An Elderly Woman's 50-Minute Journey for Groceries
Introduction
Vocabulary
| Korean | Romanization | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 살다 | salda | to live | 나는 서울에 살아요.I live in Seoul. |
| 가게 | gage | store | 작은 가게가 닫았어요.The small store closed. |
| 슈퍼마켓 | syupeomaket | supermarket | 슈퍼마켓까지 6킬로미터예요.It is 6 kilometers to the supermarket. |
| 버스 | beoseu | bus | 버스를 타요.I take the bus. |
| 걷다 | geotda | to walk | 20분을 걸어요.I walk for 20 minutes. |
| 시간 | sigan | hour; time | 1시간에 한 번 와요.It comes once per hour. |
| 늙다 | neukda | to be old (age) | 78살이에요.I am 78 years old. |
| 멀다 | meolda | to be far | 슈퍼마켓이 멀어요.The supermarket is far. |
| 어렵다 | eoryeopda | to be difficult | 장을 보기가 어려워요.It is difficult to shop for groceries. |
| 줄다 | julda | to decrease; to reduce | 가게가 줄었어요.The number of stores decreased. |
| 모이다 | moida | to gather; to concentrate | 가게가 서울에 모여 있어요.Stores are concentrated in Seoul. |
| 나이 | nai | age | 나이가 많은 사람들이 살아요.People with high age live there. |
Reading Text
김점이는 78살이에요. 그 사람은 강원 고성군 성대2리에 40년을 살았어요.
Kim Jeom-i is 78 years old. She has lived in Seongtae 2-ri, Goseong County, Gangwon for 40 years.
10년 전에 동네 작은 가게가 닫았어요. 지금 가장 가까운 슈퍼마켓은 6킬로미터 멀리 있어요.
Ten years ago, the small neighborhood store closed. Now the nearest supermarket is 6 kilometers away.
김점이는 자동차를 타지 않아요. 그래서 버스를 타고 장을 봐요.
Kim Jeom-i does not drive a car. So she takes the bus to shop for groceries.
버스 정류장까지 20분을 걸어요. 버스를 타면 20분이 걸려요. 슈퍼마켓에서 10분을 더 걸어요. 모두 50분이 걸려요.
She walks 20 minutes to the bus stop. The bus ride takes 20 minutes. She walks another 10 minutes from the supermarket. In total, it takes 50 minutes.
버스는 1시간에 한 번 와요. 그래서 장을 보기가 어려워요.
The bus comes once per hour. So shopping for groceries is difficult.
한국 전체에 슈퍼마켓이 줄었어요. 3년 전보다 1,178개가 줄었어요.
Supermarkets across all of Korea have decreased. 1,178 fewer stores than three years ago.
나이가 많은 사람들이 사는 지역에 가게가 적어요. 전라남도, 경상북도, 강원도에 나이 많은 사람이 많은데 가게가 적어요.
Regions where many elderly people live have few stores. South Jeolla, North Gyeongsang, and Gangwon have many elderly people, but few stores.
Grammar Points
-(으)면 if / when
Attach -(으)면 to a verb stem to mean 'if' or 'when'. Used here to express a conditional: 'when you take the bus'.
📖 버스를 타면 20분이 걸려요. When you take the bus, it takes 20 minutes.
✏️ 비가 오면 집에 있어요. If it rains, I stay home.
-지 않다 not (negation)
Attach -지 않다 after a verb stem to form a standard negation meaning 'do not / does not'. Here it means 'does not ride (a car)'.
📖 김점이는 자동차를 타지 않아요. Kim Jeom-i does not ride a car.
✏️ 저는 커피를 마시지 않아요. I do not drink coffee.
Cultural Notes
South Korea has experienced rapid urbanization over the past 50 years, with most investment and retail development concentrated in Seoul and major cities. This has created a "food desert" problem in rural areas, where elderly people who stayed in their hometowns now struggle to access basic goods. In Korean culture, it is common for adult children to move to cities for work and education, leaving aging parents behind in rural villages—a pattern that has made this retail gap particularly difficult for seniors who cannot drive and depend on infrequent public transportation.
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