In Korea, 1 in 5 adults was found to have difficulty with everyday speaking or writing. In particular, the gap in Korean language proficiency by age and education level was also found to be large.
The National Institute of the Korean Language announced the results of the "Third survey on the status of the people's Korean language proficiency" on the 6th. The survey was conducted from 2023 to 2025 and targeted adults ages 20 to 69 living in 17 cities and provinces nationwide. Between 3,000 and 5,000 people participated in each of the four areas: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
The evaluation results were categorized into four levels: ▲ level 4 (excellent) ▲ level 3 (average) ▲ level 2 (basic) ▲ level 1 (below basic).
According to the National Institute of the Korean Language's analysis, the areas of listening (40.6%), reading (33.0%), and grammar and norms (29.6%) had a relatively high proportion at level 4, corresponding to "excellent," indicating that basic language comprehension was relatively sound.
However, the proportion at level 4 was markedly lower in speaking (18.1%) and writing (11.2%). In particular, the shares at level 1 (below basic) reached 19.9% and 21.9%, respectively, indicating that 1 in 5 adults has significant difficulty speaking or writing.
The gap by age group was also clear. The proportion at level 4 in listening was 53.8% among those in their 20s and 19.2% among those in their 60s, a difference of nearly three times. Reading also showed a large gap, with 42.8% for those in their 20s and 22.8% for those in their 60s.
In writing, only 3.9% of those with less than a high school education were at level 4, but the share was 13.9% among those with some college or higher, confirming a difference in language expression ability by education level.
This survey also drew attention to the correlation between time spent using digital devices and reading ability. The group that used digital devices for five hours or more a day was found to have significantly higher reading scores compared with the group that hardly used digital devices except for messengers.
On this, an official at the National Institute of the Korean Language said, "This suggests the need to actively explore ways to use digital devices in reading education."