Korean MZ hates "Kkondae"

 

 

In South Korea, the term 'kkondae' is more than just an insult. Kkondae refers to a self-righteous older person. Kkondae is usually men and often found in a middle or upper management position in the workplace. They give unsolicited advice and demand obedience from their juniors.

 

In fact, the origin of kkondae is uncertain. It was a student slang to label unforgiving, stubborn and strict teachers. Now outside the classroom, especially at work, kkondae is the type of person you never want to become. In its unique hierarchical corporate culture in South Korea, juniors are rarely permitted to question a kkondae's authority.

 

Within any oranization in South Korea, such as a company, school, or social club, you are ranked based on your age or level of position, and your rank does more than just determine whom you report to and what kind of responsibiliy you have. 

 

It is also part of the culture where the rank determines who takes notes in meeting, who calls to make a reservation for the team dinner, and who distributes the spoons and chopsticks once you're in the restaurant.

 

There is a generational divide over company loyalty and work-centric values. Younger employees see their jobs as just one fraction of their life, on the contrary, their supervisors see their jobs as a critical part of their lives and often don't understand why their junior employees don't have the same loyalty towards the company as they do. 

 

Unlike millennials, baby boomers put work first. There was a time in South Korea when hair length was policed and international travel was restricted. Baby boomers were given few personal choices and forced to devote their lives to building the country. 

 

Not surprisignly, for baby boomers, the goals and aimes of their units at work take precedence over personal goals. Many baby boomers find it difficult to adjust to millennials with freedom they never experienced. Even executives who aren't baby boomers have been cast into this work-first value system, whether they like it  or not. 

 

A 42-year-old executive said, "Even while I was working in a start-up, being an executive automatically put me in the kkondae category for younger workders there." He was given the kkondae label because the term is now becoming synonymous with the older superior with authority or someone in the upper position in the hierarchical chain of command.

 

 

 

[Summary]

 

In South Korea, the term "kkondae" refers to an older person who is self-righteous and holds a high-ranking position in the workplace, often giving unsolicited advice and expecting obedience from their subordinates. It originated as a slang term used by students to describe strict and unforgiving teachers, but has since expanded to refer to older superiors in a wide range of organizations, including companies and social clubs.

 

The hierarchical culture in South Korea dictates that one's rank, determinded by age or position, also determines tasks such as taking notes in meeting, making reservations, and distributing untensils at meals. There is a generational divide between the older supervisors who value company loyalty above all else and the younger employees who see their jobs as just a part of their lives. This is rooted in the experiences of baby boomers, who were forced to devote their lives to building the country, and the subsequent change in values for the younger generations who enjoy more freedom. 

 

Even executives who are not baby boomers are often cast into this work-first valye system, and being an executive autonomically puts one in the "kkondae" category for younger workers. The term is becoming synonymous with older superiors with authoriy or those in upper positions in the hierarchical chain of command.