Young People Spending the 'Jipkok New Year' Say "Hope Opportunities Return in the New Year"

Young Adults Spend Quiet New Year's Day
"A Time of Waiting" as 2020 Ends
Looking Forward to "NO Corona" in 2021

New Year's wishes for the Year of the Ox from 12 young people in their 20s.

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jun-yi] "I hope I get a chance to do something in the new year."

Youths, who were usually busy with noisy New Year's celebrations every year, quietly welcomed the new year this time. Young people, who had no choice but to stay home even during the first holiday of the new year, unanimously named "the end of COVID-19" as their New Year's wish. From health and safety to meals and travel, their New Year's plans were simpler and more earnest than in previous years.

Quiet New Year Scene

Im Seong-wook (23, Songpa-gu, Seoul), a university student preparing to enlist in January.

Among the 12 young people in their 20s interviewed by Asia Economy for the New Year, most had to spend January 1st and 2nd at home. This was due to the fact that the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases exceeded 1,000 three times within a week, creating an atmosphere of refraining from year-end and New Year gatherings and events.

Photographer Yoon Da-jin (26, Michuhol-gu, Incheon) said, "I stayed alone at home throughout the holiday," adding, "I usually go down to my parents' home to spend the year-end and New Year, but I couldn't this year, so I feel disappointed." College student Lim Seong-wook (23, Songpa-gu, Seoul), who is scheduled to enlist in the military in January, lamented, "I stayed home since the end of the year and had a drink with a friend via video call last night."

The few young people who went outside from the first day of the new year were those working. Nurse Kim Ye-rim (27, Gangdong-gu, Seoul), who works three shifts without distinction between holidays and day or night at a large hospital, said, "I worked both on the first and second days of the new year," adding, "The hospital's guidelines are strict, so I went straight home after work." College student Na Yoon-seo (20, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul) also explained, "I spent the holiday working part-time at a fast-food restaurant and just going back and forth home."

'Goodbye' 2020

Freelance writer and instructor Park Cheol-woo (27, Dongjak-gu, Seoul).

The young people revealed that 2020 was a "year of waiting." Especially those pursuing their goals had to lose many opportunities big and small due to the variable called COVID-19.

Freelance writer and instructor Park Cheol-woo (27, Dongjak-gu, Seoul) said, "Almost all my publishing and lecture plans scheduled after March were canceled," lamenting, "Whenever it seemed like COVID-19 would end, the number of confirmed cases increased again, so it felt like I was being toyed with." Job seeker Jung Ho-seok (27, Mapo-gu, Seoul) also explained, "The job market shrank significantly last year due to COVID-19," adding, "The journalist exam I was preparing for in February was postponed two or three times, which messed up my job preparation plans."

Despite the unfavorable situation, some young people accepted the past year positively. Shin Joo-eun (27, Gunsan-si, Jeonbuk), who worked in the UK and returned home after the spread of COVID-19, said, "Neither remote work nor returning home were things I had expected," reflecting, "Looking back, it was meaningful because I was able to fully reflect on myself."

"Will it be different this year?"

Lee Jaeyeon (28, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi), who works in the Yeouido securities district.

Most young people predicted that this year’s situation would not be much different from last year. Kim Jin-ho (26, pseudonym), who is preparing for the civil service exam, said, "Even though vaccines have come out, the situation won't improve immediately," adding, "Probably this year, how we adapt to this situation will be more important." He also expressed concern, saying, "I’m worried because people’s vigilance has dropped even more than in the early days of COVID-19 spread."

In the midst of an unprecedented disaster, young people’s New Year's wishes were quite different from before COVID-19. Lee Jae-yeon (28, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi), who works in Yeouido’s financial district, lamented, "I hope I can finally travel abroad this year." College student Lee Ye-won (22, Seo-gu, Incheon) said, "My biggest wish this year is to meet friends and chat."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.