Swiss Salesgirl Ditches Cheese for Kimchi, Pays $7K Deposit for Seoul Studio
Stéphanie Guillaume, a 35-year-old Swiss woman who turned existential crisis into a Korean saga, quit her unsatisfying grocery sales job (after a glorious bankruptcy in digital marketing) in 2022 to pursue her decade-old obsession with South Korea. With zero kids, no partner, and 10 million won ($7,000) in deposit cash, she hopped a plane to Seoul, enrolled at Kookmin University for a 2-year Korean course, and now pays $810 monthly for a studio near Seoul Forest with a bed, internet, cable, gym, and communal kitchen because #Adulting. She admits tea-sipping outdoor strolls and archery in hanbok seminars keep her sane amid paperwork nightmares while prepping for a travel biz launch. "I had class 9-to-1 and homework for the afternoon," she says, making 'Netflix binging' sound like a modern weakness.
Share the Story
Quit your boring Swiss sales gig, pay $7K+ deposit for a Seoul studio, take Korean classes, become self-employed, meditate, and join a Rotary club—all before you turn 40. What’s your midlife crisis plan again?
Who needs stability when you can move continents, pay an eye-watering $7,000 rent deposit, and survive on tea and Korean dramas? Stéphanie’s recipe for #adulting should be taught in schools.
From Swiss grocery aisles to Seoul Forest—all it took was a bankruptcy, a decade of dreaming, and a ruthless breakup with her comfort zone (and maybe a hanbok for some flair).
Source: Businessinsider | Published: 11/3/2025 | Author: Amanda Goh
More Articles in World News
Iran’s Quds Force Fails Assassin Side Hustle In Mexico
Trump’s Climate Absence Sparks Latin Roast at COP30 Brazil
Canadian Family Escapes Hot Bubble, Buys Japanese House Blindly
Kazakhstan Joins Abraham Accords: Because Why Not, Trump Wants a Club
Mexico’s Prez Groped; Presses Charges & Presses Great Cause
