66% of young South Koreans belong to the 'kangaroo tribe'.

This situation stems from numerous social problems, and also creates all sorts of other problems.

Recently, “Gangaroo House,” a pilot program broadcast on a cable television channel, has become popular in South Korea. The program, titled in Korean as “Grown Up, But Not Away From My Parents,” depicts the daily lives of celebrities living with their parents. It can be seen as the opposite of the popular observational reality show “I Live Alone.”

Thanks to positive viewer feedback, the show has been scheduled to become a regular program starting next year. Behind the show's popularity is the rise of the "kangaroo tribe," referring to unmarried adults who haven't moved out of their parents' home, like animals in their mother's pouch.

These are the "children" who refuse to grow up or are unable to grow up.

According to a report by the Korea Employment Information Service, the percentage of people belonging to the "kangaroo tribe" aged 25 to 34 was 66% as of 2020. In this study, young people living with their parents, as well as those living separately for temporary reasons such as studying or military service but lacking financial independence, were classified as the kangaroo tribe.

In other words, out of every 10 people in this age group, 6 or 7 are not financially independent from their parents or still live with their parents.

Why are they living with their parents? Financial reasons are the most important, as one can imagine.

Illustrative image

Han, a man in his 30s living in Gimhae, Gyeongsang Nam Province, recently gave up preparing for the police entrance exam. He said he had relied on his parents for years for most of the necessary funds, such as tuition for a private academy and living expenses, although he occasionally supplemented his income with a part-time delivery job.

However, the preparation time took longer than expected, and both he and his parents were exhausted. He said his parents sighed every time they saw him. “I don’t have the money to move out, so I have no other choice. I plan to save money by increasing my hours at my part-time delivery job, but I don’t know when I’ll have enough money to support myself,” he said.

Many people think they don't need to be independent.

Having a job doesn't necessarily mean someone is independent in South Korea. According to the aforementioned report, the percentage of kangaroos among those with jobs has slightly decreased from 65% to 63.5%, but that still means 6 out of 10 individuals in this group haven't yet achieved complete financial independence from their parents.

Jeon, a civil servant in her 40s living in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, also lives with her parents, even though she has a stable job. She doesn't contribute to living expenses because her parents are well-off.

"I don't think I'm relying on them. They help me with housework, but they depend on me emotionally. I think it's a win-win situation," she said.

A study by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs found that many young people in South Korea, like Jeon, think they don't need to live independently.

Some people in their 30s, even 40s, think they don't need to be independent (Illustrative image).

According to a survey of 2,086 young people aged 19 to 34, about 30% believe they don't need to live independently. Additionally, about 22% believe that financial independence after adulthood is unnecessary.

This phenomenon is not limited to South Korea. The rate of economically independent young people has also declined in other advanced economies. However, 81% of South Koreans in their 20s are classified as part of the kangaroo tribe, the highest percentage among the 36 OECD member countries.

The problem is that this trend could burden their parents' generation, who are preparing for their later years. Parents are being forced to sacrifice their retirement time, which could be a social issue as the country faces the retirement of a second baby boom, or those born between 1964 and 1974, totaling 9.45 million people.

The shortage of quality jobs is forcing young people into what are known as "pocket animals." Even when employed, rent remains too high for young people to afford. Therefore, the job market and public housing policies play a crucial role in ensuring a happy retirement for the older generation.

Source: The Korea Times

Source: https://giadinh.suckhoedoisong.vn/66-nguoi-tre-han-quoc-thuoc-bo-toc-kangaroo-172241213071710241.htm