tv Asia Insight PBS May 10, 2017 6:30pm-7:01pm PDT
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comprising 60% of south korean's gdp, a person's success in life is determined by the size of the firm they work for. new graduates as well as continuing job seekers are applying for major firms heating up competition. only one out of more than 700 applicants will be accepted by the very top firms. abandoned generation has become a buzz word referring to young people who had to give up something important because they couldn't land desperation radio, an online radio program that began in august, 2015, has become the talk of the town. [ speaking foreign language ]
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>> this woman became an act activity two years ago. se she started the radio to discuss the plight of the young people. [ speaking foreign language ]hes the plight of the young people. [ speaking foreign language ] during the program, d.j.'s read out letters from young people about their frustrations with society and their life in poverty. the program offers no criticism or advice. they say the most important goal of the program is to convey reality and raise awareness of their problem. [ speaking foreign language ] [ speaking foreign language ]
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this girl came back to south korea last year after studying abroad which had been her childhood dream. [ speaking foreign language ] >> despite applying to 40 firms, she has only been interviewed by eight. [ speaking foreignanguage ] >> and several interviews she has received the same shocking comment. [ speaking foreign language ]
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resume photo at a full-fledged studio. the shoot cost $70 job hunting costs at least $2,500 u.s. per year. intensive courses and certification cost the same amount as two months salary at a small enterprise. as in her case, many firms do not accept certifications obtained overseas. [ speaking foreign language ]
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learned that she didn't advance from the interview. the unemployment rate for young people stood at 12.5% in february, 2016. that's the worst figure since 1999 when a new statistical method was employed. this man is an economist and professor emayor tus at seoul university. he served adds prime minister in 2009. [ speaking foreign language ]
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his life began going astray in the summer of his senior year. he sudden dily lost the ability to read. he says it was a psychological disorder caused by stress. after that, he got into college but soon dropped out. his parents got divorced and now he lives alone while working part time. he makes $5 an hour at his part-time job, that means no matter how hard he works, he can only pay for rent, food, and counseling. [ speaking foreign language ]
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>> in south korea, male citizens must complete mandatory military service by the age of 30. this is a difficult prospect for him since he has little control over his life. he lives in an apartment behind a shopping district. the bathroom and kitchen are shared. each bedroom is about five square meters. rent is $230 u.s. a month. there are few apartments that are cheaper or smaller. he says he can only think about surviving each day.
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>> he will turn 30 next year and says if he can't lead a prestigious job before then he will find a new path to happiness while working at an ordinary job. he vocal lies young people's feelings on desperation radio has decided to rung for public office. the listeners who want to build their own futures are supporting her. [ speaking foreign language ]
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>> this abandoned generation of young south koreans has had no choice but to give up on their dreams amidst a widening economic gap. the ideals that they had envisioned while studying hard for the competitive school entrance exams are crumbling before their eyes. but in order to survive each day, they continue to sacrifice and work hard in hopes of creating a bright future for themselves.
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