The Trend Korea team focuses on "Today's Women" in South Korea.
The hottest generation in Korea right now, making up 10% of the total population.
The Real Stories of Women in 2030 and Real Trends

What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think of "women in their 20s and 30s"? Images of them diligently practicing self-care through exercise or meditation, visiting hot spots with lovers or friends, rejecting not only dating but also marriage and childbirth, exchanging information on "sdeume" (studios, dresses, makeup) and diligently preparing for their weddings, images of them on Reels or TikTok videos, or even images of them at protests... The "Trend Korea Team," led by Professor Kim Nan-do, says that all of these seemingly different and contradictory images embody the image of women in their 20s and 30s.
Because they refuse to be defined by one thing, take nothing for granted in each life stage, and seek their own way in every moment.
In the process, the Trent Korea team looked at those who play a pivotal role in various industries such as fashion, beauty, food, and care as the 'starting point of trends.'
This will provide insight to those seeking new industrial opportunities, those seeking to create a future-oriented national blueprint, and those curious about the stories of contemporary people regardless of age or gender.

If I had to pick just one group that is the most important among all generations, it would have to be women in their 20s and 30s.
Although they only account for about 10% of the total population, their influence on trends is stronger than that of any other group.
Teenagers like it when people tell them they look like college students.
Even people over 40 look like they're in their 20s or 30s, and the corners of their mouths go up.
Yes, that's right.
2030 is a time that all ages aspire to.
When 2030 does something, other age groups usually follow suit.
As a result, 2030 often becomes the starting point for trends.
In particular, women in their 20s and 30s are the most crucial group (segment) that plays a pivotal role in various industries such as fashion, beauty, and food.
It is no exaggeration to say that women in their 20s and 30s are the most important generation in trend research.
As a trend researcher and university professor, I have been able to observe women in their 20s and 30s for a long time.
My personal impression of women in their 20s and 30s these days is that they are a shining generation that takes better care of themselves and is more confident than ever before.
First of all, be honest.
He is very thorough in self-management, from school life to health and diet.
Also, it is confident.
In the past, there was a feeling that I couldn't express myself well in a male-oriented social atmosphere, but these days, it's completely different.
Not only in academics, but also in student self-governing activities such as clubs and academic societies, female students are not at all behind, and they are also very active in the job market.
In a word, it is a generation that shines on its own.
--- p.6

Being pretty isn't just a matter of appearance.
For women in their 20s and 30s, body care goes beyond simply maintaining good skin and hair.
It has a very comprehensive meaning that includes health, makeup, procedures, plastic surgery, and fashion.
Beauty, which is often represented by cosmetics, now includes health.
Diet and diet for weight control, blood sugar management, and exercise are all part of the effort to pursue beauty.
The ultimate goal is to cultivate the ideal appearance you ultimately desire through external and internal management.
The recent increase in the number of people in their 20s and 30s seeking inner beauty products, such as collagen, biotin, and probiotics, also reflects this trend.
According to a survey conducted by the lifestyle magazine Singles, 6 out of 10 women in their 20s and 30s have purchased inner beauty products.
Among them, 41% responded that they regularly use inner beauty products.
Recently, the movement to pursue holistic beauty through multifaceted self-care is spreading, with 'inside-out' beauty, which cultivates the inner self as well as the outer self, emerging as a new trend among peers overseas.

As people enter their 30s, more and more people begin to realize that health includes beauty.
Beauty is seen as a part of health, and health is considered more important than appearance.
What's interesting is that these people also once believed that the ultimate goal of self-care was to improve their appearance.
As time went by, we each developed self-care values ​​that placed greater emphasis on health for our own reasons, and now we believe that if we are healthy, our external beauty will naturally shine through.
--- p.28

According to the Hanwha Insurance Femtech Research Institute report, "PHYSICAL TREND: Women Who Take on Challenges," mentions of exercise have also increased significantly as interest in physical fitness has grown among women in their 20s and 30s.
In particular, there is a trend of enjoying muscle training for specific areas such as shoulders, lower body, back, and abdominal muscles using various equipment to create a firm body with strong muscles.
This result shows their high interest in the so-called 'deukgeun' (short for 'gaining muscle').

It is not just a simple change in appearance, but a change in the overall perception of one's body and the mechanism of its use.
The body is an intuitive and clear evidence that allows us to overcome the conventional notion that women are weak and feel self-efficacy.
As evidence of this, the image of women exercising shown in recent media is different from that of the past.
What started as a solitary run to stay as lean as possible has transformed into a running crew where we increase our pace and cheer each other on.
Women are increasingly participating in areas that were once considered men's sports due to their rough and tough nature, such as CrossFit and squats.
--- p.39

In the past, emotional problems were primarily considered something that individuals had to endure, and there was considerable social prejudice and rejection toward 'mental hospitals'.
However, these days, there is a growing social consensus, especially among the 2030 generation, that it is natural to visit a psychiatrist for mental health treatment when you are feeling unwell, just as you would visit an internal medicine doctor for a cold. As a result, the number of people visiting the clinic from the beginning is noticeably increasing.
Even if you don't have any serious symptoms, it's not awkward to visit for preemptive management.
Now, problems of the heart are 'problems to be solved' rather than hidden or endured.
In fact, according to data from the Healthcare Big Data Open System, the number of psychiatric clinics in Korea is rapidly increasing, exceeding 1,600 in the first quarter of 2024.
Compared to five years ago, the number of clients in their 20s and 30s visiting counseling centers has also increased significantly by more than 50%.
This trend is also evident in surveys.
When asked, “In which of the following situations do you think you should visit a psychiatrist?” only 10.3% of respondents answered “When a serious mental illness occurs,” while 22.4% answered “Whenever necessary, such as for daily stress management,” more than double that number.
We can see that the perception of visiting a hospital for mental health management has definitely changed for the better.
As stress becomes a daily occurrence and modern illnesses like depression, insomnia, and panic disorder become more common, people are now more comfortable talking openly about visiting a psychiatrist or seeking counseling, and even seeing them without any hesitation.
It is said that when a friend in a university club complained that he was mentally exhausted and depressed, the other friends scolded him, saying, “Then you should go to a psychiatrist and get counseling.”
Rather than comforting and sharing the hardships with the person, or encouraging them to overcome it on their own, there is a growing trend in society where this is also considered an area that requires professional services.
In addition to professional help, mental training to strengthen yourself is also an important part of mental management.
It is the dream of all of us to become a person who is strong on the inside but soft on the outside.
--- p.68

The friendships of the 2030 generation are extraordinary.
It becomes more complicated, not limited to same-age peers or classmates.
Moreover, these days, we live in a society where every second counts.
Everyone is so busy.
Because I'm so busy and out of it, it's not easy to make plans with friends.
As a result, friends become 'functional'.
In the past, I would meet up with a close friend and ask, "What do you want to do?", but these days, I change the friend I meet depending on my purpose.
Friends who study at the library, friends who take classes together, friends who watch movies together, etc. are all separate.
As relationships are reshaped by interests and purposes, the 'common denominator' of interests becomes more important than age.
Regardless of age, people with similar interests become friends, a kind of 'experience mate'.
This phenomenon is also confirmed by data.
According to a report by Hanwha Insurance's Femtech Research Institute, mentions of traditional relationships such as school friends and boyfriends are decreasing, while mentions of new types of friends you meet online, such as Twitter friends and fan friends, and friends you meet for a purpose, such as dinner friends and drinking buddies, are increasing.
There is a growing trend of people forming relationships online to save time and energy, or socializing with people on a functional basis based on common interests.
--- p.101

For couples these days, registering their marriage is a kind of financial strategy.
Apart from the wedding, it is a matter of choice that requires careful consideration of timing.
This is because the benefits you receive from various systems differ depending on whether you are a married couple or a single-person household.
For example, if each of you owned one house before registering your marriage, after registering your marriage, you will own two houses per household, and the transfer tax or acquisition tax may increase when selling the house.
Also, many couples are trying to buy a new home with a youth-only support loan that offers low interest rates, so they postpone registering their marriage and take out separate loans to buy a new home.
For this reason, you can often find advice in financial investment communities such as, "If you register your marriage, you will be further away from owning a home," or, "You should think carefully about registering your marriage and postpone it until you can avoid it."
In a similar context, a new word, 'marriage penalty', was coined to mean that registering a marriage would result in disadvantages.
The opposite is also true.
As you can see from the interview, if you win a special supply for newlyweds or a happy home, you must register your marriage, so you can often see people getting married after winning.
Even marriage registration has its pros and cons. What was once unthinkable is now considered a common strategy.

--- p.122