Hearing the word "study," Sim Yeong-suk's face lit up instantly as if she had just received long-awaited good news.
"Study English?" she asked enthusiastically, her eyes sparkling with interest.
"In the school's broadcasting room, there's an English cassette tape that the upperclassmen usually use," Ryū Ji-ho explained, carefully watching his mother's reaction.
"If we listen to the cassette on the way to and from school, or even while exercising, I think learning English could become a lot easier."
Sim Yeong-suk paused momentarily, her expression shifting to one of deep thought. It was clear that she was weighing something important. This wasn't the kind of decision one could make lightly.
The price of a Sonic Walkman, the popular portable cassette player of its time, was 250,000 won a hefty sum. On the other hand, there were cheaper alternatives, like the Mai-Mai from Osung, Aha-Free from Geumseong, and Yo-Yo from Daeyu, which were half the price of the Sonic.
