`New Generation` Emerges as Hot Topic

Social scientists say the new generation has been a hot topic of conversation in all eras.

How will the present generation look like from the perspectives of the folk guitar generation of the 1970s, the “386 generation” of the 1980s, Gen-X of the 1990s, and Generation N in the 2000s, or also known as the “World Cup” generation?

An 61-year-old elementary school teacher said, “The latest new generation is an age group that behaves freely and feels no burden,” adding, “I was impressed to see the younger generation of Koreans confidently competing against foreign athletes.”

“I hope these young people challenge for Olympic medals based on their commitment as representatives of the country rather than for personal reasons.”

Kim Jong-wook, 49, a self-employed man who entered college in the 1980s, said, “The new generation of youngsters enjoy things freely, be it dance or games, and such freedom looks courageous and energetic to me.”

“However, the way they enjoy freedom appears to be lacking focus and diverted, which is a disadvantage.”

On the current new generation, those of the “386 generation,” or Koreans who were in their 30s in the 1990s, went to university in the 80s, and were born in the 60s, said, "Though we don’t want to recommend that they blindly pursue their goals, we would like to advise them that trying too many things lightly is also undesirable.”

Moon Gwon-seok, 35, an office worker and Gen-Xer, said, “The young generation since Gen-Xers are all similar in the aspect of freedom, but young people in their 20s now enjoy more freedom but are somewhat lonely in social relations. Forming and maintaining relations is too transient due to Internet culture.”

Graduate student Park Yeong-min, 28, said, “Though we are in all our 20s, those in their early 20s and late 20s are different,” adding, “Generations up to those in their late 20s seek to find the cause of a problem externally, but those in their early 20s look for the cause in themselves.”

Member of the “V (Vancouver) generation,” said “perseverance” and “sacrifice” were keywords of older generations. College student Jang Gyeong-woo, 20, said, “Looking at my father, I think he probably faced many tough challenges, and often felt regret and stress, but he endures such pain very well. I’d like to learn such patience.”

zozo@donga.com