Less digital, more deliberate: What 2026 trend forecasts say about young Koreans

Visitors tour exhibition halls at the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on Dec. 11, 2025. [YONHAP]

 
As annual trend forecasts make their rounds, many of them begin to sound familiar. The JoongAng Ilbo reviewed four books that track consumer behavior year after year to identify ideas that, despite different labels, point to the same underlying shift heading into 2026.
 
Here are the keywords that outline how young consumers in Korea are likely to live, spend and define value this year.
 

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From '2026 K-Consumer Trend Insights' 
 
The book, published by the Consumer Trend Center led by Seoul National University emeritus professor Kim Nan-do, marks the latest installment in a series that has tracked shifts in Korean consumer behavior since 2008. This year's edition focuses on how emotional awareness, technological change and economic pressure are reshaping everyday choices.
 
The Feelconomy
Consumption, the book argues, has become a tool for emotional self-management. Consumers increasingly purchase goods and services not for their practical value, but to regulate mood and psychological state. Even products with little functional utility can feel justified if they help improve how someone feels in the moment.
 

Eating seasonal foods such as sliced croaker hoe (raw fish), pictured in this photo, is emerging as a new trend. [JOONGANG ILBO]

Pixelated life
Daily life is increasingly divided into smaller, shorter units of experience. Rather than committing to long-term plans, consumers gravitate toward moments that feel urgent and time-bound, such as pop-up stores, festivals, fairs, exhibitions and seasonal foods. What matters most is the sense that the experience exists only for a limited time.
 
Price decoding
Consumers no longer accept prices as fixed or self-explanatory. Instead, they analyze how a price is structured and decide whether its components feel reasonable. Purchasing decisions come after scrutiny, not just trust in branding.
 

Plants decorate a desk in this photo. Pets and plants have become a common sight among single-person households. [JOONGANG ILBO]

The 1.5 household
Living alone no longer means embracing isolation. The book describes a growing group of people who value independence but still seek emotional connection.
 
Returning to the fundamentals
As AI accelerates production and replication, consumers show renewed interest in tradition, originality and analog experiences. Classics, originals and longstanding practices gain appeal as a counterbalance to speed and efficiency.
 
 
From 'Generation Z Trends 2026'
 

The folk painting “Hojakdo,” depicting a tiger and a magpie, is shown in the photo. Interest in traditional Korean culture is growing among younger generations, boosted by the rising global stature of K-culture. [LEEUM MUSEUM OF ART]

 
Published by University Tomorrow 20 Research Institute, Korea’s only research institute dedicated to people in their 20s, the book examines the generation that has moved from cultural observer to trend leader. The book focuses on how Gen Z responds to uncertainty, economic pressure and digital saturation.
 
Meta-sensing
At a time when qualities such as warmth, consideration and emotional ease are becoming scarcer in an AI-driven society, Gen Z is paying closer attention to sensing and restoring those values. Meta-sensing describes a heightened awareness of subtle emotional shifts and a growing focus on personal emotional care as a way to recognize what feels lacking and consciously fill that gap.
 
Timely consumption
Scarcity has long shaped consumer desire, but amid an uncertain future, timing itself has emerged as a new measure of value. For Gen Z, the appeal lies in recognizing moments that cannot be delayed. Enjoying an experience the moment it matters — because there may not be another chance — is becoming central to how they define experience-driven consumption.


Micro consumption
Economic slowdown has thinned wallets, but it hasn't erased the desire to spend. Instead, Gen Z approaches consumption more deliberately, investing time and attention in understanding what a purchase is meant to deliver. Frequent visits to convenience stores or retailers like the dollar store chain Daiso reflect a preference for items that cost less, come in smaller sizes and feel lighter on the budget, yet still offer novelty and satisfaction.
 

The Daiso logo is seen at a store in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on Dec. 13, 2023. [NEWS1]

Personal rest zones
More young people now look to figures who live alone with style and intention as role models. As self-focused living gains importance, Gen Z increasingly treats private space as something worth investing in. Time, money and attention flow toward shaping environments that feel restorative and aligned with personal taste, reinforcing the idea of living for oneself.
 
 
From '2026 Trend Note'
 
Produced by the Life Change Observatory, a big data research group, the report draws on weekly data analysis across industries to identify shifts likely to have the greatest impact on everyday life. The latest annual edition of the Trend Note series highlights three keywords from its seven chapters.
 
Offline spaces 
As fixation on AI deepens, interest grows in experiences that exist outside its reach. The report points to renewed attention on longstanding activities that engage the hands and body, as well as sensory experiences rooted in taste, texture and physical space.
 
Nondigital hobbies
Surrounded by short-form digital content such as TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, many consumers report growing fatigue. In response, they increasingly gravitate toward analog pursuits that demand active engagement and offer a sense of achievement. Activities like running or handwriting provide direct sensory stimulation, helping restore a sense of stability and satisfaction.
 
Fandom
Deep, sustained devotion — watching the same musical or film multiple times, following a long-running animation series or supporting a perpetually losing sports team — is framed as one of the most sincere and comforting forms of personal taste. The report argues that this kind of fandom now plays a meaningful role in shaping consumption patterns.
 
 
From 'Kind Trend Gossip 2026'
 

A rabbit plush toy by British brand Jellycat, pictured in this photo, is popular among purchased by adults as well. [JELLYCAT]

 
Published by Innocean’s Insight Strategy division, this book examines sociocultural change through consumer data, focusing on how prolonged economic pressure reshapes spending behavior.
 
Morning rave
As young people form communities around shared routines such as morning running clubs, social gatherings are shifting to earlier in the day. The report notes the emergence of a culture in which parties move from night to morning, reflecting changing priorities around health, rhythm and social connection.
 
Small spending
Rather than simply cutting back, young consumers are becoming more selective. The emphasis has moved from saving indiscriminately to deciding carefully what is worth spending on. The result is a consumption pattern that concentrates money on purchases that feel meaningful and personally rewarding.
 
Secondhand market
The resale economy continues to expand beyond peer-to-peer platforms like Karrot. Corporate resale, refurbished goods, buyback programs and trade-in models are all expected to grow, pointing to a broader circulation market for used and returned products.
 
 
A shared direction
 

People look at goods at the merchandise shop at the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on Dec. 30, 2025. [YONHAP]

 
Although each book uses different terminology, the ideas they present largely converge. All four examine the same conditions shaping younger generations and respond to similar needs.
 
As AI accelerates change across society, young people adapt at school and work. But in matters of personal taste, many move in the opposite direction, strengthening choices made on their own terms. When spending on hobbies, spaces and everyday pleasures, nondigital and analog experiences carry increasing weight.
 
Single-person households continue to rise, bringing greater investment in personal living spaces. Even as solitude becomes more accepted, interest and spending on pets, plants, toys and comforting objects also grow — sometimes regardless of practical utility.
 
Skepticism toward digital life has also widened consumers' interest in the past. Experiences tied to the disappearing present — fairs, expos, exhibitions and seasonal foods — are likely to gain further appeal, reinforced by the global popularity of Korean cuisine. For many young consumers, a past they never experienced feels more stable and intriguing than an unpredictable future.
 
The "newtro" trend, blending new and retro, shows little sign of fading. At the same time, the growing stature of Korean culture offers a source of pride and engagement, positioning it as content worth revisiting and preserving.


This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY SEO JEONG-MIN [kim.juyeon2@joongang.co.kr]