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Staff Reporter
Every year around Christmas, Kim Yong-sang, a salaried worker, visits a fortuneteller.
At noon Monday when his other colleagues were hurrying toward restaurants for lunch, he quietly broke away from the crowd. Roads were slippery due to heavy overnight snowfall. But his destination in Songpa-gu, southern Seoul, was already crowded with those who eagerly wanted to see their future for 20,000 won ($15).
The 33-year-old bachelor's hope for next year is to marry his girlfriend, who he has been seeing for five years.
After a 20-minute encounter with fortuneteller Moon Nam-soon, he came out with a big smile. ``She said I would tie the knot next year,'' Kim said. ``But she recommended I have the ceremony after July for smart and healthy offspring.''
In Korea, where ancient shamanism is still practiced, visiting fortunetellers at this time of year to see into the future of the next year has long been a popular event. These days, however, the prolonged economic slump discourages people from visiting fortunetellers. The fortune-telling fees, known here as ``bokchae,'' usually range from 20,000 won to 50,000 won. But despite the downturn, this very Korean habit is dying hard.
Reflecting the currently tight job market, many customers want to know about their jobs. Two temporary middle school teachers ㅡ both refused to be named ㅡ were among visitors who wanted a glance into the crystal ball. It is their second visit here following their first one early this year.
One of them, a 37-year-old male contract Korean language teacher at a middle school in Pocheon, northern Gyeonggi Province, failed to pass the state-run test last month for a permanent teaching job.
``It was my sixth failed attempt,'' he said. ``I will study even more for next year's exam. But given the expected tough race, I came here to know if I could pass the test next time.''
He said Moon's predictions are very ``accurate,'' adding, ``I visited her early this year when I was unemployed. Then she told me I would soon be employed as a teacher. Exactly one week later, I took my current job.''
A 27-year-old woman accompanying him said, ``I don't particularly believe what the fortuneteller says, but it's a great comfort to me.''
At around 1 p.m., two middle-aged women set foot inside, holding their kids' hands.
One of them, Kim Hyeong-ja, 42, said her father's business is at risk due to the slumping economy. ``Thus, I came here to know the future of his business next year,'' Kim said.
Once a client takes his or her seat, fortuneteller Moon, in a long claret dress, asks their birth dates and consults two worn-out, hardcover, yellowish books and scrawls Chinese characters on gray paper. ``This is your fortune next year,'' the Saju master says.
Saju, a sort of Korean traditional fortune-telling skill, stands for the four pillars supporting one's life _ the year, month, day and hour of one's birth. It's based on the belief that this information determines one's fate and fortune.
``Saju helps people know their future, including employment, health, life-span and even other very private issues,'' Moon said.
Engaged in this field for two decades, she said she saw around 20 clients daily in previous years but has seen numbers drop to fewer than 15. People go to fortunetellers when they want to know about the future. But these days, fewer do because they feel they know what the future lies for them, meaning that everybody expects an economic downturn next year.
``At this time last year, the waiting room used to be bursting at the seams with clients. But it's not the case this year,'' she said.
Asked of frequently asked questions, the fortuneteller said, ``Many housewives who lost money in the collapsing stock market ask when there'll be a rebound. And it's notable that the number of clients running small businesses has drastically increased in recent months. Jobseekers are also major clients. Unfortunately, however, next year doesn't look so bright.''
The fortune-telling business is going online. Dozens of Web sites with tailor-made services are in operation. According to the nation's second largest portal site, Daum, the number of users visiting its online fortune-telling services showed a 1.7-fold increase from this time last year. The number of users in November showed an 80 percent increase from the same time in June.
pss@koreatimes.co.kr
