LIVING IN KOREA · ETIQUETTE
Korean Wedding and Funeral Money
Invited to a Korean wedding or funeral? Pick the occasion and your relationship to see a typical cash gift and how to write the envelope.
Find a typical amount
Wedding · Acquaintance · Attending
₩100,000
Typical range ₩50,000–₩100,000
Based on public surveys
If you attend, ₩100,000 is the most common amount. Some people give more at hotel weddings where the meal is expensive.
- Shinhan Bank, Ordinary People’s Financial Life Report (April 2024, in Korean): Not attending an acquaintance’s wedding: ₩50,000 52.8%, ₩100,000 36.7%. Attending: ₩100,000 67.4%.
- NH NongHyup Bank analysis of wedding gift transfers (2023–2025, in Korean): Average gift in 2025: ₩117,000 (₩110,000 in 2023, ₩114,000 in 2024).
Writing the envelope
Front: 祝結婚 (축결혼, “congratulations on your marriage”) or 祝華婚 (축화혼, “congratulations on your wedding”)
Back: Write your name vertically at the lower left on the back. At a work wedding, add your company or team above your name.
These are reference amounts, not rules. Give what fits your budget, and follow local and family customs first.
Typical amounts when attending
| Relationship | Wedding | Funeral |
|---|---|---|
| Acquaintance | ₩100,000 | ₩50,000 |
| Coworker | ₩100,000 | ₩50,000 |
| Close friend | ₩100,000–₩300,000 | ₩100,000 |
How the amounts are chosen
Wedding amounts come from recent Korean surveys and bank data, which are linked in the results. Funeral and first-birthday amounts have no survey data, so they are marked as common custom. For family events, customs differ too much between families to give a number.
At the venue
- Put the cash in an envelope and hand it in at the reception desk.
- Write your name on the back; add your company or team for work events.
Frequently asked questions
Why do Koreans give cash at weddings and funerals?
Cash gifts are the custom at Korean weddings (축의금, chukuigeum) and funerals (부의금 or 조의금, buuigeum). You hand the envelope in at the reception desk.
Should the amount be an odd number?
There is a custom of giving odd amounts such as ₩30,000, ₩50,000 or ₩70,000, with ₩100,000 as a common exception. These days many people care more about the relationship and their budget than the custom.
Do I give money if I can’t attend?
Yes, you can send the envelope with someone who is going. Surveys show people often give a little less when they don’t attend.
More tools
Sources and last updated
- Survey sources are listed with each result (Shinhan Bank 2024, Incruit 2025, Gayeon 2026, NH NongHyup Bank 2023–2025; all in Korean).
- Amounts without survey data are common custom, not a rule.
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