Everyone lives with their own concerns. There are some worries that we are familiar with, and there are others that might only pertain to other generations. Let’s talk about the shared problems among the different age groups so that we can narrow the gaps between them. We might even have a chance to think up some solutions. We met them face to face -Ed.




  Teenagers and twentysomethings are mainly responsible for the consumption of the culture. They are sensitive to rapid changes and have a big influence on trends. As times change, they have a lot of troubles. Let’s hear their voices.

Nam(19)

  I am a teenager who is ready to become an active member of society, and I am focused on choosing a major that might be helpful in choosing a career. In addition, I think that teenagers are concerned about trends. Young people seem to be able to get along easily and stay abreast of the trends with their friends. I worry that if I don’t wear the same brand of clothing as my friends, I might be thought of as a fool. Another concern is that I live in a society where I can only get social recognition from a reputable university.

Kim(25)

  I am still a senior in college, but I found a job early. Now, I’m in a position of sales, but I have an unstable feeling about my position at work, when comparing it with a civil servant position. I also don’t think this job will be my lifetime job because it will be difficult for me to prepare for my future retirement because I receive a lower salary than corporate salaries. Therefore, I have a lot of worries about how I can maintain my job for a long time even if the company doesn’t need me anymore. Another problem is the sheer number of choices given to me as an adult. There are a lot of difficult choices to make. I often wonder if this path I chose is really right. Perhaps, this is not just me, but a lot of people have similar worries.

  Middle-aged people will do anything without hesitation for their children. The agony of parents who suffer from hardships is not commonly reported in the news. Now they can tell!

Jin(35)

  As soon as I graduated from a university in Seoul, I was lucky to find a job in a foreign financial company. It was a nice job and I got paid a lot, but I quit my job because of a health problem. I don’t think I even took a vacation for more than three days while working there. I quit my job because I wanted to relax, and after that, I traveled a lot. I felt comfortable while traveling, but I thought that I should get back to work after taking a break for a year. Our country is changing fast, and I felt that I fell into a rut with the ease of traveling. Then, I started preparing for opening a new business in the last couple of years. Now, I have the most stress from that decision because I keep getting asked a lot of questions about the success of the business. However, I think the word ‘succeed’ is a subjective word, so it is up to me whether I succeeded or not. I think it’s important for me to know how much money I must earn to feel satisfaction and to know how I feel about myself when I’m happy.

Song(45)

  My concern about retirement is the biggest concern. My children will soon be independent, and then I’m going to have to spend more time on my own. I worry about how I’ll spend my time. I am currently living as a housewife, but I am dreaming of starting a second career in the future. I want to work in marketing. I also have to be ready for my old age. I want my children to be proud of me. However, I always worry about whether this choice is really right. I wonder if it’s too late for me to try and start a second life. Another concern is health. I have struggled to send my children to college. Of course, helping them is necessary as a parent, but now I am worried about failing to take care of my health. It’s a pity that we should be more careful about getting hurt. We could recover easily when we were young.

  For people in their 50s and 60s, their children are becoming independent, and they have more time to spend with their spouses. There will be a lot of troubles between them when preparing for retirement.

Woo(52)

  As a mother in a family, I worry about how my children will graduate from college and find jobs. My second son is studying hard because he wants to become a public servant. I have no worries about my second son because I think he will someday become a public servant. However, I am worried that my first son has not yet set his sights on the future because his goal is uncertain. Another big concern is my health in my 50s. As I am getting older, I feel sick, and I am also worried about my husband’s health. Above all, my worries about menopause are the greatest.

Lee(64)

  My biggest concern is the days that I have left. Now, I worry about how I’m going to live these days while not worrying about my career anymore. I want to live by doing what I want to do, but I’m afraid I’m already too old to follow my dreams. My family is also very worried because there is a history of familial dementia. I am always worried that I will be a nuisance for my children if I fall into dementia. I’ve worked hard since I was young, but I don’t think I earned a lot of money for my family. I’m not sure what I can do. Now, I am a grandfather and worry about how to be a good grandfather. Being a grandfather has only happened once in my life, and I’m afraid I don’t have the best relationship with my grandson. I am trying hard to become a good grandfather.

By Nam Min-woo l mw38@cbnu.ac.kr
By Hong Ye-ha l yh37@cbnu.ac.kr