Thousands apply for one-time gig for panda's birthday

Panda Fubao sits next to a birthday cake made of bamboo and carrots to mark her second birthday at Everland in Yongin, Gyeonggi-do Province on July 20, 2022. (Everland's Instagram)

A one-time, one-hour job for preparing a birthday gift for a panda named Fubao attracted over 10,000 applicants, its popularity stemming from the much-valued panda as well as the job’s high hourly wage.

Everland, South Korea's largest outdoor amusement park, along with Danggeun Market, a hyperlocal e-commerce platform, revealed that they selected only three finalists from a staggering 13,621 applicants during the recruitment process. This translates to a highly competitive ratio of 4,540 to one.

The chosen part-time workers will be required to select a day between July 10 and 14 to assist the zookeepers in preparing gifts and food for Fubao's upcoming third birthday.

They will work for one hour, starting from 3:30 p.m., and will be compensated with an hourly wage of 500,000 won ($380).

During their duty, the part-timers are not allowed to be near Fubao to ensure she remains calm and undisturbed.

The online recruitment post garnered a slew of comments, mostly expressing hopes to secure the position, such as "I would work without pay" and "I would gladly pay to work for Fubao."

An official from Danggeun Market stated that the application process required individuals to elaborate on their love and aspirations to work for Fubao. Following a screening process, the final candidates were notified of the result on Friday.

Fubao gained significant attention as South Korea's first naturally born panda in July 2020. She is the offspring of Aibao and Lebao, who arrived in South Korea in 2016 as a symbol of friendship following Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Seoul in 2014.

Everland’s official YouTube channel features an entertaining video series showcasing Fubao’s affectionate bond with her zookeepers, Kang Cheol-won and Song Young-kwan. As of Monday, the most-viewed video on the channel is of Fubao as a baby from 2 years ago, with 15 million views.

In July of next year, Fubao will depart for China, where she will meet her future mate.

An online recruitment post on the popular secondhand marketplace platform Danggeun Market looks for part-timers to help prepare Fubao's birthday gifts. (Danggeun Market)

By No Kyung-min(minmin@heraldcorp.com)