"Millennials & Gen Z"... Voices of Busan Youth Take the Stage

Reading Play Based on Essay Collection by Dong-Eui University Korean Literature Students to Be Staged

The reading play 'Millennials & Gen Z,' which tells the stories of local youth, will be performed for free at Sky Wind Small Theater in Nam-gu, Busan, at 4 p.m. on October 4.

This performance is a collaborative project between local universities, cooperatives, and performing arts organizations, expanding youth narratives into cultural content. It was selected and produced as part of the Busan Cultural Foundation's 2025 Creative Preparation Support Program.

'Millennials & Gen Z' is based on the essay collection of the same name, published by the Carpe Diem career club of the Department of Korean Language and Literature at Dong-Eui University, led by Professor Yoon Jiyeong.

Last summer, as part of their club activities, the students visited the Hamateomyeon Cooperative (headed by Kim Suyeon), which also operates as a local publisher. This encounter inspired them to document their lives in writing, resulting in the essay collection 'Millennials & Gen Z,' published by Hamateomyeon Independent Publishing. The book contains the stories of seven young authors, detailing their struggles and journeys to overcome challenges such as dropping out of school, depression, family conflict, and role reversals in caregiving.

The voices of youth captured in 'Millennials & Gen Z' are more than just personal confessions. Experiences that were difficult to share with anyone-such as "days when it was impossible to get up, as if magnets were attached to the pillow," "memories of working from the age of fourteen to support the family," and "the daily routine of caring for a sick mother"-are revealed to be common experiences shared by this generation. In this sense, the upcoming performance will serve as a space for contemporary youth to empathize with and support one another.

The stage adaptation is being handled by Mint Factory, a local performance production company. Known for bringing local stories to the stage through works like 'That Summer Sea,' 'Memories of Spring,' and 'Blues of the Hillside Village,' Mint Factory is also working to expand this reading play into a semi-musical format.

The direction will be led by Lee Youngseop, a director actively working in the Busan theater scene, who plans to reinterpret the youth narratives with a fresh perspective.

Professor Yoon Jiyeong commented, "It is noteworthy that local university students' club activities have expanded into the fields of local publishing and performing arts. At a time when there are concerns about the outflow of the youth population, this could serve as a new model showing how the region can engage with young people and what can be achieved together."

Poster of the reading play 'Millennials & Gen Z'.

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