On August 4, at a tarot shop in Gangbuk-gu, Seoul, Na Sungyeon (24) was receiving a saju reading. After confirming Na's date of birth, the tarot counselor spread the cards and said, "It seems you have many concerns about your career. Things will start to improve from September." Na commented, "I don't have a particular religion, but in anxious times like these, just having someone listen to me is comforting."

The way the young generation seeks inner comfort is changing. Interest in fortunes such as tarot and saju is growing, while institutionalized religions are increasingly being shunned.

Ra Hee (61), who has been working as a tarot counselor in Jongno-gu for seven years, explained, "Seven out of ten clients are in their 20s or 30s. Most of them come with practical concerns such as employment, romance, or relationships." Lee, who operates a fortune-telling shop in Dongdaemun-gu, said, "In the past, most clients were in their 40s or 50s, but these days, many young people are coming."

Changes in the Way Young Generation Seeks Inner Comfort

Concerns about Employment, Romance, and Relationships
Resolved through Tarot, Saju, and Other Fortunes
Sometimes Asking ChatGPT for Saju Interpretation

Religious Burden is Heavy but Fortunes are Fun
69% of People in Their 20s and 63% in Their 30s Identify as Non-Religious

Ra Hee, who has been working as a tarot counselor in Jongno-gu for seven years, is demonstrating saju interpretation. Photo by Byun Seonjin

Some people even ask ChatGPT to interpret their saju. Shin, an office worker (28), said, "Tarot shop fees are not cheap, so I've entered my saju information online and asked ChatGPT for an interpretation." On Instagram, there are about one million posts with hashtags related to tarot and saju. According to the YouTube statistics site Playboard, there are 2,684 fortune-related channels in Korea.

As fortunes and saju become hugely popular among young people, it is estimated that the number of related practitioners has also surged. According to the Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training, the number of private certifications related to tarot increased more than sixfold from 76 in 2018 to 470 as of August this year. Last year, a total of 2,660 people took exams for tarot-related certifications.

In contrast, institutionalized religions are increasingly being avoided by the younger generation. According to the regularly conducted "Religious Perception Survey" by Korea Research, the percentage of people in their 20s and 30s who responded "I have no religion" rose from 65% and 59% in 2018 to 69% and 63% last year. This contrasts with those aged 70 and above, among whom only 30% identified as non-religious.

Analysts say this phenomenon is the result of changes in the way the younger generation seeks comfort and their attitude toward life. The structure of institutionalized religion, which requires regular attendance and religious devotion, is burdensome for many. Kwak Geumjoo, a professor of psychology at Seoul National University, explained, "Young people feel burdened by faith that requires belonging to a community or devotion to doctrine, but the inner desire for comfort still exists. The popularity of fortunes and horoscopes is not because belief itself has disappeared, but because it has become more personal and flexible."