Park, 28, has submitted dozens of job applications this year, only to face repeated rejections. With her living expenses dwindling, she has turned to tarot reading content on YouTube for reassurance. The videos typically feature four or five tarot cards, inviting viewers to choose one for advice and predictions, mimicking the experience of an in-person reading.
Comments under the videos often reflect the struggles of viewers: “I picked card 2. Wish me luck for tomorrow’s interview,” or “Hoping to land a job this month!” Park admits she doesn’t put much stock in the predictions. “I know it’s not entirely reliable,” she said. “But hearing when my luck might change gives me temporary comfort.”
Businesses offering “anxiety counseling” services are booming as more South Koreans in their 20s and 30s grapple with uncertainty over careers, relationships, and other major life decisions. What was once confined to offline settings has now shifted online, creating a growing market for psychological counseling, fortune-telling, and tarot readings through platforms like YouTube, mobile apps, and messaging services.
Major corporations and startups alike are tapping into this expanding market. Naver, one of South Korea’s largest internet companies, reports that 80% of users consulting fortune-telling experts on its Expert platform are in their 20s and 30s. Expert, launched in 2020, offers services such as fortune readings, and monthly consultations and transactions have grown by about 30% year-over-year in 2024.
“Younger generations’ familiarity with online platforms makes them our primary customers,” a Naver representative said.
On KakaoTalk, South Korea’s leading messaging app, a search for “fortune reading” reveals hundreds of related channels and open chat rooms. YouTube is also filled with tarot and fortune-telling videos, many of which link viewers to paid consultations.
Startups are further driving the trend by creating user-friendly platforms for tarot and astrology services. Popular apps like Force Teller and Hellobot, which uses AI chatbots to deliver personalized fortune readings, have quickly gained popularity among young consumers.
While traditional fortune-telling has successfully transitioned to online platforms, artificial intelligence is now transforming the landscape further. Generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude allow users to access anonymous counseling anytime, adding a new layer of convenience.
“I turn to ChatGPT whenever I face challenges at work,” said Lee, 29, a teacher in Gyeonggi Province. “It’s easier to open up about things I can’t tell my friends, and I don’t feel guilty for sharing negative thoughts repeatedly.”
In South Korea, anxiety counseling services focus heavily on psychological support, fortune-telling, and tarot. Internationally, however, similar services are thriving under the broader category of “online therapy services.”
The global online therapy market was valued at $9.7 billion in 2023, according to Zion Market Research. This market, which includes mental health services delivered via video conferencing, chat, and phone calls, is projected to grow at an average annual rate of 24.5%, reaching $69.7 billion by 2032.
Zion Market Research attributes this growth to the widespread adoption of smartphones, increased awareness of mental health issues like depression and anxiety, advancements in technology, and greater collaboration and investment in mental health solutions.
South Korea’s increasing prevalence of anxiety and depression has also fueled demand for counseling services. Data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service shows that the number of South Koreans diagnosed with depression rose 33% from approximately 750,000 in 2018 to 1 million in 2022.
