By Wonsuh Song
Our university held entrance interviews today. The applicants spoke clearly about the activities they chose during high school and how those experiences led them toward their intended path. Whether it was a club, volunteer work, or a community project, they understood why they made those choices. Behind them were parents who encouraged genuine interests rather than pushing a predetermined route. Watching them, I found myself thinking, “This is what a healthy society looks like.”
This scene connects strongly with the lifestyle associated with Japan’s “Mild Yankees.” Unlike the rebellious stereotype of the past, Mild Yankees are young people who stay in their hometowns, build their lives around family and community, and value stability over competition. They do not feel compelled to move to major cities or chase elite opportunities. Their way of life reflects a society that naturally acknowledges diverse models of success.
In contrast, South Korea still adheres to a narrow formula of success—prestigious universities and major corporations. Many teenagers spend their adolescence in cram schools, missing opportunities to explore themselves or gain real-world experience. Having run along only one narrow track, disappointment becomes harsher when reality diverges from expectations. This system constrains potential instead of expanding it.
This does not imply that Japanese youth live without challenges. But Japanese society at least demonstrates culturally and institutionally that multiple answers exist. Staying local is normal; working in regional companies is respectable. The Mild Yankee lifestyle symbolizes this acceptance of diverse life paths.
What impressed me most today was that the applicants spoke not about credentials but about experiences—what they enjoyed, why they chose certain activities, and how those choices shaped their identity. A society that allows this kind of exploration is a healthy society. Korea, too, must move away from its single-track system and offer young people more branching pathways. Not everyone needs to pursue a white-collar career, and not everyone needs to aim for major corporations.
The Mild Yankee lifestyle reminds us that a society becomes healthier when it offers “multiple good paths,” not just one. When diverse choices are respected, young people feel less discouraged and more empowered to build meaningful futures. Korea must begin preparing not one road, but many.
Wonsuh Song (Ph.D.)
Full-time Lecturer, Shumei University / NKNGO Forum Representative
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