"Dissatisfied? Send a Truck"… MZ Generation's 'Truck Protest' That Shook Companies

Truck Protest in Front of Hive Headquarters Despite Incident
Advantageous for Spread on SNS and Online Communities

On the afternoon of the 9th, around 2 PM, pedestrians walking along Hangang-daero in Yongsan-gu, Seoul suddenly stopped and began to focus their attention on the opposite side of the six-lane road. Their gaze was directed at three large trucks parked in front of the HYBE entertainment agency building.

The 150-inch LED display attached to the trucks showed a protest message that read, "HYBE must stop black propaganda against its subsidiary label ADORE." Passersby, curious, started filming the trucks with their mobile phones. The trucks left the spot only as the clock neared 5 PM that day.

On the 9th, a protest truck sent by fans of the idol group NewJeans was parked in front of HYBE headquarters in Yongsan-gu, Seoul.
[Photo by Lee Ji-eun]

A breeze of change is blowing over protest sites once marked by picket signs and chants. Centered around the MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z), sending trucks instead of people is becoming a new trend in protests.

The truck rental fee is around 1 million KRW for 8 hours per day, and fundraising is mainly done anonymously through social networking services (SNS) and online communities. When hundreds of people participate in fundraising, it becomes cheaper to join the protest than the transportation costs of going to the site in person.

◆Popular among diverse groups from office workers to idol fandoms

Thanks to these advantages, truck protests have recently spread across various groups, from office workers to sports fans and gamers.

In 2022, users of the game "Uma Musume Pretty Derby," serviced domestically by Kakao Games, held truck protests around the Pangyo area, criticizing the company's excessive charging policies and poor communication. NCSoft also faced difficulties when users of "Lineage 2M" staged protest truck demonstrations against the company.

On February 19, 2022, a protest truck sent by Lineage M users was parked in front of the NCSoft headquarters in Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi Province. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Trucks have also been used in wage improvement protests by office workers. In February, some employees of LG Energy Solution held a truck protest demanding improvements to the performance bonus system. A 3.5-ton truck bearing the message "Fairly reward performance" toured the Yeouido area.

Recently, truck protests have reportedly gained popularity even among foreigners. A representative from a truck rental company stated, "These days, Hallyu fans from China and Indonesia have been contacting us through local companies or directly using translation tools to inquire about quotes more frequently."

As truck protests gain popularity, some companies deploy 2 to 3 trucks daily solely for protest purposes. A truck rental company representative said, "It varies by protest, but there are cases where a single individual rents 6 to 7 trucks at once. Although the number of rental companies in Korea is small, including other companies, it is estimated that about 5 to 6 trucks are used daily for protests."

◆High impact without crowd gathering... Companies are also keeping a close watch

The popularity of truck protests is attributed to their efficiency in conveying protest messages easily without the need for crowd gathering. Truck protests began gaining significant popularity during the COVID-19 period when large gatherings were restricted.

A company representative explained, "Idol fans have long held protests by parking trucks in front of their agencies, but inquiries about renting trucks for protests surged sharply during the COVID-19 period."

Thanks to their visual impact, truck protests can deliver protest messages more intuitively than slogans and picket signs. The large-scale LED displays attract public attention, causing protest photos to spread rapidly on SNS and online communities. When some media outlets publish articles with protest photos, the effect of the protest is amplified.

Choi (30), who participated in fundraising for an idol fan's truck protest, said, "Fans dissatisfied with the fan meeting venue chosen by the agency pooled money to rent a truck. As soon as the protest started, photos of the truck spread on internet news and X (formerly Twitter), and the agency immediately changed the venue."

Protest truck driver Mr. A is holding up the fine notice imposed on the truck.
[Photo by Lee Ji-eun]

Because photos spread quickly on SNS, companies and entertainment agencies are closely monitoring truck protests. A 40-year-old truck driver A, who drives trucks for protests, said, "When a truck is parked in front of an entertainment agency, employees immediately rush out and start taking photos of the truck. Some agencies have repeatedly reported illegal parking violations, causing the truck to be moved several times and then parked again."

Experts explain that unlike older generations who focused on offline protests, the MZ generation expresses their opinions in more strategic ways. Professor Gu Jeong-woo of the Department of Sociology at Sungkyunkwan University said, "The MZ generation is a generation where protests have become routine, discussing unfair corporate practices through online communities. Unlike older generations, they are skilled at freely mobilizing both offline and online methods to express their opinions strategically."