CHANGWON, South Korea — Watching images of raucous street protests in Seoul on his smartphone, author Chun Hyun-woo’s eyes are drawn to the young men in the crowds yelling for South Korea’s impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol to be returned to office.

Chun sees the 20- and 30-somethings chanting slogans and waving placards as casualties of a harshly competitive economy. “They’re looking for something to belong to,” Chun, 34, told Nikkei Asia in an interview. “The old life path of graduation, finding a job at a company and staying there forever isn’t around any more, so they lack a feeling of connection.”