영포티

Young-Forty (pronounced roughly as "yung-for-tee")

The term 'Young-Forty' (영포티) was coined around November 2015 by the marketing industry to highlight the X-generation (born in the 1970s) as a new primary consumer group. At the time, it was used positively to mean "40-somethings living young," but it eventually fell out of use. However, starting around 2020, it began to re-emerge, primarily within online communities, as a derogatory term to mock 40-50 year olds who "don't act their age." Its usage dramatically increased after the 2025 presidential election, particularly in a political context where men in their 20s and 30s criticized men in their 40s and 50s.

'Young-Forty' (영포티) was originally a marketing term from 2015, referring to the X-generation (born in the 1970s) who, upon reaching their 40s, maintained youthful sensibilities and spending power. However, by the 2020s, its meaning shifted. It is now used as a derogatory term and a meme to negatively criticize and objectify certain characteristics of people in their 40s and 50s. It particularly mocks "40-50 year olds who don't act their age." For those born in the early to mid-1970s who are in their 50s, the term 'Young-Fifty' (영피프티) is also used. Furthermore, 'Sweet Young-Forty' or 'Seu-wit Young-Forty' (스윗 영포티/서윗영포티) is used to mock hypocritical men who pretend to be kind and considerate only towards younger women. Politically, its usage has expanded to ridicule 40-50 year old voters who show extreme support for Democratic-aligned political parties.

This meme is primarily used by men in their 20s and 30s. It is overwhelmingly prevalent in male-dominated online communities with strong right-wing political leanings, where it is used to disparage 40-50 year old men with strong left-wing leanings.

'Young-Forty' is used in various situations to criticize or mock specific behaviors or tastes of people in their 40s and 50s.

• Workplace: Used to criticize 40-50 year olds who enforce hierarchy and personal sacrifice (viewing the company as a lifelong workplace), unlike younger generations who see it as a means for growth, or those who assign easy tasks only to female employees.
• Eating Habits: Used to point out the eating habits of 40-50 year olds that are behind trends or slow to adopt them, in contrast to younger generations who are sensitive to social media trends and consume food as content.
• Fashion: The term 'Young-Forty style' is used to mock 40-50 year olds who stick to past trends (e.g., snapbacks, Nike shorts, skinny jeans, jogger pants, cargo pants, short ankle socks, polo shirts) or wear specific brands popular with younger generations (e.g., Wooyoungmi, Thom Browne, Stone Island, Supreme).
• Smartphones: As iPhone usage, including the iPhone 17 Pro, increased among men in their 40s, the meme "iPhone is a Young-Forty phone" spread.
• Vehicles: Vehicles like the Kia Carnival, Tesla Model Y, and Model 3 are sometimes seen as symbols of 'Young-Forty vehicles.'
• Cultural Content: Used to point out excessive attachment to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (e.g., Iron Man, Avengers) or PlayStation games, or a preference for older games like Football Manager and Winning Eleven. The game Stellar Blade also gained popularity among men in their 40s, earning the nickname 'Young-Forty Blade.'
• Attitude towards Trends: Used to criticize those who mistakenly believe they are trendsetters but are actually behind, or who shorten the lifespan of memes by trying to imitate 2030s trends (e.g., using Ghibli-style AI profile pictures).
• Politics: Used to mock 40-50 year old voters who show extreme support for Democratic-aligned parties, or to express a critical view of their self-proclaimed status as the "democratization movement generation."

'Young-Forty' is often used as a derogatory term to belittle and mock a specific generation. Compound terms like 'Sweet Young-Forty' carry negative connotations and are not used positively. While mocking non-specific targets may not be problematic, directly labeling and mocking real individuals as 'Young-Forty' could lead to charges of defamation or insult. Furthermore, there is criticism that it generalizes the image of a few individuals to an entire generation, leading to social stigmatization.