'Generation 2030' went from apathy to passion

The mainstream of 21st-century Korea is changing. In all spheres -- politics, the economy, social and cultural sectors -- Generation 2030, Koreans in their 20s and 30s, is pushing out Generation 4050.

During the World Cup period, Generation 2030 created the wave of red T-shirts throughout the country. Its members lighted tens of thousands of candles and stood in cold nights in central Seoul, mourning the deaths of two schoolgirls killed by a U.S. armored vehicle. And on Thursday, Generation 2030 demonstrated its power by electing a president.

This generation used to be characterized by unconcern and passivity. Now, it represents the energy that is remodeling our society.

"Those in their 20s and 30s are half of the voters, but they used to ignore politics, considering it the business of others," said Hong Doo-seung, professor of sociology at Seoul National University. "This time, that generation has emerged as the main driving force behind Korean politics. The presidential election is no longer an ideological contest -- it is now a contest between generations."

Who are the men and women of Generation 2030? They are the first Internet generation and they are TV people. They are the new Koreans, living different lives from the older generation. According to a marketing report by SK Telecom, they give priority to their own time and space, rejecting all invasions of privacy.

"They are crazy about rock cafes and open to Western culture," said Gang Min-sun of SK Telecom's planning department. "They don't see jobs as a lifetime commitment; they do not give up their lives for work."

Generation 2030 was born after the mid-1960s, when the nation's economy was developing fast. It never experienced hunger or austerity. It went to college in the mid-1980s, in the spring of the democratization movement. Thus it is different from the older generation that struggled against history in the gloomy 1970s and '80s when Molotov cocktails and tear gas filled the campuses. Generation 2030 changed a culture of collectivism to one of individualism.

The generation benefited from globalization and the information revolution. After the government permitted overseas travel in the early 1990s, Generation 2030 freely studied abroad and traveled the world. The Internet and mobile phones unite the generation. From the World Cup to the presidential election, Generation 2030 has broken all stereotypes about young Koreans.

At a bar in Sinchon near Yonsei University about 8 p.m. Monday, a group of college students in their early 20s were drinking beer and watching television. They were not watching soccer or music videos, but the presidential candidates' debate ?and talking about it. Politics was no longer boring.

About 6 p.m. on the eve of election day, young workers were encouraging each other to vote before leaving their offices at the KTF building.

On election night, the Gwanghwamun area in central Seoul was filled with crowds wearing yellow ?the color of the Roh campaign.

The generation that wore red T-shirts during the World Cup and lighted candles in a protest, confirmed its power in a "yellow sea."

Generation 2030's support for Mr. Roh was overwhelming. An exit poll showed that he won 60 percent of its vote. In a JoongAng Ilbo poll two days before the election, 54.8 percent of the voters in their 20s and 47.2 percent in their 30s supported Mr. Roh; his rival, Lee Hoi-chang won only 22.8 percent and 27.4 percent among those groups.

Internet bulletin boards were flooded with messages of triumph yesterday: "We finally did it!" "Let's do away with regional and ideological conflicts!" "Generation 2030 changed Korean politics!"

"Generation 2030 emerged as a political mainstream in this presidential election," Kim Han-gill, the former culture minister and the media strategy head of the Millennium Democratic Party, said. "Both ruling and opposition parties paid acute attention. Young people are individualistic most of the time, but they move in unison at particular moments."

Experts called the Internet the most important factor in Generation 2030's emergence. With more than 10 million subscribers to high speed Internet and more than 25 million Internet users, every word spreads at the speed of light.

"In past elections, a small group of student activists led student opinion," said Lee Gang-eun, 23, a graduate student at the Seoul National University. "Today, students pay more attention to the election, because of the Internet."

Lee Eun-ja, 21, a sophomore at the university, said Wednesday, "Lately, so many messages about the presidential election were posted on Internet boards, even those belonging to sites introducing different hobbies. Making a few clicks, I got to learn about candidates and their policies automatically."

On the same day, a small crowd tried to promote a candidate on the street. Despite slogans shouted through a loudspeaker, passers-by paid almost no attention.

"I have already made my selection after learning about the candidates through various media," said Kim Gyeong-ae, 37, a housewife. "It is time to change the method of election campaigns."

The Internet is functioning as a political education tool, Song Jae-ryong, professor of social welfare at Seoul Cyber University, said. "Cyberspace, guaranteeing anonymity, became the arena of debate."

Generation 2030 uses the major events of current affairs as a way of discharging collective catharsis. "In normal times, the generation either ignores or speaks separately about politics," Hong Doo-seung, Seoul National University professor, said. "But they are united as one when a change or an event is initiated."

The candlelight vigils began small. Soon, a riot policeman's comment spread through the Internet: "We can't do anything about it when people gather as as they did during the World Cup period." Last Saturday, the street near Gwanghwamun blazed with candlelight.

by Lee Weon-ho, Baik Sung-ho