Young people in Hong Kong are all about MK. No, not Mary-Kate, Mong Kok. Named for a trendy area located in the Kowloon side of Hong Kong filled with karaoke joints, cinemas and malls, the term is used to describe youth (usually teenagers) who love smoking, the punk look, tattoos, etc.
“We now frequently use the term ‘MK’ in our conversations,” said Sunny, a 19 year old university student in Hong Kong. “When we see a group of youngsters wearing LV from their heads to toes, dyed green hair, and an exaggerated look with no personal style at all, we say to each other ‘Hey, look at those MKs over there,” Sunny explained.
In the eyes of university students like Sunny, MKs are followers. “It seems that they have lost themselves totally. They don’t know what they like or what they have to do, they just follow the trends blindly,” Sunny continued.
The term was first used around the year 2000 and has become a common term in the Hong Kong youth community over the years. Here are the top ten traits of MK, according to Wikipedia:
- Punk look
- Show off tattoos
- Smoking and spitting
- Reckless behavior
- Use foul language
- Carry LV and Gucci bags, wearing Adidas
- Eye catchy accessories like golden chains
- Hang out in groups
- Poorly educated
- Always trying to play it cool
- Walk arrogantly
- Use teen slang
Some people may say the MK fad is not a good indicator of Hong Kong youth, but at least it gives us a taste of what some of its youth trends are!
- Louisa Wong, NGT Contributor from FH Hong Kong
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