Elementary Students in Luxury Puffer Jackets Mock Elderly Man... 'Concerned Young Adults' Step In [What Do You Think?]

[The Financial News] Outrage is spreading online after a story surfaced about a group of elementary students wearing expensive luxury puffer jackets mocking and provoking an elderly man.

On the 30th, a post written by comedian Kim Young-min (44) describing his experience near the underground shopping mall at Hongik University Station in Seoul, along with a photo, quickly spread across online communities and Social Networking Service (SNS).
Kim wrote, "(Today) I experienced a cultural shock in Hongdae," adding, "A group of elementary students dressed in very high-end puffer jackets staged a chase, as if playing 'catch me if you can,' targeting an elderly man with a green backpack."
He continued, "One elementary student in a white puffer jacket mocked the elderly man and ran away, while the other children laughed and encouraged him, shouting, 'Grandpa, go catch him!' The scene was truly shocking," and added, "The elderly man was visibly angry, but he couldn't keep up with the student's pace."
Kim also noted, "Judging by the children's behavior, it didn't seem like this was their first time mocking and running away from an elderly person." He explained, "I tried to catch and scold them myself, but some nearby young adults called the children over and, once confronted, the kids immediately became meek."
He went on, "It was rare to see such concerned young adults these days—I even wanted to give them some money as a reward. The situation ended when the police arrived, checked what happened, and calmed the elderly man down."

The photo shared by Kim Young-min shows the scene at the time. In front of two elementary students wearing expensive puffer jackets from well-known outdoor brands, a group of strong high school students stands. These appear to be the young adults who reprimanded the elementary students, as Kim described.
Kim remarked, "The parents of these children are probably around my age. I suddenly remembered some of my peers who often use derogatory terms for the elderly. South Korea is a country that grew through the sacrifices of an entire generation. Disparaging the elderly in such a society is, in itself, an act of immorality."
He concluded his post by criticizing, "These so-called luxury children may be wearing puffer jackets worth anywhere from 400,000 to over a million won, but in the end, it’s all meaningless."

Netizens who read the post left comments criticizing the elementary students, such as, "It seems like these kids were raised with money," "If the parents see this, they’ll immediately recognize their child and hopefully reflect on it," "If my child acted like this in public and the police had to get involved, I’d be so ashamed," "A child’s character is ultimately the responsibility of the parents," and "It’s frightening to live in a society where aging is something to be mocked."
y27k@fnnews.com Seo Yoon-kyung Reporter