Let's finally get the real meaning of 'Inactive Youth' (쉬었음) and 'Kangaroo Bums' (캥거루족)

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(Image source: Namuwiki - Kangaroo Tribe)

What people often misunderstand is,

they ask, "If you just live off your parents without working, aren't you 'Shi-eot-eum' or a 'Kangaroo Tribe' member?"

That is clearly wrong.

Let's look at the survey items below.

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(Image source: Namuwiki - Shi-eot-eum [Resting/Inactive])

If you look at the items, there are 10 options, 1 through 10, asking what you are doing right now,

Items 1 through 10 aren't even related to work or finding a job,

They are items you can check even if you just study for about 5 minutes a day.

Plus, if there's nothing you can answer, you can select "Other."

Therefore, to become a 'Shi-eot-eum Youth',

You have to exclude all 10 defined categories PLUS the infinite possibilities of the "Other" option just to check "Shi-eot-eum."

The Kangaroo Tribe (K-Bums) is also similar.

It doesn't include everyone who is unemployed and mooching off their parents,

It excludes people who are studying for certifications, actively looking for work, or those who can't enter society due to sickness or disability.

So, to summarize easily:

(1) You are currently 100% sucking the marrow out of your parents' spine (pocketbook),

(2) You plan to continue 100% sucking the marrow out of your parents' spine indefinitely.

Both of these strict conditions MUST be met to be called "Shi-eot-eum" or "Kangaroo Tribe."

Since it's actually pretty hard to meet and maintain both conditions if a person has even the slightest bit of conscience,

That's why the increase in true Shi-eot-eum + Kangaroo Tribe members is emerging as a social problem.

Let's all be good 'Gaebung-is' (community members) who know the exact meaning of these specific terms moving forward.