"Am I a Kkondae too..." Regardless of Age, Trapped in Self-Censorship

Measurement Indicators for Kkondae: "Speech Style, Values, Meddlesomeness"

Recently, as empathy for the term 'kkondae' has been increasing, it was found that 8 out of 10 office workers believe there are many 'young kkondae' around them.

According to a '2023 Kkondae Perception Survey' conducted by market research specialist Embrain Trend Monitor targeting 1,000 men and women aged 19 to 59 nationwide, 62% of respondents perceived kkondae as an 'authoritative person.' Following this, a majority associated negative images such as being stubborn (58.7%), being someone who does not communicate well (53.7%), or someone who likes to meddle (44.2%).

Characteristics that help identify a kkondae include giving unsolicited advice or warnings (57.8%, multiple responses allowed), judging younger generations based on their own experiences with phrases like 'Young people these days~' (50.7%) or 'Compared to the old days~' (49.5%).

Elements often mentioned to gauge this tendency were mainly tone of voice (87.0%), values (75.9%), and meddlesomeness (74.1%).

On the other hand, age (29.2%) was found to be far from a factor in identifying kkondae tendencies. In particular, 9 out of 10 respondents (93.5%) answered that 'not all older people are kkondae.'

Especially, there was a high level of empathy for the concept of 'young kkondae.' 84.6% of respondents said there are many 'young kkondae,' and 46.2% felt that 'they are even worse than older kkondae.'

Additionally, people with strong kkondae tendencies were generally seen as problematic within organizations. Many evaluations noted that such individuals tend to lack ability but expect to be treated well (61.3%), hold strong convictions about their own thoughts (50.8%), and judge right and wrong based on hierarchy (44.6%).

Among them, quite a few were worried about becoming a kkondae themselves. About half of the respondents (47.0%) felt that 'they might become a kkondae someday,' and 44.8% said they were 'afraid of becoming a kkondae.'

To avoid becoming a kkondae, it was found important to acknowledge that one's values might differ (56.0%), have an attitude to correct mistakes (45.0%), avoid expecting special treatment based on age or status (44.1%), and maintain a respectful attitude toward others (42.5%).

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