Asia Academy #26 From Crypto Dreams to Lightstick Protests: Korean Youths Hyperconnected but Fragmented

Event information

Organised by Leiden Asia Centre
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How can a generation be more connected than ever and yet feel increasingly alone? South Korea offers a striking example. Its young people are among the most digitally connected in the world, but many are also facing growing isolation, uncertainty, and political disillusionment.

On the 21st of May, Yoonai Han explores how youths in South Korea are navigating this tension. From the rise of high-risk cryptocurrency investing among young people, to Gen Z-led protests powered by digital infrastructure and pop culture (with use of K-pop lightsticks), she examines how new forms of engagement and disengagement are reshaping society. This talk looks beyond Korea to ask what these trends might mean for global communities facing similar challenges.

Preliminary Agenda

15:15 – 15:30 | Doors open
15:30 – 16:30 | Lecture by Yoonai Han
16:30 – 17:00 | Moderated Q&A
17:00 | Reception

About the speaker(s)

Yoonai Han

Yoonai Han is a human geographer specialising in urban and digital life in South Korea and East Asia. Her research explores how technological change, economic pressures, and social inequality are reshaping how people live, work, and connect. Focusing on questions of mobility, labour, and inequality, she examines how younger generations navigate increasingly unstable conditions, from short-term digital work to widening urban–rural divides and shifting social expectations. Her work combines ethnographic research with innovative methods, including mapping and digital tools, to better understand everyday life in a fast-changing society.