"I hope KakaoTalk is a bit quiet this time." Lee, 28, said this on the 23rd, as they did not return to their hometown during this Lunar New Year holiday. After graduating with a master's degree in liberal arts from a university in Seoul, Lee is now earning living expenses through tutoring for entrance exam essays while preparing for employment.
The apparent reason Lee decided not to return to their hometown is to prepare for employment, but the truth lies in the 'incident' that occurred last Chuseok. Lee said, "I used the excuse of employment preparation to avoid going home last Chuseok as well, and I had a serious argument the next day after seeing a photo my mother posted in a group chat of her having dinner with other family members." Originally, Lee intended to earn a doctorate, but changed their career direction due to their mother's insistence to get a job, which was frustrating and angering at the same time. Lee noted, "I think my feelings will remain similar until any results come out."
As the Lunar New Year holiday approaches, cases of people complaining about stress from 'family KakaoTalk group chats' are emerging. In addition to traditional topics such as entrance exams, employment, and marriage, this year, the extreme political confrontations, such as martial law and impeachment, have led some to choose 'silence in the group chat'.
Jeong, a 31-year-old unmarried woman who moved to Seoul for university, said, "I turned off the notifications for the KakaoTalk family group chat. It feels a bit better that way." The group chat, from which notifications were turned off, includes 12 family members, including her father's siblings. Now, there are only occasional formal responses like "Yes," "Yep," and "Sure." "Recently, my younger sibling announced they would get married before me, and my mother brought it up, so there was excessive interest with questions like, 'Aren't you getting married?' and 'Do you have a boyfriend?' Now that it's the New Year, I'm worried about having to face them when I go back home."
Moon, a woman in her 30s who recently succeeded in re-employment after taking about two years off due to health issues, thought she wouldn't hear any 'nagging' this Lunar New Year. She said, "My father was so excited after I got a job that he told my grandparents, and then my grandmother said, 'So now all you need to do is get married.'" Moon explained that her grandmother sends her KakaoTalk gift certificates to department stores, saying, 'Buy gifts for whoever you marry,' which made her dread going home for the holiday since she is busy adapting to the new job.
Politics is a major topic that causes disputes among families, but this New Year, the risks have escalated amidst unprecedented confrontations. Lee, 38, who lives in Songpa District, Seoul, mentioned her father-in-law referring to the 'Taegukgi Corps.' Lee explained, "My father-in-law posts YouTube videos in the family group chat claiming, 'The police and judiciary have been corrupted by the Communist Party.' My husband occasionally says hesitantly in front of the family, 'YouTube is full of lies,' but my father-in-law doesn't respond." She anticipates more disputes this holiday, noting that she will be spending a few days at her parent's home.
There are also parents who feel upset because of children with differing political views. On the 21st, Lee, 68, who went to support President Yoon Suk-yeol in front of the Constitutional Court in Jongno District, Seoul, said, "I have two daughters, both of whom support the Democratic Party," adding, "I kept posting news and YouTube videos in the family group chat, but we had a huge fight around the end of December last year. Now things are calm, but I think the atmosphere will be tense during the holiday." The eldest daughter supposedly called Lee separately to suggest, 'If we stay home during the holiday, we might end up fighting again while watching the news on TV, so let's eat out instead.' Lee expressed, "I don't know what to do."
There is also a family in the opposite situation. Hyeon, 31, mentioned that his parents are from Honam and have progressive inclinations, while he has become a conservative supporter due to his dislike for former President Moon Jae-in. He said, "My parents recently have been sharing YouTube videos of extreme supporters being caught at the Seoul Western District Court, questioning, 'Is it really right to support the People Power Party?' They comment on the faults of the Democratic Party but don't even acknowledge them. Frustrated, I recently left the family group chat." He noted that he plans not to return to his hometown for this Lunar New Year holiday.