"Feeling a Sense of Achievement" Office Workers Solving 'Hakseupji' After Work [Heo Midam's Youth Report]

Number of Adult Study Sheet Members Increasing Annually
"Affordable Cost, No Time or Space Constraints"
Expert: "Stress Can Be Relieved Through Study Sheets"

Young people studying at a cafe. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Editor's NoteHow is your youth remembered? From teenagers to college students and office workers, we bring you the joys and sorrows, worries and laughter unique to 'youth.'

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] # Lee Mo (28), a first-year employee working at a small-to-medium enterprise, has been studying English through workbooks since the end of last year. He said, "While working, I realized the importance of English skills. However, I hesitated to attend an academy because my English level was lacking for my age." He added, "Also, I never knew when I would have to work overtime, and going to an academy after overtime would be physically exhausting, so I kept postponing learning English." He continued, "I started using workbooks through a friend's recommendation, and it has helped me a lot."

Recently, more young people are preferring workbook education as a part of self-development. Workbooks, once considered exclusive to teenagers, are now gaining attention as a new study method for adults. Compared to academies, workbooks are relatively inexpensive and offer the advantage of not being restricted by time or place. Based on these strengths, the adult workbook market is steadily growing. Experts analyze that young people are turning to workbooks as a means to relieve stress and for self-development.

Another office worker, Gong Mo (26), also recently started using Japanese language workbooks. He said, "I liked Japanese in high school and chose it as my second foreign language, but after a long time, I started to forget it." He added, "I wanted to spend my weekends meaningfully rather than doing nothing at home, so I applied for workbooks." He further said, "My goal is to achieve a good score on the JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test) held in July this year."

Like Gong, the number of office workers interested in workbook education is increasing. According to a survey conducted by the employment portal 'Career' targeting 380 office workers, 42.1% answered "very much so" to the question "Are you considering taking workbook education?" Another 36.1% answered "yes." On the other hand, 16.8% answered "no," and 5% answered "not at all." In other words, 8 out of 10 office workers showed interest in workbook education.

Young people studying. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Workbooks are very popular among young people because they are free from time and space constraints and are relatively inexpensive. Especially compared to academy fees or online lectures, which cost at least 100,000 KRW per month, workbooks can be learned for most at around 30,000 KRW per month.

Also, adult members find workbooks attractive because they can set their study volume according to their situation and adjust the difficulty level according to their skills.

One netizen said, "I started studying English with thick books, but it was too overwhelming, so I started with workbooks." They added, "By setting my own study volume and consistently studying for about a year, it became a good hobby. Especially, my English skills have improved a lot."

As a result, the number of young people seeking workbooks is increasing. According to Kyowon Kumon data, the number of adult workbook members increased from ▲18,000 in 2013 ▲25,000 in 2015 ▲55,000 in 2017 ▲61,000 in 2019.

Regarding this, a Kyowon Kumon official told Asia Economy, "Last year, due to the impact of COVID-19, there were difficulties such as workbook instructors not being able to visit. However, classes conducted via video calls continued to grow, and the total number of members rose to 130,000." They explained, "Especially, adult members' interest in workbooks continues to increase."

Experts analyze that young people use means such as workbooks to relieve stress.

Professor Kwak Geumju of the Department of Psychology at Seoul National University said, "They try to disperse their stress by immersing themselves in simple activities like workbooks." She added, "Especially recently, due to COVID-19, there is anxiety about gathering in large groups. However, workbooks can be done alone, are inexpensive, and also allow for self-development, which is why they are popular."