'OK, Boomer' moment in Korea

By Jason Lim

The Boomers were the authors of the last great story of Korea, the one that tells of the down-trodden but plucky, pull-yourself-up-by-the-bootstraps people who achieved wealth and democratization through individual courage and collective struggle. They were the "Just Do It" generation, sacrificing everything so they could "live well for once," as Park Chung-hee exhorted. They made something out of nothing through sheer will and effort.

This story held from 1960s to the end of 1990s when the IMF crisis hit and exposed the huge plot holes by laying bare the structural deficiencies in Korea's success model. As the old story fails, the narrative glue that used to bind Korea together has also loosened, leading to the deteriorating social and cultural cohesion that the older generations took for granted. The ruling conservatives, who are the keepers of the old story, are reacting to this dissonance by trying to retell the familiar and comforting story in a more forceful fashion ― this nostalgia drove the election of Park Geun-hye back in 2012, only to see her fall under the weight of the Candlelight Revolution.

The old story cannot last forever. What worked yesterday will not work today or tomorrow. For a story to remain salient, it needs to be continually validated by people's actual experiences. And we know that is not happening. The lack of an alternate success narrative created a socioeconomic vacuum for the young that resulted in a collective cynicism and disengagement of the younger generation from their own future.

This phenomenon has been called, Hell Joseon. In an article on Korea Expose, Koo Se-woong writes, "The Hell Joseon discourse embodies despair and hopelessness of the most extreme variety, the idea that the South Korean state cannot be redeemed through effort. In fact, effort ― noryeok in Korean ― is one of the most hated words in the Hell Joseon lexicon, seen as part of an insidious tactic of the ruling class to trick the population into continuing to believe that work is meaningful, mobility possible, and justice alive."

Park's eventual downfall was not only the result of her incompetence and corruption. It was also the result of irrelevancy of the old Korean boomer story and the resentment represented by the Hell Joseon desperation. However, looking back, something more significant seems to have happened during the Candlelight Revolution, something that has become clearer with the recent popularization of the "OK, Boomer" memes.

"OK, Boomer" is not merely about resentment that the younger generations have toward the Boomers, whom they feel have selfishly sacrificed moderation and sustainability on the altar of conspicuous consumption and unchecked greed. They have plundered the riches of the earth and hoarded the vast majority of the world's wealth by mortgaging the future of their children and grandchildren. There is definitely anger here, but "OK, Boomer" is something that signifies dismissal as well.

The younger generation has found the Boomers no longer relevant or useful as co-architects of the future. They see the house burning down, but Boomers are lounging in chairs outside and yelling at them for not cutting the grass. This is not a generational gap. It is a widening gulf in the foundational world view. They recognize that this is a gulf that will never be bridged. "OK, Boomer." Fine.

This is exactly what happened in Korea's 2016 Candlelight Revolution. In effect, looking back, this was when the Hell Joseon moment transitioned into the "OK, Boomer" moment in Korea. The recognition is still dawning, but the political paralysis and infighting over insignificant power plays seem more and more out of touch with the collective need on the ground as the local economy tanks and wealth inequality widens. The older generation politicians have not yet figured out that they have been dismissed.

Of course, "OK, Boomer" can only be a transition. It is merely an initial declaration by the younger generation to their own story that they now have to write. The replacement narrative has to present a new overarching, constructive story that younger generations can use to make sense of their experiences and plan for a better future. Korea desperately needs someone to write this story that can bring everyone together. No society can remain dynamic and vibrant long without a foundational story. There is a huge void and represents a fundamental failure of leadership and imagination. So far.

Who is going to step up and author a replacement narrative that can rally the young people around and reinvigorate Korean society? Not the boomers. It has to be the youngsters who will have to live their own story. But owning means hard work. Owning means constant care. Owning means nurturing. Owning means responsibility. Ultimately, it means growing up and moving out of the house.

But it's OK, Boomer. It's OK. Really. The kids are all right.

Jason Lim (jasonlim@msn.com) is a Washington, D.C.-based expert on innovation, leadership and organizational culture.