Park Dong-su, 76, spent the last twelve years of his working life as a night security guard at an apartment complex. He retired two years ago, but his body has not accepted the new schedule.
Do you still wake up early?
Every day. Around five. Sometimes five-ten if I sleep very well. My wife says I should enjoy retirement and stay in bed, but once I am awake, I am awake.
What do you do at that hour?
I make instant coffee and look out the kitchen window. There are delivery motorcycles, buses starting, a few people walking dogs. It is quiet but not completely quiet.
Do you miss working nights?
Not really. I miss some people. Residents would come home late and say hello. A university student in Building 3 used to bring me canned coffee during exam season because she was also awake all night.
Was the job difficult?
Mostly it was repetitive. You check doors, watch the screen, receive packages, answer questions. The hard part was staying awake when nothing happened. People think security guards are always dealing with emergencies. Usually you are dealing with lost parking cards.
What is different now?
I eat breakfast with my wife. Before, I came home when she was already starting her day. Now we argue about what to watch on television like normal retired people.
Park said he has considered sleeping later, but he does not try very hard. “At five in the morning,” he said, “nobody needs anything from me yet. I like that little bit of time.”
By J. Park
