That’s how many South Koreans barely read any books anymore.
📉 Reading in retreet: Teachers across the country report a broad decline in reading skills. Long texts are increasingly seen by students as “relics of earlier generations.”
🧠 The education paradox: Despite a high share of university graduates, the average reading literacy of Korean adults stands at 249 points, below the OECD average of 260.
Companies and universities are already responding with mandatory language and reading assessments.
Ironically, in the AI era, deep reading is becoming a core skill again. Anyone who wants to write good prompts, verify outputs, and grasp complex ideas needs strong language and text comprehension.
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