Kim, a 31-year-old office worker contemplating both marriage and a job change, has made weekend visits to tarot readers a regular routine. "When there are too many options, you end up unable to decide anything," Kim said. "Tarot results don't give you the answer, but they help you sort out what's already in your heart."
Fortune-telling practices including divination, saju (four pillars of destiny), and tarot are rapidly penetrating the daily lives of Koreans in their 20s and 30s. According to a "2026 Fortune-Telling Perception Survey" released Wednesday by Embrain Trend Monitor, conducted among 1,200 men and women aged 13-69 nationwide, 62.3% of respondents said they have used fortune-telling services. Some 47.8% also said they encounter fortune-telling more frequently in daily life.
Younger age groups showed lower psychological barriers to fortune-telling. Interest in saju or tarot was highest among teenagers at 71.5%, followed by those in their 20s at 68.0% and 30s at 67.5%. In contrast, only 41.5% of those in their 60s expressed interest, revealing a clear generational divide. The proportion who encountered fortune-telling content within the past year was also highest among those in their 20s at 71.0%, while those in their 30s exceeded half at 52.5%.
Actual usage experience was similarly high, with 72.0% of those in their 30s and 70.0% of those in their 20s reporting experience. The top reason for using these services was "relieving anxiety" at 54.2% (multiple responses allowed), followed by "gaining direction" at 33.8% and "simple curiosity" at 32.1%.
The way people consume fortune-telling has also changed. Unlike the past when people visited fortune-telling shops in person, consuming fortune-telling content through smartphone screens has become the norm. YouTube was the most common channel for accessing fortune-telling content at 60.4%, followed by social media at 38.6% and OTT platforms at 34.0%. By content type, shamanic entertainment shows were preferred most at 62.7%, followed by short-form horoscope content at 47.9% and YouTube tarot at 45.3%.
Riding this trend, the related book market has also heated up. Fortune-telling and shamanic books have consecutively entered bestseller lists at major online bookstores including Yes24, Kyobo Books, and Aladin.
OTT platforms have also joined the trend. "Destiny War 49," an entertainment show produced by Disney+, features various shamans and fortune-tellers practicing spirit divination, saju, and tarot. The show gained popularity among younger viewers and at one point topped daily entertainment rankings. Buoyed by the program's popularity, consultation reservations for some featured fortune-tellers are now booked until 2029. After one fortune-teller mentioned Yeonjudae on Gwanaksan Mountain as a "lucky spot" on the show, MZ generation hikers surged to the location, and a "Yeonjudae Challenge" even emerged on social media.
Regarding attitudes toward fortune-telling results, 73.3% said they "only take advice worth hearing as reference." However, 19.9% said the results "actually reflect my life," and 18.3% said they "have made important decisions based on fortune-telling results," indicating the practice exerts influence beyond mere entertainment in many cases.
Similar sentiments echoed in online communities. One parent raising a high school student in Jeonju said, "I even looked into naming consultation services costing millions of won. When you're worried about your child's future, you find yourself looking for something to rely on." Office worker B said, "I consulted two saju readers when changing jobs. Both said similar things, so I decided to go that direction."
Experts analyzed this phenomenon as an expression of structural anxiety among the younger generation. As employment difficulties, housing instability, and future uncertainty compound, demand for psychological stability outside institutional systems is turning toward fortune-telling.
"Blind dependence on fortune-telling can actually weaken one's decision-making ability," experts said. "The fundamental solution is for society to establish a safety net that can genuinely embrace young people."
