What is “N-抛 Generation”?“N-po Generation” is a new term in South Korea referring to the generation of youths who give up many things.At first, Prof. Woo Seok-hoon labeled them the “880,000 won Generation”. The 880,000 won stands for the estimated average monthly salary a non-permanent worker makes who is in his or her twenties.Then, the “Sampo”(3 giving-up) generation were the ones who felt compelled to give up their relationships, marriage, and chil-dren. If becoming a home owner and sacrificing social life are added to the mix, it becomes the “Opo”(5 giving-up) generation. Now, even two more sacrifices, dreams and hopes, have been added, naming this generation, “Chilpo”(7 giving-up) generation.The youth generation have had to give up so many things that they are now called “N-po”(N giving up) generation.

The background of “N- 抛 Gener-ation”

The reason for “giving-up” is that there are social pressures and economical problems such as rocket-ing prices, tuition, housing prices, and so on.The difficulties young people face are showing up in the statistics.According to the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, as of 2013, the poverty rate was 19.7% for 18 to 24 year olds and 12.3% for 25 to 29 year olds. The youth unemployment rate has also been steadily rising from 9.0% in 2014 and 9.2% in 2015, up to 10.6% last year.

The Korean society in light of the ‘N- 抛 Genera-

tion’• A structural contradiction: Hell-Joseon, Spoon Class

Theory- Low interest in politics especially with youth genera-

tion- Excessive pursuit for qualification.

- For example, students are obsessed to gain award records, volunteer work, and internships which make them seem to be competent than others for getting a job,

- The society of 各自圖生 ( 각자도생 ) which means “No one backs you up.” Your survival is totally on you. This idiom represents the youth’s today in South Korea.

Creative Economy: proposed so-lution by current government

• It is the prior public promise of President Park’s government, based on the book of John Hawkins 「 The Creative Econ-omy 」

• Based on individual creative ideas of the people, it combines science and technol-ogy with IT, promotes convergence( 융합 ) of different industries and culture to create new markets and jobs.

“Creative Economy” of Park’s Government

Details of the aimed policy• Creating a growth engine and job creation through

creative economy’• Significant investment in IT, culture, content and

service industries• Preparing a system to exceed specifications• Expansion of overseas employment for young

people• Expand support for start-ups and minor companies -Hope Ladder Scholarship -PRIME: Program for Industrial needs-Matched Education

Reality of “Creative Economy”

• Establish foundations -”Mir” and “K” foundation: These foundations are the core of the pol-icy for so called “creative economy”

• Establish “Center of Creative Economy and Innovation”• The center runs specialized

business focusing on re-gional industrial aspects and capacity of large com-pany

Suspicion related to “Creative Economy”

• Recently, there arose a political scandal of president Park(we will cover this later in detail). And the “Cre-ative Economy” is also presumed as the means of getting private interest of Choi.

• Choi Soon-Sil’s confidant( 측근 ) Cha Euntaek was served as the member of “Presidential Committee of Cultural Enrichment” and the “Chairman of public-private joint venture for propelling Creation Econ-omy”This is the point showing Choi would exercise hid-

den authority to the “Creative Economy” policy as a whole.

Suspicion related to Creative Economy

• When the “Mir” and “K” Foundation set up the fund, Choi Soon-sil inter-vened in the process.Choi Soon-sil wanted to raise

enough money to establish those.The former Blue-house policy coor-

dinator ,Ahn JongBum, was ordered to push major companies for fund-ing through president.

Failure of Creative Economy

• The National Assembly decided to cut 147.8 billion won in the budget for the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on the Creative EconomyThe Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

had already been in business before re-ceiving the budget. The deduction of budget would affect to Cultural Creation and Convergence Belt project led by Cha Euntaek.

Failure of Creative Economy

• After Hwang Kyo-ahn took charge for presidential duty Creative Economy project and Cultural Convergence project disappears on the ‘2017 New year report’.

Failure of Creative Economy.

• “Mir” and “K” foundation was not estab-lished for the Creative Economy.

• The documents submitted to the prosecu-tor's investigation show that Choi Soon-sil will serve as chairman after establishing a holding company( 지주회사 ) that controls the “Mir” and “K” Foundation.The Creative Economy was made for Choi

Soon-sil’s own benefit from the start.

South Korea Corruption Scandal

• JTBC reveals a tablet which owner was assumed as Choi Soon-sil

• The tablet contains several top se-cret documents such as presidential speech. It also includes signs of edit-ing the documents before it was opened to the public.

South Korea Corruption Scandal

2016.10.29 • The first candlelight rally begins.

South Korea Corruption Scandal

2016/11/04Speech by the President related to the Scandal (2nd time)

“I am so annoyed that I feel a sense of discom-fort that I became the president to be treated this”

South Korea Corruption Scandal

2017/11/20• The prosecution, which investigated the

Scandal, said on the day that the president Park was recognized in complicity between various suspicions.

• The prosecution informed President Park date and time for the face-to-face interview on the first time: 15th-16th, the second time: 18th, and the third time on 29th, but presi-dent rejected all three times.

South Korea Corruption ScandalMotion of Impeachment for president Park

Includes:• Abusing public power through Choi Soon-

sil and other shadowy hands and violating Constitution by manipulation of govern-ment affairs.

• Bribery: Core issue in Scandal• Initial response failure during Sewol Ferry

Disaster known as seven hours during Sewol Ferry Disaster

South Korea Corruption Scandal

2016/12/06• First hearing of an investigation in relation to gov-

ernment-Whether there was a prize in connection with the funding the foundation Mir Foundation and K Foundation

2016/12/07• Second hearing of an investigation in rela-

tion to government

South Korea Corruption Scandal2016/12/09

• Motion of Impeachment for President Park passed in the National Assembly.-Approval 234∙ Disapproval 56∙ Invalid 7∙ Abstention 2

• As the Motion of Impeachment passed, President Park suspended from office, and the country’s No. 2 official, Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, became acting president.

• The Constitutional Court began to rule on whether to impeach the president

Failure of Policy for Youth

• Presidential approval rate in Youth Generation is 0%

Positive Reaction Negative Reaction

Failure of Policy for Youth• The official youth unemployment rate is

9.8% in 2016, but the real rate is esti-mated at 22%.

( 통계청 2017.01.10)

(Youth unemployment rate is 9.8%, increased 0.6% compare to last year)

The Rage of Youth Generation

• Failure of youth policy caused by the corruption represented by the “Creative Economy” policy.– Income-related customized college tuition– Switch irregular workers to regular workers

from the public sectorAnnulled( 파기되다 )

• Some policies for youth were annulled by the government.

“Stay Put”(Sewol Ferry Disaster)• One of the incident that reveals the incompetence and corrup-

tion of the Park’s Government which added the anger of peo-ple.

• While in the period of Park’s government, 304 passengers died in the disaster on April 16, 2014(mostly secondary school stu-dents)

• Crew members including captain kept saying passengers to “Stay in cabins” and escaped leaving the passengers in the ferry.

• The disaster drove people to despair and a question – What is the nation? - arose

“Stay Put”• Metaphor revealing the structural problem

in South Korea1) Absence of the Government’s capacity2) Corruption

1) Cozy relations between politics and business2) an illegal redesign of the ship for seeking

money3) inexperienced crew due to temporary em-

ployee system3) Yellow Journalism

Responses to the “Stay Put“

• People in S. Korea thought that passengers in Sewol ferry were dead because they trusted the government, system, and the word “Stay Still”.

• Especially youth generation was strongly frus-trated and they got a strong distrust of the government, and the pre-existing sys-tem.– Youth generation started to suspect the exist-

ing system that doesn’t allow ‘question’

Responses to the “Stay Put

• The “Yellow Ribbon”– People in South Korea started to use “Yel-

low ribbon” for symbolizing their response to “Sewol Ferry Disaster”

– It is the metaphor of the mourning for the dead and that people will not stay put anymore

– People widely use the yellow ribbon as a accessories like bracelet or they use the image as SNS profile picture like Facebook.

Responses are carrying on

• Ehwa Womans University Protest– Originally, the protest was for the denial of

school president’s authoritative decision for new project, establishment of “department of future life”

– Later, it lasted against the school’s illicit ad-mission scandal

– Choi sun-sil’s daughter, Chung Yoora, illegally entered the school and received an special treatment from the school.

– It sets the “Park Geun-Hye gate” off

Responses are carrying on

• Ewha students set new form of protest– Slow democracy– Non-violent cultural protest: they sang the “Into the new world” which is famous k-pops song in a scrum while confronting against the polices try-ing to repress the protest

Features of the protest• Historical records of “Arise of youth generation”– There has been an constant youth movement in-

cluding 1919 3∙1 운동 (anti-Japanese movement), 1960 4∙19 revolution, 1987 June democracy move-ment

– Conservative atmosphere of the society• existing generation doesn’t recognize youth generation as

a political agent– They protest their rights as a sovereign centered

with the spread of the Mobile network(SNS)– Most recently, they develop the agenda to lower the

voting age by 18(currently it is the age of 19)

박근혜게이트 이후의 시위

Features of the protest• Candlelight Rallies

– Unique form of protest in the S. Korea

– After the Park Ge-unHye gate, peo-ple have assem-bled in the square and have contin-ued the candle-light rallies every Saturday until now

Features of the protest• Cultural protest

Protesters wear Park and Choi masks and engage in street theater while displaying comedic signs. 

The crowds sang Christmas songs whose lyrics had been changed to mock President Park

Features of the protest• Individualization of the demonstra-

tion• 혼참러– Participating in the demonstration using

SNS(Social network service)– Freely express their political idea– Are not bound to the certain organiza-

tion different from their senior genera-tion

Rising Discussions During Protest

• Argument for “Peaceful protest Frame”– Some assert the protest should be peaceful for the safety of the

public– Only the peaceful protest can show the matured civil culture– The peaceful protest is also more efficient to gather the people up

• Argument against the “Peaceful Protest Frame”– The frame only stresses the “formal peace” rather than the goal of

the protest– It considers that ‘Protest’ is for revealing the voice of the social

weak because they can’t just “stay put”– The “PEACE” cannot achieved by cleaning up the street after

demonstration or not fighting back with the police.– Rather, the peace is meaningful only when the justice is achieved

Rising Discussions During Protest

• Argument against hate expression in protest– Blaming president Park as a woman

• Result of the rising notion of “feministic perspective” since 2014

• “This happens because the we voted the female as the president“

• San E - ' 나쁜 X(Bad Year)‘

– Using the word “ 병신” which is the slang meant “the disabled” as an insult• The year ‘2016’ sounds like “ 병신년” in Korean, 병신

means the disabled and 년 means the female.