‘Young 40s’ crowd in South Korea getting roasted for acting half their age
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The term “young 40s” is used to describe middle-aged adults who try a little too hard to look younger.
PHOTO: AFP
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SEOUL - An illustration of a man in his 40s recently went viral in South Korea.
He is wearing a Supreme cap, an oversized logo tee, frayed mid-thigh shorts and Nike socks pulled high over matching sneakers. In one hand, he clutches a Nike reusable bag, and in the other, a bright-orange iPhone 17.
The internet quickly dubbed it the “young 40s” look, a label given to middle-aged men who try a little too hard to pass as 20-somethings.
But the term wasn’t always negative in Korea.
A decade ago, being called “young 40s” was actually a compliment.
The phrase was first coined in 2015 by trend consultant and columnist Kim Yong-sub.
He used it to describe people in Generation X, who were in their 40s at the time — particularly people who embraced new challenges and defied middle-age stereotypes.
“Previous generations focused more on family and kids and basically had no life for themselves. But Generation X was different. They saw their 40s as a time they could still dream and do things for themselves. I created the term to reflect that change,” Mr Kim told The Korea Herald.
Young 40s? Try-hard 40s
A data analysis platform, SomeTrend, reported that it examined 104,160 online mentions of “young 40s” over the past year.
It found that 55.9 per cent carried negative associations, compared with 37.6 per cent positive and 6.5 per cent neutral.
In short, it has become shorthand for rolling your eyes at 40-somethings chasing trends meant for people half their age.
Some laugh it off, at least in public.
“It was funny because it wasn’t my style. I don’t really wear T-shirts with big logos,” said 41-year-old Kim Yong-jun, an accountant.
A man in his mid-40s, who asked not to be named, put it more bluntly.
“I kind of get it. Some people probably should dress their age,” he said.
Still, he admitted the label stings. “Sure, the look doesn’t always fit the age. But mocking people for trying? That’s bitter. Everyone in their 20s and 30s will get old, too.”
An illustration of a man in his 40s wearing a Supreme cap, an oversized logo tee, frayed mid-thigh shorts and Nike socks pulled high over matching sneakers recently went viral in South Korea.
PHOTO: @JONGY064/X
The stigma has also made many fashion-conscious 40-somethings second-guess themselves. Asking whether a brand counts as “young 40s” has become common.
On Naver’s fashion forum Branded Community, one user listed several brands and asked, “Are these young-40 brands?” with a crying emoji.
“It’s just my style,” he added. “But it’s sad that I’m being roasted as ‘young 40s’.”
Others shared similar frustrations.
“I was always into fashion, and as I got older and had more money, the things I bought started being called ‘young-40 fashion’,” one commenter wrote. “It’s upsetting that it’s turning into a meme. Fashion should be ageless.”
The mockery is affecting brands’ sales even among younger consumers.
Hoka, once beloved by runners in their 20s and 30s, saw growth stall just as it caught on with middle-aged men.
“I don’t mean to mock ajeossi (middle-aged men),” said Daishin Securities analyst Yu Jung-hyun. “But the stocks of both Hoka and On Running slowed once the brands became associated with an older crowd.”
Even tech has not been spared. The iPhone is now jokingly called “the ultimate young-40 accessory”.
A Gallup Korea survey in July showed iPhone use among people in their 40s jumped 12 percentage points in the past year. Samsung still leads overall, 67 per cent to Apple’s 31 per cent, but that marks a sharp shift.
Two years ago, fewer than one in five 40-somethings used an iPhone. Meanwhile, among 18- to 29-year-olds, iPhone use slipped 4 points to 60 per cent, while Galaxy gained six points to 40 per cent.
What i’s worse is that the insult has spread beyond fashion and tech. It is now used to mock people in their 40s in general.
One such variation, “sweet young 40s”, refers to middle-aged men who act inappropriately towards women in their 20s.
Mr Kim, who originally coined the phrase, worries that the trend reflects a lack of tolerance and diversity in society.
“Gen Z might not even care about the meme. It could be people in their 30s and 40s who are making the jokes and being sensitive,” he said.
“But the real issue is when this ridicule continues and Gen Z learns from it. Then the cycle of mocking entire generations will only go on.” THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
