2013 International Labor Organization statistics show that 19.2 percent of people aged between 15 to 29, about a million Koreans, are “NEET”, or “Not in Education, Employment or Training.” Students are judged by their scores and achievements and suffer from a social regime that ignites competition. Such phenomenon fills them with a sense of powerlessness and fear, confusing the young between the youthful and society which requires resolution. “Yarock-Dan,” an entertainment social venture, tries to awaken the wildness of the young by developing and managing diverse recreational contents.
Yarock-Dan aims to provide a breather of fun and excitement from various social pressure through activities that might seem somewhat pointless but with entertainment value. People explore through these activities, discovering a new side of themselves and taking courage and comfort.
“Before, I was just a businessman working from nine to seven every day,” said Fish Kim, the founder of Yarock-Dan. “In this routine, one day I felt like a machine working for the company. Then I realized the importance of investing in leisure for myself despite the financial costs. That is why I established Yarock-Dan with my crew.”
Kim tried to focus on the wild youthful spirit, one of the key values that Yarock-Dan aims. He quotes that “wildness” is an essential trait for the younger generation to survive in a world of constant competition. It could refer to the survival of the fittest, living by oneself or coexistence, but the most important point is that the action of one trying to adapt or pioneer one’s life can all be included in the word “wildness.”
“Our logo is a wild boar because the word “wildness” was inspired from the life of the Korean wild boar,” Kim said. “Wild boars are symbolic in Korea for their wildness. Occasionally, there are news reports of these boars breaking into farms and houses, due to the lack of food in their natural habitat. I think our young generations face a similar situation, where kids don’t even have the chance to enjoy their own lives and are pushed by societal pressure. ”
Yarock-Dan is consisted of two groups, “Yamu crew” and “Duckoo-school.” Yamu crew is a street band that helps make relationships through their own musical experiments and compositions.
As a three-month busking program, Yamu crew recruits new members regularly. People between 19 to 39 can apply regardless of the level of their musical ability. As a member, one could make a crew, learn to play musical instruments and go street performing in places such as Dorimcheon Stream or under the Han River Bridge. Yamu crew has recruited its sixth crew and over 600 people have participated.
Yamu crew also provides video lectures through “Yamu school.” Through these video clips, members could practice songs easily even at home.
The other program is Duckoo-School. Duckoo-School is a recreational-teaching content where one shares their interests with others. The name came from the Japanese phrase “Duckoo,” which refers to a person who is effervescent in something. Duckoo-School is a place where people could share and teach their interests and also learn from others in the same way.
“Duckoo-School was first established with the thought, ‘What if my hobby could make a profit?’” Kim said. “‘Duckoo’ are people who truly indulge in their interests. Respecting their attitudes of falling in love with one thing and creating a relationship with what they adore, and being able to share that happiness is a philosophy of Duckoo-School.”
Previously, several classes were open for registration just like university courses. Classes included “Making custom-drones,” “Making board games by classical literature,” and “Introduction to kittens.” The second Duckoo-School will open this summer.
Although the Yarock-Dan seems to run well systematically, there were difficulties that needed to be solved at first. Since activities in Yarock-Dan were unprecedented, they have had to learn from their own mistakes.
“Now there are four managing members,”  Kim said. “At first, however, it was hard to find people willing to run Yarock-Dan due to its unprecedented working environment. Also, registrations for Duckoo-School was much lower than what we have expected.”
After challenging themselves with several different activities, Yarock-Dan is now focusing on stabilizing their contents. Through this process they hope to develop other programs in the future.
“In 2017, we will to plan more activities that our members can enjoy,” Kim said. “I’m trying to make more use of our multi-purpose practicing rooms for our members. Also, I’m thinking of supporting small school clubs or providing one-day classes to people.”
Lastly, Fish Kim encourages young people who need new inspiration to join Yamu crew. “Break away through music!”

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