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What online keywords from 2025 predict for social trends in 2026 Published : Dec. 31, 2025 - 14:39:38 Link copied! Hwang Dong-hee Books Performance Culture People move through central Seoul on New Year's Eve 2025. (Yonhap) South Korea’s Culture Ministry on Wednesday released a report outlining six major trends expected to shape daily life in the country in 2016, signaling a shift from post-political-crisis recovery to a period of social “adaptation.” The trends include a move toward a more human-centered approach in the post-AI era, a growing emphasis on individual identity and hyper-personalization, and a broader transition toward wellness. The report also cited an ethic of practical consumption, rising pride in K-culture and new forms of coexistence grounded in emotional empathy.
The findings are detailed in the ministry’s report, "2026 Social and Cultural Trends," which analyzed about 538 million pieces of online data collected between January and November, including news articles, social media posts, online communities and video platforms. Researchers extracted more than 74,700 key terms from the dataset to track shifts in public sentiment and everyday life. Push for human-centered turn As generative artificial intelligence becomes deeply embedded in everyday life, public debate is increasingly focused not simply on how to use the technology, but on how to redefine human roles and responsibilities alongside it.
During the survey period, online mentions of AI rose 44 percent from a year earlier. Related terms such as policy (up 147.5 percent), security (up 220.4 percent) and regulation (up 109.1 percent) surged, reflecting growing interest in institutional oversight.
The findings suggest that while the public has embraced the convenience and promise of artificial intelligence, concerns about its impact on jobs, safety and fairness are also intensifying. It is no longer viewed solely as a matter of technological advancement, but as a subject of public debate about how society should govern technology while preserving human-centered values. ‘Being myself’ The analysis also points to an accelerating move toward a more individualistic society, as people increasingly seek to chart their own paths rather than conform to social norms. Interest in “being true to oneself” has grown, with online mentions of the term “being myself” rising 10 percent from the previous year.
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