade ago, he envisioned a company that prioritized more than just profits—a company with a positive social impact, where older adults could work and thrive free from ageism. The fact that he worked unpaid for the first five years reflects that money was not his main focus. Instead, he aimed to build a 'good' company grounded in three core values—equality, development, and sharing—that provides its employees with 'decent' lives. Now, after a decade, Everyoung Korea has grown into a thriving company with annual sales of KRW 7 billion (approximately USD 513 million) and around 300 employees, proving that a focus on social impact can indeed be sustainable.

 

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CHUNG Eun-sung, CEO of Everyoung Korea

[Source: Everyoung Korea]

 

Everyoung Korea continues to expand its business, with its subsidiary Everyoung People identifying areas where older adults can add value and helping match them with suitable jobs. One such area is Clova Care Call, a Naver AI service specifically designed for older individuals. Clova Care Call regularly checks on older adults living alone, calling them at scheduled times to discuss their health, sleep quality, and diet. Staff at Everyoung People supplement the service with human intervention, following up on missed calls, reporting concerns raised during AI conversations, and alerting local authorities to any abnormal signs, ensuring that the necessary support is provided.

 

Additionally, Everyoung People connects older job seekers with tech companies that assign tasks such as data collection and processing for AI services. The performance of older employees in these roles is regarded as on par with that of their younger counterparts, and they take pride in working in the tech sector, contributing to society.

Everyoung Korea also provides job placement training for older adults to prepare them for work in the tech sector, particularly in AI and other digital technologies. Supported by organizations such as the National Information Society Agency, Everyoung Korea offers both theoretical and practical training in digital technologies, including AI, free of charge. Upon completion, trainees are placed in relevant positions at Everyoung Korea and Everyoung People, or other companies in the tech sector.

 

People in their 50s and 60s today are often referred to as 'active seniors,' a term that highlights their proficiency with smartphones and PCs, as well as their eagerness to learn and adopt new skills and technologies. The job-placement training, followed by employment in the tech sector, helps participants stay up to date with emerging digital trends. At a time when terms like 'digital divide' and 'AI divide' point to the growing gap in tech literacy, programs like this not only combat social isolation and financial challenges faced by many older adults but also bridge the information gap between them and younger generations.

 

Job-placement training session for older adults at Everyoung Korea

[Source: Etnews, Everyoung Korea]

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The main page of Everyoung Korea’s website features the following messages: “the premier company driving social innovation for a better world”, and “Everyoung Korea broadens opportunities for senior employment and strengthens the social roles of older adults, helping you thrive in your third act of life”. True to its slogans, Everyoung Korea proves to be a valuable workplace for older adults, offering not only employment but also a sense of productivity and self-worth, while fostering social bonds and self-efficacy through meaningful social contributions.

 

Everyoung Korea’s success story illustrates how the combination of older adults and technology, a seemingly unconventional business model, can prosper by unlocking the potential of seniors across various fields. Here is hoping that more age-friendly and innovative companies like Everyoung Korea will emerge, continuing to make a lasting impact on society.