There is an old saying that fortunetellers are very busy in troubled times. But fortunetellers in and around the greater New York and New Jersey area are having a hard time themselves – the number of clients requesting their services has reduced to a mere trickle in the new year.

Normally, the end and the beginning of the year are the times when many Asians visit the so-called Yoksulwon, fortunetellers who predict your fate or future based upon the physical signs of your body – the lines of your hand, for instance – or other information, such as your date of birth. Many seekers prefer the methods of the so-called Cholhakkwan, who incorporate astrological information to make their predictions. Many Asians, including Koreans, believe in or rely on fortunetellers and this is especially true in troubled times. But these days, as fortunetellers are reporting, even non-religious Koreans have stopped coming – in order to save money.

The Korea Times recently conducted a phone survey of 22 Korean Yoksulwon in the New York and New Jersey metro area, asking directly about their business at this time of year. The results were surprising – even to the fortunetellers. Business was down to a mere two or three a day, a vast reduction from previous times. Most fortunetellers reported a corresponding drop in income of between 30 and 50 percent. One Cholhakkwan located in Flushing, Queens attended 50 percent customers compared with the same time last year, while a Cholhakkwan in New Jersey reported such poor business that they would have to close.

Normally, people in their 40s or 50s visit the Yoksulwon to ask about their financial future – what to do for a living, whether to invest in a certain stock or company, whether to start a new business. So, the newspaper's survey is all the more surprising, given the current widespread economic difficulties.

Mr. Baek Chon, owner of Baek Chon Unmyong (Fate) Cholhakwon says, "The adage that fortunetellers are very busy in troubled times no longer seems to be true! Those who used to visit here at year's close, to know their fate or fortune for the next year, have stopped coming exactly because the times are hard, and their businesses are so slow. No-one seems to want to spend the $100 for a reading anymore."

Ms. Hey-jin Kim, owner of the Hey-jin Buddhist Cholhakwon, who has managed her business in Elmhurst, Queens for 20 years, said that the times are definitely changing. "Many people used to visit when they had some reason to celebrate – the opening of a store, being promoted at work, or landing a good job. But with the economy taking such a downturn, people have fewer and fewer reasons to visit."

But an interesting trend is developing. While it is true that many Koreans do not visit Cholhakwon or Yoksulwon, many Koreans are finding another way to have their fortunes told – one that is perhaps more indicative of this electronic age. Instead of going to a fortuneteller's place of business and sitting across from the person doing the reading, many people are turning to the Internet for the same services. Business among free or low-priced online fortunetellers is growing, as is the number of fortunetellers offering their services online. Many Koreans – even middle-aged Koreans – are logging in to online Saju puli or astrologers. Many find that the price is right, and that they can have their reading in a much shorter time.