[News Terms] Young Kkondae

'Rogai (老害)' literally means "causing harm due to age." In Korean, it can be translated as 'kkondae.' In Japan, Gen Z employees mock their 30s Millennial (M generation) supervisors by calling them '30s Rogai.' The term '30s Rogai' in Japan has the same meaning as the commonly used Korean phrase 'young kkondae.' In Japanese, it is written as 'Wakaki Rogai (若き老害)'.

The Korean word 'kkondae (꼰대),' introduced by the British BBC and listed on the English Wikipedia, is slang referring to elderly people, the older generation, or teachers. Over time, its meaning has expanded and transformed to become a derogatory term used to belittle superiors or elders with authoritarian mindsets, regardless of age. The Japanese term Rogai (老害) originates from 'Kogai (公害),' meaning pollution, and implies that nagging in a self-righteous manner is like noise pollution. Ultimately, Rogai is an abbreviation for 'elderly pollution.'

The etymology of 'kkondae' is believed to trace back to the French word 'Comte' (Count), which passed through the Japanese 'Konte (コンテ)' before becoming a Korean term. It is said that pro-Japanese collaborators like Lee Wan-yong adopted the title 'kkonde' after receiving noble ranks from Japan, which led to the term's establishment. The behavior of pro-Japanese collaborators was disparagingly called 'kkondae acts,' lending some credibility to this theory.

Nowadays, workers in their 20s and 30s frequently use the term 'young-kkon' to describe young kkondae?those who give unsolicited advice, try to teach others, think egocentrically, and impose their views.

Recently, conflicts between Millennials (born 1981?1996) and Gen Z (born 1997?2012) in the workplace have brought the issue of 'young-kkon' to global attention. In Korea, these two groups are collectively called the MZ generation. Across Korea and many countries worldwide, clashes between Millennial junior managers and Gen Z new hires have led to Millennials being labeled as 'young kkondae.' The conflicts mainly revolve around issues related to actual work, such as remote work versus commuting, working hours, work intensity, collaboration, and motivation.

A recent perception survey on kkondae conducted by Embrain Trend Monitor, a market research firm, polled 1,000 men and women aged 19 to 59 nationwide. The results showed that 84.6% of respondents believe there are many 'young kkondae.' Moreover, 46.2% of respondents felt that young kkondae are even more severe than older kkondae.

Especially in major corporations like Samsung Electronics, as the number of Millennial managers in their 30s and 40s increases through executive promotions, the number of young kkondae is also rising.

Japanese online media IT Media Business reported that Gen Z employees have many complaints about Millennial '30s Rogai.' The outlet pointed out, "From the perspective of Gen Z, 30s Rogai lack work experience, have inflated egos, and give advice or lectures to younger employees to maintain their sense of pride. They are not particularly central to corporate power nor entrusted with major responsibilities, so they have little career achievements to boast about, which leads them to act more authoritatively toward subordinates."