OPINION: The age of restless youth

Kim Sang-chul, director of Global Business Research Center

The world today feels as if it is locked in a cycle of turmoil. Wars drag on, economies falter, and political dysfunction seems the rule rather than the exception. For many, especially young people, frustration has boiled over into anger, and anger into action.

In recent months, Southeast Asia has seen its youngest citizens — largely Gen Z — take to the streets in protest. From Jakarta to Manila, Dhaka to Dili, demonstrations against corruption, unemployment, and inequality have erupted.

The grievances echo across borders: poverty, political impunity, and a profound sense of uncertainty about the future. Commentators have drawn parallels to the Arab Spring of 2010, when disillusioned youth in Tunisia set off a chain of uprisings across the Middle East. Yet, much like the Arab Spring, early flashes of political change have rarely translated into lasting economic improvement.

This is not confined to Asia. Latin America, long known for its political volatility, has witnessed its own wave of youthful frustration. The so-called "Pink Tide" of leftist governments promised equity and progress, but corruption and cycles of political revenge — where presidents are jailed soon after leaving office — have fueled cynicism. For Gen Z, now entering adulthood in these societies, hope is in short supply.

Even in developed democracies, the discontent is unmistakable.

The United States remains polarized by the legacy of Trumpism, with Gen Z voters caught in the crosscurrents of economic anxiety and culture wars.

In Western Europe, far-right populism is gaining traction, driven by concerns over jobs, migration, and national identity. Across continents, the common thread is a young generation increasingly unwilling to accept the status quo.

Geopolitics further complicates the picture. Nations entangled in China’s Belt and Road Initiative now grapple with unsustainable debt and a loss of economic sovereignty. In places like Nepal and Kenya, debt distress has spilled into the streets, where protesters denounce political elites seen as too close to Beijing. Elsewhere, governments labeled as "pro-Russia" or "pro-China" have become lightning rods for popular anger.

South Korea may appear insulated from these upheavals, but it is hardly immune. Its own MZ generation — Millennials and Gen Z combined — faces an unforgiving reality. A record 420,000 graduates are not economically active, while more than 600,000 young Koreans struggle to find stable work.

Political dysfunction, coupled with widening inequality, has left many doubting whether the system works for them. The country’s politics is also steeped in retribution: former presidents jailed, rivals investigated, endless cycles of payback that deepen cynicism.

The picture is stark: a global generation born into crises — financial crashes, climate change, pandemics — now stepping into adulthood with little faith in traditional politics. For governments, the question is not whether youth will erupt, but when.

Gen Z has already shown it is restless, resourceful, and globally connected. In many places, it is leading the protests of today. The larger question is whether it can also shape the solutions of tomorrow.

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