Young People Want Fair Return for Efforts

Most Koreans in their 20s hope for a fair society that rewards them for their efforts in 2015, a straw poll suggests.

Advertisement

Five hundred people between their 20s and 60s were asked what they hope for Korean society in the New Year.

One 28-year-old respondent who graduated from a provincial university said, "I don't know just how hard you have to try in order to get a job in Korea". He recently failed to get a job at a mid-sized company despite having close to a 4.0 GPA and a TOEIC score in the 900 range.

"Graduates of provincial universities such as myself are already at a disadvantage compared to those who graduated from top universities in Seoul", he said.

He said he hopes for a society where people are rewarded fairly for their efforts and can have a cushion to alleviate the impact of failure and a second chance at success.

Older Koreans also support such hopes. Lee Tae-sung (57), a government worker, said, "Our generation grew up poor but had plenty of opportunities. But young people these days don't seem to have many opportunities. Giving them an equal chance would not only reward them for their efforts, but also ease the stress those in their 50s receive from their children".

Others were less sympathetic toward young people. Gong Won-il (72) said, "Young people these days seem to fixate either on short-term goals or unrealistic ones. They all want a job with a major conglomerate and high salaries, but they should lower their sights and look for what they really want to do".

Jung Keun-sik at Seoul National University commented, "The hopes of people in their 20s reflects their desperate search for employment in a tough job market, as well as the sad reality of becoming mere cogs in a big machine once they do find work".