Across East Asia, young workers are hitting a breaking point. In this episode, we dive into the region’s growing wave of corporate despair—from rigid hierarchies and relentless presenteeism to the quiet rebellions reshaping office culture. We explore how frustration is spilling into unprecedented union strikes in South Korea, rising emigration among Japanese and Chinese youth, and the subtler protest movements like China’s “lying flat” and the trend of wearing intentionally “disgusting” outfits to work. With governments and CEOs now promising “cuddlier capitalism,” the pressure for reform is real—but deeply entrenched attitudes among older executives may be the hardest barrier to break. What happens when an entire generation decides the corporate deal is no longer worth it?

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