The Memory of My First Paycheck

9:07 AM on the 25th

My phone buzzed. "Deposit: 2,847,000 KRW." After tax. (In Korea, payday for most salaried workers is the 25th of each month.) The number was smaller than I expected after taxes and social insurance deductions. But I didn't care. This was my money. For the first time ever.

Not allowance from parents. Not intern stipend. This was real — contract signed, social insurance enrolled, monthly recurring income.

What I Did That Day

Went to lunch with the team. Tonkatsu place near the office, 9,500 won ($6.80). My mentor said "first paycheck, right? Congrats." I almost teared up. (Didn't show it though. Just said "thanks haha.")

After work, I sent my parents 100,000 won ($72). Originally planned to send 300,000, but rent was 700,000, plus transport and food — 300,000 wasn't realistic. Even 100,000 was tight. But "first paycheck gift" felt important.

Mom called. "Why'd you send that? Use it for yourself." Then five minutes later, twelve sticker emojis on KakaoTalk (Korea's dominant messaging app). That was enough.

What I Bought Myself

AirPods Pro. 359,000 won ($258). That's 12.6% of my paycheck. Rationally insane — spending 12% of your first month's income on earbuds. But it was about the feeling: "I'm someone who can buy this now." Emotional satisfaction over economic rationality. (Lost those AirPods on the subway eight months later.)

The rest: rent 700,000, transport 80,000, food 420,000, phone bill 55,000, parents 100,000. That left 892,000 won, minus AirPods left 533,000. Should have saved it. Instead, friends, drinks, and by month's end my balance was 110,000 won.

Comparing It to Year Two

Now I take home 3,210,000 won. That's a 363,000 increase. The raise percentage isn't bad, but it doesn't feel like much. Prices went up. Lunch went from 9,500 to 12,000. Rent went up 50,000.

The biggest change is my attitude toward money. First paycheck: "what should I buy?" Now: "what should I NOT buy?" Auto-transfers to savings on payday, live on the rest. No impulse purchases like AirPods. (Really? Really. Probably.)

What the First Paycheck Actually Meant

Looking back, the number — 2,847,000 won — didn't matter. If it had been 5 million or 2 million, the emotion would've been similar. The impactful thing was "society assigned a number to my value."

But I also learned that number isn't my entire worth. I remember agonizing over negotiating 500,000 more in salary, then calculating that 500,000 annual difference is only about 35,000 won ($25) per month after tax. That deflated me.

If a junior joined the team now, I'd tell them: remember the feeling of your first paycheck, not the amount. But also negotiate your salary as high as possible. Both are true.