Young South Koreans Look to Oust Old Guard They Blame for ‘Squid Game’ Economy

  • Younger voters rebel against country's 'Squid Game' economy
  • Demographic frustrated with pace of change under Moon Jae-in
Photographer: SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg
Lock
This article is for subscribers only.

For decades, Seoul Central Market, with its shabby shops and grungy street food, has been a gathering place for retirees seeking cheap meals, clothing and kitchenware.

These days, they’re increasingly competing for space with hipsters in heels and Birkenstocks who stroll past chic restaurants and cafes sprouting between hole-in-the-wall rice shops and noodle joints. Aspiring chefs and first-time business owners — some who gave up seeking jobs in South Korea’s sprawling family-run conglomerates like Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. — are driving up rents and remaking the neighborhood into a battleground in a generational feud.