Wedding Speech Called a "Cattle Farm"?... YouTuber's Literacy Controversy

Controversy Over Adult Literacy Sparks Popularity of Literacy Tests
1.46 Million Adults Have Literacy Levels Equivalent to Early Elementary Grades

As the issue of declining literacy among adults in South Korea has emerged as a serious social problem, a YouTuber's remark interpreting a wedding 'congratulatory speech' as a 'place for raising cattle' has come under scrutiny. In a video posted on the YouTube channel 'Kkondaehee' on the 4th, influencer Go Malsuk (real name Jang Inseo) said, "Isn't a congratulatory speech a place for raising cattle?" This was in response to host Kim Daehee saying, "I decided to give a congratulatory speech at a friend's daughter's wedding." While this reaction amused many netizens, it has also been cited in various online communities as an example highlighting the seriousness of the literacy decline issue.

In a video uploaded on the YouTube channel 'Kkondaehee' on the 4th, influencer Go Malsuk (real name Jang Inseo), who appeared on the show, said, "Isn't a congratulatory speech for raising cattle?" This was a reaction to host Kim Daehee saying, "I decided to give a congratulatory speech at a friend's daughter's wedding."
[Photo by YouTube channel 'Kkondaehee']

Earlier, on the 5th, multiple online communities saw posts asking, "Where is Chuhu Technical High School?" which stemmed from a misunderstanding of the term 'Chuhu Gonggo' (Chuhu Technical High School). Other examples include people getting angry at a job posting stating "0 recruits," asking why a job announcement was made if no one is being hired, or hearing the phrase "postponed in case of rain" and asking, "Where is Ucheon-si?" These are cited as examples demonstrating the declining literacy among adults. Consequently, literacy tests provided by EBS and others have gained popularity on the internet.

The 'Adult Literacy Controversy' Emerging as a Serious Social Issue

This is not the first time the adult literacy controversy has arisen. In 2020, the phrase 'three-day holiday' appeared in real-time search terms, prompting comments questioning why 'three days' was written as 'three-day holiday.' In 2021, then People Power Party leader Lee Jun-seok met presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo and used the phrase "I wish you good luck," which a broadcaster's reporter misinterpreted as "I wish you bad luck" and reported accordingly. In 2022, a webtoon artist's use of the phrase "sincere apology" in a signing event notice sparked controversy, with some interpreting it as a "boring and uninteresting apology."

The controversy over adult literacy is not new. In 2020, the phrase "사흘 연휴" (three-day holiday) appeared in real-time search terms, leading to comments questioning why "three days" was written as "사흘." In 2021, Lee Jun-seok, then leader of the People Power Party, met presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo and used the expression "무운을 빈다" (wishing you good luck), which a reporter from a broadcasting station mistakenly interpreted as "wishing you bad luck" and reported accordingly.
[Photo by Asia Economy]

Regarding the adult literacy controversy, some experts diagnose the problem as a result of the development of social networking services (SNS), which have accustomed people to short and sensational information. Because people have become used to an online culture where a large amount of information is distributed at once, modern individuals find it difficult to develop the habit of patiently reading long texts, and tend to selectively interpret information as they wish. Some view the increase in the scope and frequency of communication compared to the past as a cause. In the past, people communicated mainly within similar fields and environments, but now, due to media development, communication occurs among all generations and fields mixed together, raising the literacy level required by society.

Meanwhile, according to the 4th Adult Literacy Survey announced by the Ministry of Education and the National Institute for Lifelong Education, 3.3% (1.46 million) of adults in South Korea last year were found to have literacy skills at the level of 1st to 2nd grade elementary school students. Those at 'Level 2 (requiring learning at the 3rd to 6th grade elementary school level),' who can perform basic reading, writing, and arithmetic but have insufficient ability to apply these skills in daily life, accounted for 5.2% (2.313 million).