Actually, we are in a boom period, not a recession. Employment is also going incredibly well.

Looking back, the 80s and 90s before the IMF crisis are remembered as the best times to live in Korea.
But if you listen to what the elders say, even back then, they were saying the exact same things as people do now: "This year's economy is the worst," "It's an unprecedented economic crisis," "Finding a job is too difficult," and so on.
Whether the economy is good or bad, what ordinary people feel is that life is always difficult, so the economy always seems bad.
It's just like how we say, "Ah, life was so good back then," only after time has passed.
They say it feels exactly like that right now... Based on objective indicators, we have escaped the low-growth trap, and led by semiconductors, all industries are gaining momentum similar to the "Three Lows" boom due to the AI special demand.
If you look at the employment rate now, for engineering students, it's like... "Wow... was it always this easy to get into large corporations? Why were my seniors so strict?"
That's the level it's at. It's a point in time where even with just a little effort, you can get a free pass to mid-sized companies.
But why does the media keep talking about employment rates and new hires?
That's because it's all~~~~~ based on liberal arts majors. Liberal arts majors have struggled 10 or 20 years ago as well.
And it is a fact that companies aren't hiring new graduates due to AI. Especially for liberal arts roles... and most of those roles are held by women.
60% of job seekers are male engineering students... The fact that men, who will build families and act as breadwinners, are finding good jobs in high-quality companies means the future of Korea is bright.
This isn't because Lee Jae-myung or Yoon Suk-yeol did a good job and hit a cycle; it's because the state never gave up on any industry and continued to develop them, and that is now paying off.
When we look back 10 years from now, everyone will say, "Ah... those were the days when life was truly good..."
And in history books, 2026 will be remembered as the starting point of South Korea's AI golden age.