“Trying Too Hard to Look Young?” How Foreign Media Are Spotlighting Korea’s ‘Young Forty’ Trend

The phenomenon known as “Young Forty,” a term describing South Koreans in their 40s who actively follow youth culture and fashion trends, has recently drawn attention from international media, including the BBC.

In an article published on January 18, the BBC reported that the term, once considered a positive description of trend-aware middle-aged consumers, is increasingly being used with negative connotations among South Korea’s Generation Z. According to the report, the term is now often associated with satire and mockery rather than admiration.

The BBC noted that AI-generated caricatures circulating on social media have played a key role in popularizing the stereotype. These images often depict middle-aged men wearing streetwear brands and holding iPhones, which have come to symbolize the “Young Forty” image online.

Certain fashion items, including Nike Air Jordan sneakers and Stussy T-shirts, have reportedly become targets of ridicule as a result. The BBC observed that within Gen Z discourse, “Young Forty” is increasingly used to describe middle-aged individuals perceived as attempting to appear younger or resisting the passage of time.

Data from online analytics platform SomeTrend supports this shift in perception. The term “Young Forty” was mentioned over 100,000 times online last year, with more than half of those mentions appearing in negative contexts, often paired with descriptors such as “old” or “unpleasant.” A related slang term, translated as “Sweet Young Forty,” has also emerged, referring to middle-aged men who approach younger women.

The BBC pointed out that attitudes toward people in their 40s have changed significantly in recent years. It highlighted that following the release of the iPhone 17 in September last year, smartphones once considered symbols of youth culture have increasingly been reinterpreted as outdated or unfashionable when associated with early middle-aged users.

Changes in consumer trends were also cited. According to Gallup data referenced by the BBC, Apple’s market share among South Korea’s Generation Z declined by 4 percentage points, while it increased by 12 percentage points among people in their 40s, despite younger consumers still expressing a general preference for iPhones.

The report linked the rise of the “Young Forty” narrative to broader social dynamics in South Korea, where age has traditionally played a central role in social hierarchy. The BBC suggested that the trend reflects growing skepticism among younger generations toward age-based authority and expectations.

At the same time, the BBC noted that people in their 40s face their own challenges. Often described as a “sandwich generation,” they navigate between hierarchical senior cultures and younger generations that question established norms. One interviewee in his early 40s told the BBC that experiencing both systems has left his generation feeling caught between conflicting values.