Park Jun-young, a 24-year-old university student, first became interested in politics in 2023. But his views often clashed with those of his father, a member of the so-called “86 Generation,” referring to those born in the 1960s who were university students in the 1980s and played a key role in South Korea’s pro-democracy movement. His liberal-leaning parents frequently dismissed his opinions, telling him he was simply uninformed.
The divide deepened in December 2024, when President Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law and the National Assembly moved to impeach him. Park’s parents strongly criticized those opposing the impeachment, while Park, who had attended protests against it, found their stance intolerable. Unable to reconcile their differences, he eventually left home.
Park’s experience reflects a broader trend among younger South Koreans, who are increasingly diverging from their parents’ political views. A recent survey by KSTAT Research, commissioned by the Institute for Future Strategy at Seoul National University and The Chosun Ilbo, found that a growing number of South Koreans in their 20s and 30s are shifting toward conservatism.
The survey, conducted Feb. 25-26, measured ideological leanings on a scale of 1 to 10, with higher scores indicating stronger conservative tendencies. Respondents in their 20s scored an average of 5.04, while those in their 30s scored 5.24—both higher than the figures for individuals in their 40s (4.83) and 50s (4.72).
Younger South Koreans also expressed skepticism about the country’s political system. Only 33% of respondents in their 20s and 32% in their 30s said they believed the system was democratic. In contrast, 43% of those in their 40s and 44% in their 50s shared that view, a gap of around 10 percentage points.
Anti-China sentiment was another strong trend. About 70% of respondents in their 20s and 30s viewed China as a “hostile or wary” nation, the highest among all age groups. Even among those aged 70 and older, the figure stood at 50%, indicating that anti-China sentiment is more pronounced among younger generations.
The shift toward conservatism among younger South Koreans has become more pronounced in recent years. According to Gallup Korea, in January 2020, 18% of respondents in their 20s identified as conservative. By January 2024, that figure had risen to 28%, an increase of 10 percentage points. Among those in their 30s, the proportion grew from 20% to 33% over the same period, a rise of 13 percentage points.
“This is the first time since the 86 Generation that a specific age group has drawn significant political attention,” said Kang Won-taek, director of the Institute for Future Strategy at Seoul National University. “While the 86 Generation was ideologically progressive, today’s 20s and 30s are defined by their shift toward conservatism.”
