1. Introduction to the text
This article discusses the financial struggles faced by small business owners, particularly those in the restaurant and bar industry, as consumer spending has declined over the past year. The article highlights the challenges faced by bar owners, whose sales have dropped by nearly 10% compared to the previous year.
2. Vocabulary
| Korean Word | Romanization | English Meaning | Contextual Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 소상공인 | sosangongiin | small business owner | According to the report, the average sales of small business owners in the second quarter of 2023 was around 45.07 million won. |
| 1년 | ilnyeon | one year | Compared to a year ago, sales have decreased by 0.8%. |
| 2분기 | ibungi | second quarter | The report analyzed the trends of small business owners in the second quarter of 2023. |
| 술집 | sulchip | bar, pub | Among the different industries, bars saw the biggest drop in sales, decreasing by 9.2% compared to a year ago. |
| 매출 | maechul | sales, revenue | The average sales of small business owners in the second quarter was around 45.07 million won. |
| 비명 | bimyeong | scream, cry | The title of the article suggests that small business owners are “screaming” because they don’t even have enough money to buy a meal, let alone drink. |
| 웬말이냐 | weonmarinya | how can that be, why would that be | The title of the article poses the question “How can we talk about drinking when we don’t even have money to buy a meal?” |
| 터졌다 | teojyeossda | burst out, erupted | The title of the article suggests that small business owners have “burst out” in a scream due to their financial struggles. |
| 연합뉴스 | yeonhapnyuseu | Yonhap News Agency | According to the Yonhap News Agency, consumer spending continued to be sluggish in the second quarter. |
| 한국신용데이터 | hanguksinyongdeiteoo | Korea Credit Data | The report on the trends of small business owners in the second quarter was published by Korea Credit Data. |
3. The main text in both Korean and English
서울시내 한 거리에 빈 점포가 눈에 띈다. 연합뉴스에 따르면 2분기에도 소비 위축이 이어지면서 술집 매출이 1년 전보다 10% 가까이 줄어든 것으로 나타났다.
Vacant storefronts can be seen on a street in Seoul. According to Yonhap News, consumer spending continued to be sluggish in the second quarter, with bar sales dropping by nearly 10% compared to a year ago.
한국신용데이터(KCD)의 ‘2025년 2분기 소상공인 동향’ 보고서에 따르면 올해 2분기 소상공인 사업장당 매출 평균은 약 4507만원으로 집계됐다. 직전 분기인 지난 1분기보다 7.9% 늘었지만, 1년 전인 작년 2분기보다는 0.8% 줄었다.
According to the “2023 Second Quarter Small Business Trends” report by Korea Credit Data (KCD), the average sales per small business establishment in the second quarter of 2023 was around 45.07 million won. This was a 7.9% increase from the previous quarter, but a 0.8% decrease compared to the same quarter a year ago.
KCD 관계자는 “겨울이 끝나고 봄·여름으로 계절이 넘어가면서 전 분기보다 소비활동이 확대됐지만, 1년 전과 비교해 소비 둔화 추세는 계속되고 있다”고 진단했다.
A KCD official said, “As the season shifted from winter to spring and summer, consumer activity expanded compared to the previous quarter, but the trend of slowing consumption continues compared to a year ago.”
업종별로 보면, 외식업은 세부 업종 대부분에서 매출이 쪼그라들었다. 1년 전과 비교해 술집(-9.2%)의 타격이 가장 컸다.
Looking at the different industries, the food service industry saw sales decline across most sectors. Compared to a year ago, the hardest hit was bars, with a 9.2% drop in sales.
“밥 사먹을 돈도 없는데 ‘술이 웬말이냐’…” 소상공인들의 비명이 터졌다.
“How can we talk about drinking when we don’t even have money to buy a meal?” Small business owners have “burst out” in a scream.
소상공인들은 매출 감소로 인한 경영난에 시달리고 있다. 특히 술집의 경우 1년 새 매출이 크게 줄어들면서 운영에 어려움을 겪고 있는 것으로 보인다.
Small business owners are struggling with management difficulties due to declining sales. Particularly for bars, a significant drop in sales over the past year seems to be causing operational challenges.
4. Reading comprehension questions
- What is the main focus of this article?
- According to the report, how much did bar sales decrease compared to a year ago?
- What was the average sales per small business establishment in the second quarter of 2023?
- What was the trend in consumer spending compared to the previous quarter and a year ago?
- Which industry saw the biggest drop in sales compared to a year ago?
5. Cultural and historical notes
The article highlights the financial struggles faced by small business owners, particularly those in the restaurant and bar industry, as consumer spending has declined in recent years. This reflects the broader economic challenges that have impacted many small businesses in South Korea, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The plight of these small business owners, who are “screaming” about not even having enough money for a meal, underscores the difficult economic climate they are navigating.