Flashy Rap, Soulless Eyes... Praised for Capturing Office Workers' Struggles
Great Popularity as MZ Generation Prefers Work-Life Balance and Quiet Resignations
Part-time worker Kim Hanna guiding passengers on the Amazon Express ride at Everland. She earned the nickname "Soullessjwa" for her lifeless dance moves. Among the MZ generation, Kim's demeanor resonated with the culture of 20s and 30s who do not aspire to become executives in organizations and aim to do the minimum work, gaining great popularity. Photo by Everland
[Asia Economy Reporter Seunggon Han] "Head! It gets wet. Clothes too! They get wet. Everything gets wet. There's no way not to get wet here?this is Amazon! Ah! Ma! Jonjo ro jonjo ro jon~."
In March, a video was uploaded on Everland's promotional YouTube channel. It featured Kim Hanna (23), a part-time worker at Everland, delivering a rapid-fire rap with a lively rhythm, explaining safety instructions to passengers on the Amazon Express ride.
But if you look closely, you can find a peculiar charm somewhere. Her eyes seem lifeless, but her rhythm, sense of timing, and pronunciation are precise. The MZ generation (born early 1980s to early 2000s) who watched this video cheered. They said that instead of trying hard at everything in corporate life, it seems better to just do your part without soul, and nicknamed her 'Soul-lessjwa,' meaning a person without soul. This can be seen as a reflection of the hardships of office workers.
Netizens praised the video through YouTube and related article comments, saying things like, "Look at her sense of rhythm~ She could dominate even traditional market performances," "She brings tension to the relaxed Korean hip-hop scene," and "She does her work properly without exerting much effort. She's reached a state of selflessness."
The video recorded 13 million views in about 50 days after upload. Riding the wave of popularity, Kim also filmed an advertisement for Everland's Rose Festival, which surpassed 5 million views on YouTube within ten days of release. Meanwhile, parody videos flooded TV, YouTube, and Instagram daily, including shows like 'Comedy Big League (tvN)'.
Eventually, the most popular domestic YouTube video of the year was the Everland official YouTube channel 'Titanam's' video titled 'Everland Amazon Nth Year Employee's Lines! Addictive' (featuring Kim). As of the 5th, the video had 25.29 million views.
The most viewed video on domestic YouTube this year was found to be 'Amazon Soulleesjwa'. Photo by YouTube
At this point, it can be considered a social phenomenon. The point that the MZ generation cheered for is the situation where they handle their assigned tasks by putting in minimal labor rather than maximum effort. This is why the 'Soul-lessjwa' is interpreted as perfectly embodying 'work-life balance' or 'Worabal.'
This characteristic of the MZ generation, who value Worabal, is also confirmed by a survey. The Korea Federation of SMEs collected and analyzed 268,329 pieces of data related to MZ generation employment in SMEs from social and online media over 3 years and 5 months, from 2019 to May 2022. It showed that workers in their 20s and 30s were most interested in their working hours at 25.8%. Potential for personal growth was 21.3%, followed by salary level and organizational culture at 17.3% and 13.1%, respectively.
In a survey, the MZ generation showed the greatest interest in work-life balance. Issues traditionally considered important in company life, such as promotion, were pushed to the back of their concerns. Photo by Yonhap News Agency
Following Worabal, the so-called 'quiet quitting' is also gaining significant attention among workers in their 20s and 30s. Quiet quitting can be interpreted as "doing only the work paid for." The Washington Post analyzed this as showing that workers no longer pursue a lifestyle that prioritizes work over personal life or passionately engage in work. It literally means doing only the minimum required tasks. It can be interpreted as "doing only the work paid for."
Experts predict that this work attitude among the MZ generation will spread further. Professor Kim Nando of Seoul National University (Department of Consumer Studies) foresaw at the October press conference for the publication of 'Trend Korea 2023' that the so-called 'Office Big Bang' phenomenon would accelerate. He emphasized that workplace culture is undergoing significant changes.
He analyzed, "Not only in the U.S. but also in Korea, turnover rates have reached record highs within three years, and even civil servants, who once enjoyed great popularity, have higher resignation rates than regular companies," adding, "The workplace culture of dedicating your life to a company and receiving a pension after retirement is disappearing." He continued, "Workplace culture is changing at a Big Bang level."
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