Living in an apartment is common in Korea, even in rural towns like Hwacheon, because of how little land there is compared to the population. Chae young lives in a house more towards the outskirts of town, where a lot of agriculture and farming takes place.
None of my students had "formal" chores per se, but clarified that they usually will help their family when they're cleaning the house, and will wash dishes or do laundry from time to time.
Beom jung and Jun seo decided not to answer. Chae young's father is a soldier and her mother is a public officer! Many families in Hwacheon are military families. Hwacheon is home to a military station, due to its proximity to the DMZ. My host dad is also a soldier.
School starts at 9:10 a.m. for all of my students, although they usually arrive slightly early. While the school day technically finishes at 3:00 p.m., all three of my students said that they usually don't go home until 5:00 or 6:00 p.m. due to after school activities or hagwon (after school study groups).
Beom jung gets dropped off by her parents on their way to work. Chae young and Jun seo usually walk to school, either alone or with friends. They are all allowed to go to school by themselves. In such a small town, I think it's pretty common for the kids to be relatively independent. I often see my young students biking or playing outside even when it's later at night.
