The shelf · South Korea
Does I Decided to Live as Me hold up?
I Decided to Live as Me, by Kim Soo-hyun (2016)
Illustrated essays on living by one's own standards rather than social comparison. Over a million copies sold in Korea; English translation by Anton Hur, 2024.
The short answer
Its picture of young Koreans' job strain is accurate and has got worse.
The claims, checked
Falling employment and rising prices leave young Koreans anxious.
Holds with conditions Youth unemployment hit a record 9.8% in 2016. By 2025 the youth employment rate had fallen to 45.0%, and 420,800 young people were out of work and not seeking it.
Evidence: Newsis, on official 2025 figures