MZ Generation's politics
Thousands of Koreans protested in Seoul to demand a revote after a shortage of ballots in the June 3 local elections restricted some people, including youths, from voting. The election was the first nationwide vote since President Lee Jae Myung took office following the ouster of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, whose 2024 martial law bid led to his impeachment. President Lee Jae Myung has ordered a comprehensive investigation into the ballot shortage.
Young people in different countries, from Seoul to Kathmandu, react in surprisingly similar ways when the system fails them. In Korea, millennials and Generation Z — commonly referred to as the MZ Generation — have grown up with high speed internet, economic pressure and skepticism of older political elites. When polling stations ran out of ballots recently, many young voters protested on social media. They organized quick grassroots checks. Some filed formal complaints. This was not a riot. It was civil resistance.
Recent youth protests in Nepal, initially triggered by anger over a brief government ban on social media, were fueled by deeper frustration over corruption and economic hardship. At least 77 people were killed and many injured. The Sept. 8-9, 2025, protests by Nepal's Gen Z led to the KP Sharma Oli government, the dissolution of parliament and the appointment of a new interim prime minister. Sushila Karki, a former chief justice and staunch anti-corruption campaigner, was installed as the prime minister of an interim government on Sept. 12 after a four-day power vacuum. It left parliament, courts and government buildings in flames. From this, we hear a new call. Young people are demanding change and justice.
A rapper-turned-politician, Balendra Shah, popularly known as Balen, became Nepal’s prime minister as his party secured a commanding majority. Shah's Rastriya Swatantra Party secured a landslide victory in the country’s general election — the first since deadly Gen Z-led protests last year. Balen secured the biggest landslide victory over former prime minister KP Sharma Oli in his own constituency. Shah received 68,348 votes, far surpassing Oli, who garnered 18,734 votes in Jhapa-5, according to the vote count released by the Election Commission of Nepal.
There were a total of 18,903,689 eligible voters for the election, including 800,000 taking part for the first time. They elected members to the 275-seat House of Representatives, the lower house, with 165 via a direct vote and 110 through proportional representation.
Nepal's youth protests have changed the conversation and the rules of power. This protest was not just youthful rebellion, but a call for democratic renewal and reinvention.
The election commissions everywhere need to stop underestimating youth turnout and start overestimating it. In Korea, the response to the ballot shortage was not just anger but a demand for transparency.
The generational labels shouldn't be dismissed as frivolous. Youths in both nations have shared expectations. When those expectations are not met, resistance follows.
Some would say that comparing Korea and Nepal is unfair, given their different economies and political systems. And sure, a missing ballot might be seen as a small issue compared to corruption or violence. But small things accumulate and grow bigger. Whether it is Nepal, Korea, or anywhere else, young people are watching. And when you run out of ballots, they will not just stand in line. They will make sure you hear about it.
Brabim Karki is a businessman and writer based in Nepal.