karaoke buisiness signs light up a street in this file photo. Korea Times photo by Kim Jin-joo

Karaoke, or noraebang as it's known here, has become a staple of modern Korean culture. People often gather with friends or colleagues after dinner to sing along to popular songs in small, dimly lit rooms.

However, this tradition is fading, as tax data reveals a declining number of karaoke venues nationwide.

The National Tax Service's report indicated that, as of July this year, the number of karaoke venues was 25,990 — a decline of over a quarter from 33,000 at the end of 2017.

These karaoke businesses were hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, as people were banned from visiting them amid concerns about being potential hotspots for virus transmission.

However, the pandemic is not the only factor driving the decline.

The rise of individual dining and drinking trends, such as "honbap" (eating alone) and "honsool" (drinking alone), particularly among younger generations, has also contributed to the shrinking number of karaoke rooms. Additionally, the fading after-work drinking culture, known as "hoesik," where colleagues socialize together after work, has played a role.

"My business is struggling because fewer people go out with their colleagues after work," a karaoke owner in Seoul told the Joongang Ilbo, a Korean-language daily. "Karaoke was once a regular activity during family gatherings during holidays, but that, too, is disappearing."

Originally from Japan, karaoke rooms consist of private spaces where customers pay to sing for a set period of time. According to The Korea Economic Daily, Korea's first karaoke machine was installed in a Busan arcade in 1991, and the first dedicated karaoke room opened at Haeundae Beach in the city later. The industry thrived in the 1990s through to the mid-2010s.