This is an AI-generated photo depicting the typical fashion of ‘Young Forty’ men and women. On social media, many users reacted to the image by saying, ‘They look just like the people I saw at the outlet last weekend.’ (Image source: captured from an online community site)
SEOUL, Sept. 22 (Korea Bizwire) — When Park Seung-woo turned 40 this year, colleagues wasted no time calling him “Young Forty,” a term meant to capture middle-aged Koreans trying to look youthful. Far from a compliment, he says the label now feels like a taunt.
“They call me ‘Young Forty’ at every turn, to the point I censor how I dress or what hobbies I share,” Park said. “It makes me wonder if I’m suffering from some kind of Peter Pan syndrome.”
A recent analysis by data firm SomeTrend shows Park is not alone. Online mentions of “Young Forty” over the past year surpassed 100,000, with nearly 56 percent tied to negative language — words like “old,” “gross,” and “pathetic.” Positive associations made up less than 38 percent.
Coined in 2015 by cultural critic Kim Yong-seop, the term originally described Generation X Koreans who embraced travel, fashion and new challenges as they reached middle age. Companies hailed the group as a “blue chip” consumer segment, enlisting middle-aged actors to advertise cosmetics and apparel.
A scene from the webtoon ‘Around Forty’. The moment when the 40-year-old protagonist, usually portrayed as stylish, sees his reflection turn into a middle-aged man with a belly has become a meme symbolizing the self-awareness of the ‘Young Forty’ generation. (Image source: captured from Naver Webtoon).
But what began as a lifestyle badge has turned into a lightning rod. Online communities now mock “Young Forty fashion brands,” singling out baseball caps, streetwear labels like Supreme and Stüssy, and even the orange iPhone 17. One market analyst recently quipped that running shoes had lost appeal among younger consumers because “middle-aged men wear them every day.”
The backlash reflects deeper generational tensions. Critics see the cohort — roughly 7.6 million people in their 40s, or nearly 15 percent of the population — as both culturally intrusive and economically entrenched. Some younger Koreans liken “Young Forty” managers to the older establishment they once resented, dismissing them as just another privileged class.
Psychologists say the hostility reflects envy and insecurity as much as disdain. “The ‘Young Forty’ generation is trying to experience things they missed during the 1990s financial crisis, from travel to fashion,” said Im Myung-ho, a psychology professor at Dankook University. “It’s also fueled by envy of the cultural dominance of millennials and Gen Z.”
The phrase has even morphed into an insult: “Young Forty” now appears in the same breath as “boomer” or “elitist.” On male-dominated forums, the term “sweet Young Forty” has emerged to deride middle-aged men who claim to support women’s rights publicly while behaving badly in private.
Sociologists warn the trend is part of a larger cycle of generational conflict. “Older generations try to assert influence, while younger ones resist,” said Choi Hang-seob of Kookmin University. “Without mutual understanding, it risks spiraling into entrenched generational hatred.”
Still, Kim, who first coined the phrase, defends its original meaning. “It was never about mocking appearances,” he said. “It was about a shift in attitudes, values and lifestyles. A society where everyone lives uniformly is not a healthy one. In that sense, the ‘Young Forty’ still matters.”
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
