● Some K-contextSocietyCulture shockHow much Korea-lore you need to get this one.

A city employee kept a secret career writing web novels — on company time

Trending on a Korean community · Trended View original post ↗
The gist

A Gangseo-gu civil servant figured novel-writing didn't count as a 'side job' that needed approval.

Posted by Anonymous

The civil servant caught moonlighting for profit수익활동을 하다 걸린 공무원

1. Civil servant A, who works in Gangseo-gu, started serializing a web novel for free in January 2018, then signed with a production company a month later and began earning money from it.1. 강서구 공무원 A씨는 2018년 1월부터 웹소설을 무료 연재하다가 한달후 한 제작업체와 계약을 체결하고 수익활동을 시작함

2. A decided online searches proved novel-writing didn't require 'dual employment' approval, so without ever filing for one, he serialized three web novels from April to October 2018 and earned a total of 837.8 million won.2. A씨는 인터넷 검색을 통해 웹소설 쓰기 등의 저술활동은 겸직허가 신고대상이 아니라고 판단하고 겸직허가를 받지 않은채 2018년 4월~10월까지 총 3편의 웹소설을 연재해 총 8억3780만원의 소득을 올림

3. It was also confirmed A uploaded chapters 38 times during regular work hours and 4 times during overtime — a banned profit-making activity while on the clock.3. 특히 A씨는 웹소설을 근무시간 중에 38회, 초과근무시간 중에 4회 업로드하는 등 금지된 영리업무를 한 것으로도 확인됐음

💬 commentstypeset from the original screenshot
Trending on a Korean community · Trended View original ↗
💡 Why does writing a novel need government 'permission'?
Korean civil servants must get pre-approval (겸직허가, 'dual-employment permission') before earning any outside income, even from hobbies like writing — it's not optional paperwork, it's mandatory clearance.vs. US: federal staff file ethics disclosures but don't need pre-approval for creative side income.
💡 How much money is 8.378억원 actually?
That's about $630,000 USD, earned in just seven months from web novel royalties — likely dwarfing his actual government salary.vs. US: like a city clerk quietly out-earning the mayor from a self-published book.
💬 What Koreans said12 top comments on the original thread, translated
  1. Anon· on the original thread

    Making $600k in 6 months? Damn, how good is this person's writing?

    6개월만에 8억을 벌면 대체 얼마나 잘쓴거야

    ▲ 309
  2. Anon· on the original thread

    Why even bother being a civil servant lol

    공무원 왜함 ㄷ

    ▲ 227
  3. Anon· on the original thread

    Career path clearly figured out now

    진로가 정해졌네

    ▲ 171
  4. Anon· on the original thread

    It's scary how popular this writer must be

    도대체 얼마나 인기 작가인 건지 무섭다

    ▲ 132
  5. Anon· on the original thread

    Talent is insane, damn

    재능 개쩌네 ㄷㄷㄷ

    ▲ 118
  6. Anon· on the original thread

    Just go full-time writer already

    전업 작가나 하자

    ▲ 101
  7. Anon· on the original thread

    Writing 3 novels at once, this person's a straight-up writing demon lol

    3개 동시연재면 진짜 글악귀잖아 ㅋㅋㅋ

    ▲ 38
  8. Anon· on the original thread

    Pretty sure this is faked, honestly

    주작가능성 크게봄

    ▲ 33
  9. Anon· on the original thread

    At that level you don't even need the government job. Earn big off 3 novels, don't blow it, and retirement's basically set.

    저정도면 공무원 안해도 아쉽지 않겠는데 웹소설 3개로 저만치 벌 정도면 바짝 벌어둔뒤에 헛짓거리만 안해도 노후걱정 안할듯

    ▲ 31
  10. Anon· on the original thread

    Government job perks plus huge income = absolutely broken combo

    공무원 혜택 + 고소득 = 개꿀 ㄷㄷ

    ▲ 29
  11. Anon· on the original thread

    Ah so if you give them work stress (공무=pain pun), masterpieces come out

    아 공무(고통)을 주면 작품이 나오는구나

    ▲ 29
  12. Anon· on the original thread

    Earning $600k off 3 simultaneous novels, they'd totally get identified. Since they haven't, it's either fake or a reporting error.

    8억벌정도에 3편동시연재. 누군지 이거 완전특정될건데 안된거보면. 주작이거나 오류거나. 어느쪽이냐

    ▲ 27

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