Hyeri joined a new trend of young adults eagerly accessing and sharing their school records online in a wave of nostalgic self-reflection. (Photo: a screenshot from YouTube channel ‘Hyeri’)
SEOUL, Sept. 13 (Korea Bizwire) – A new social media phenomenon is sweeping across South Korea, with young adults eagerly accessing and sharing their school records online in a wave of nostalgic self-reflection.
The trend, particularly popular among the so-called MZ generation (Millennials and Gen Z), involves individuals retrieving their elementary, middle, and high school records and posting excerpts on social media platforms. This “self-analysis” trend has gained significant traction in recent months.
While access to school records has been available through the government’s official website for some time, the ability to view these documents via the popular messaging app KakaoTalk, introduced in November of last year, has reignited interest.
The surge in popularity even caused server outages on the government’s website last September due to overwhelming demand.
KakaoTalk now allows users to request and receive various electronic documents, including school records, fire certificates, passport information, and income verification certificates – all of which were previously only obtainable through specific government channels.
The process to access these records through KakaoTalk is straightforward: users navigate to the “Wallet” section, select “Electronic Documents,” choose the desired document type, and submit a request.
The documents are then instantly saved to the user’s smartphone and can be submitted to specific institutions if needed.
One recent user of the service, identified only as Choi, expressed satisfaction with the experience, stating, “It was great to see everything written down, even parts I couldn’t remember. I could feel the care my teachers put into it. It brought back memories of my school days.”
The trend, particularly popular among the so-called MZ generation (Millennials and Gen Z), involves individuals retrieving their elementary, middle, and high school records and posting excerpts on social media platforms. (Image courtesy of KBS footage)
What sets this trend apart is the depth of self-reflection it has sparked. Young adults are not simply sharing snippets of their records on social media; they are engaging in thorough self-analysis.
They examine details such as academic awards, learning attitudes, club activities, and interpersonal relationships to gain insights into their younger selves and determine “what type of person” they were and are.
This phenomenon appears to be an extension of the broader self-analysis trend popular among young South Koreans, which includes personality tests like MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) and personal color analysis.
The trend has even expanded to include birth registration documents. A rumor circulating on social media claiming that “birth registration documents can only be viewed before turning 30″ has prompted many to visit local courts to obtain these records.
Current law requires these documents to be kept for 30 years before disposal, extended from 27 years following a 2022 legal amendment.
Young adults are using the exact birth times found in these documents for astrological readings and tarot interpretations. Some also value these records as keepsakes featuring their parents’ handwriting.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
