Several years ago, one buzzword took Korea’s younger generation by storm: #sohwakhaeng
Translated as “small but definite happiness,” it symbolized a refreshing escape, suggesting people find joy in simple pleasures amid a society weighed down by relentless competition, soaring housing prices and limited job prospects.
However, over time, the pursuit of these everyday delights began to stray from its original intent.
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Among young people, sohwakhaeng gradually became something to subtly show off — photos of small luxury items, a one-time omakase dinner or a quick trip to Tokyo, often tagged with #smalljoys.
As a result, we’re witnessing the rise of a new trend: ‘happiness fatigue.’
Many are now struggling with the pressure to constantly feel — and prove — that they are happy with ‘the little things in life.’
They want to break free from the burden of having to display their happiness.
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The shifting mindset has become the pursuit of a “very ordinary day,” where nothing exceptional ever happens. This attitude idealizes uneventful, introspective moments that are not worth being flaunted.
These insights came from Kim Ran-do, a professor of consumer science at Seoul National University during a press conference where he unveiled his latest book “Trend Korea 2025.”
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Another key term from Kim Ran-do's book characterizes today’s consumers as “omnivores,” highlighting the remarkable diversity in their cultural tastes and behaviors. Consumers are no longer bound by traditional expectations associated with their age, gender or income level.
This means that traditional market segmentation — dividing your target market into approachable groups based on typical demographic and socioeconomic factors — has become ineffective.
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"It’s becoming increasingly difficult to define what we call Korean culture,” he remarked, citing cases like KATSEYE, a multinational K-pop girl group with a majority of non-Korean members, “Broker,” a film with a Korean cast and a Japanese director, and Korea’s rising export of halal food products.
“Rather than debating what is or isn’t ‘Korean,’ we should focus on the diverse shades of ‘K-’ that can enrich the market and the cultural landscape.”