Young Koreans in their 20s to 40s are increasingly turning to courts rather than resolving conflicts through dialogue and compromise, as generations uncomfortable with face-to-face interaction prefer document-based formal resolution systems.
Legal aid cases for civil matters involving people in their 20s to 40s reached 64,853 last year, accounting for 43.4% of all legal aid cases handled by the Korea Legal Aid Corporation, the organization said Monday. The proportion has risen steadily from 38.4% in 2023 to 41.8% in 2024, increasing 5 percentage points over the past two years.
Analysts say young people increasingly prefer legal procedures over face-to-face negotiations to resolve disputes. As social trust weakens, direct coordination with opposing parties is seen as inefficient, driving people toward court-based resolutions.
"Social conflicts are becoming more serious, but our capacity to resolve problems organically is declining," said Koo Jung-woo, a sociology professor at Sungkyunkwan University. "We have no choice but to rely on the judicial system."
Choi Jung-pil, an attorney at law firm Loel, said young clients "prefer resolving matters through legal procedures rather than facing someone directly and expending emotional energy."
The weakening of community networks that once provided informal mediation is also cited as a factor. In the past, relatives and acquaintances often served as mediators when direct resolution failed. In modern society, however, community bonds have loosened and such mediators are disappearing.
Heightened rights awareness among young people also plays a role. Previously, information about legal rights was difficult to access, and many chose to endure problems rather than pursue legal action. Now, artificial intelligence, YouTube, and social media have made such information more accessible, strengthening the tendency to actively recognize and defend one's rights.
"Young generations share their dispute resolution experiences on platforms and are more thorough about protecting themselves," said Lee Byung-hoon, emeritus professor of sociology at Chung-Ang University.
The ease of electronic litigation has also contributed to increased lawsuits among digitally savvy younger generations.
"The threshold for filing lawsuits used to be quite high, but attorney fees have decreased somewhat recently, and many people now file suits themselves by obtaining necessary information online without hiring lawyers," said Hwang Yong, managing partner at law firm Sangrim.
Legal experts warn that as legal resolution becomes routine, social costs and emotional disconnection may also increase, calling for mechanisms to restore dialogue and mediation functions in society.