Former skeleton athlete Yoon Sung-bin has come under fire for making comments that seem to target the 'Kangaroo Generation'.
On the 13th, a video titled “From Yoon Sung-bin's management diet to his views on dating” was released on Yoon Sung-bin's YouTube channel 'Iron Bin Yoon Sung-bin'.
During the video, when Yoon Sung-bin heard that “there are many Kangaroo Generation individuals even in their 30s,” he responded, “Why is that? Why aren’t they becoming independent?” showing his inability to understand.
The 'Kangaroo Generation' refers to those who, even after the age of 25, depend on their parents regardless of their employment status. The rising housing prices in the metropolitan area and the burden of living expenses have led to an increase in the number of people living with their parents. A staff member explained, “They can’t become independent because they don’t have money.”
In response, Yoon Sung-bin said, “Is it because they don’t have money, or are they just spending it? Why don’t they have it? Are prices too high?” showing his confusion, to which the staff replied, “If you pay rent and living expenses, there’s nothing left.” Nevertheless, Yoon Sung-bin responded, “Can’t they save on living expenses?” implying that the inability to become independent is due to personal spending issues.
The staff elaborated, “How can you save on living expenses? If you earn minimum wage, your monthly salary is around 2 million to 2.3 million won. After paying rent and management fees, you spend about 1 million won. Then you have to live on 1.3 million won, and after paying for food and transportation, there’s really not much left.” Finally, Yoon Sung-bin responded, “I think it’s okay to live at your parents' house when you’re a newcomer,” indicating that he finally understood.
As Yoon Sung-bin's comments were made public, netizens reacted critically, saying, “He sounds unlikable,” “His tone makes it even more off-putting,” “It’s a reckless statement,” “It’s important to convey intentions well, but his tone and arrogant attitude are the problem,” “I really dislike his condescending attitude,” “Try earning money like an ordinary person in society,” “If you receive a pension from taxpayers, you should be humble,” “He doesn’t understand or even try to understand the unavoidable situations,” “He only focused on sports,” “Don’t belittle those who are struggling to survive,” “Empathy is intelligence,” among other critical responses.
[Kim So-yeon, Star Today Reporter]
