Economics and business management (43.2 percent) was the most popular subject, followed by humanities, history, religion and arts (42.4 percent), and poems, novels and essays (12.5 percent). (image: KobizMedia/ Korea Bizwire)
SEOUL, April 21 (Korea Bizwire) – Average South Korean office worker reads 2.3 books and spends 29,000 won (US$25) on books every month, a survey showed Friday.
The survey of 935 people conducted by education service institute Hunet, on the occasion of UNESCO’s World Book Day that falls on April 23, said 45 percent of those polled read one book and 34.7 percent read 2 to 4 books.
About 8.5 percent said they read 5-7 books, and 2.2 percent said they read more than 10 books every month.
The percentage of people who read nothing reached 8.5 percent.
By gender, the number of books read by males was 2.4 and that for females was 2.0.
In terms of spending, 43.9 percent said they paid 10,000 won to 30,000 won on books every month.
About 16.2 percent said they spent 30,000 won to 50,000 won, 14.8 percent spent less than 10,000 won and 10.7 percent spent 50,000 won to 100,000 won.
About 10.7 percent said they did not spend any money on books.
Majority of the survey participants (61.6 percent) said they purchased books at online bookstores, while 24 percent bought books at offline stores.
About 8.9 percent borrowed books from libraries, and 5.5 percent bought e-books.
An average office worker visited bookstores 1.4 times per month and libraries 0.9 time per month.
Economics and business management (43.2 percent) was the most popular subject, followed by humanities, history, religion and arts (42.4 percent), and poems, novels and essays (12.5 percent).
(Yonhap)
