3 Essential Economy Headline Keywords for TOPIK Reading
Master economy keywords like 전망, 인상, and 하락 to decode Korean news headlines. Perfect for TOPIK II preparation and reading news.
Learn to decode compressed Korean news headlines by mastering high-frequency economy nouns and their common verb pairings.
What this headline implies
Korean news headlines often omit particles and use specific Hanja-based nouns to save space. Understanding these terms allows you to predict whether a situation is improving or worsening before reading the full article.
Quick cheat sheet
Expressions in this post
Context note
This term is used when experts or institutions predict future trends. It is almost always paired with positive or negative modifiers. In TOPIK reading tasks, look for this word to identify the main theme of a report or survey results.
Common pairing
밝은 전망balgeun jeonmang — Bright outlook
불투명한 전망bultumyeonghan jeonmang — Uncertain outlook
Context note
Specifically used for prices, taxes, or interest rates. Unlike the general word for 'increase' (증가), '인상' implies a hike in a set value or cost. If you see this in a headline, expect the article to discuss rising costs of living.
Common pairing
금리 인상geumri insang — Interest rate hike
가격 인상gagyeok insang — Price increase
Context note
Used for falling values, such as stock prices, exchange rates, or real estate market trends. It is the direct antonym of '상승' (rise). In TOPIK graphs, this word frequently describes a downward trend over a specific period.
Common pairing
급격한 하락geupgyeokhan harak — Sharp drop
수치 하락suchi harak — Drop in figures
Rewrite Drill: Headline to Plain Korean
물가 인상 우려mulga insang uryeo → 물가가 오를까 봐 걱정됩니다.수출 전망 밝음suchul jeonmang balgeum → 수출이 잘될 것으로 예상합니다.주가 하락 지속juga harak jisok → 주식 가격이 계속해서 떨어지고 있습니다.
Mini quiz
Notes:
- Q1:
인상insang is the standard term for raising interest rates (금리). - Q2:
전망jeonmang refers to the future forecast or outlook of the economy. - Q3:
하락harak describes the downward movement of prices or values.
Next steps
Give 5 “spot the keyword” prompts.
- Look for
전망jeonmang in the first paragraph of a news report. - Identify if
인상insang refers to taxes or wages. - Check if
하락harak is described as 'sharp' (급격한) or 'gradual' (완만한). - Practice changing these nouns into verbs (e.g., 전망하다).
- Scan a Korean portal site (like Naver News) for these three words today.
