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Korean Wedding Gift Money CalculatorBeta

Enter your relationship, closeness, attendance and meal cost to see a survey-based reference amount and a rule-based recommended amount, with reasoning.

Relationship and attendance

Contact in the past year
Attendance
If you attend

Default: the Korea Consumer Agency's 2025 survey, nationwide median.

Distance to the venue
Your own wedding
Are you married?

Result

Recommended amount (rule-based)

₩100,000

The acceptable range is ₩100,000–₩150,000.

How this was calculated

Current closeness level: normal

  1. For the "Friend" relationship at the 'normal' closeness level, the base amount is ₩100,000. (NH NongHyup Bank)
  2. With 1 person attending, the meal cost (₩60,000 per person, the Korea Consumer Agency's Chamgagyeok nationwide median default) × 1 means at least ₩60,000 is needed so the couple isn't left out of pocket for your meals.
  3. You haven't gotten married yet, so the reciprocity rule doesn't apply.
  4. The venue is nearby, so distance doesn't affect the amount.

Reference amount (from surveys and statistics)

Average ₩110,000 · ₩50,000 (42.3%) · ₩100,000 (39.7%) (Shinhan Bank, NH NongHyup Bank)

There's no survey specific to this relationship, so this shows the figure for respondents or transfers overall, regardless of relationship.

Supplementary (lower confidence)

For reference: in a Gayeon × Opensurvey poll (designed with an unusually low 80% confidence level), unmarried respondents gave an average of ₩130,000 to a "friend." This is far higher than the real-transaction data, so it's shown only as supplementary context.

Customs worth knowing

  • In Korea, there's a custom of giving odd amounts, such as 30,000, 50,000 or 70,000 won. One cultural explanation traces this to yin-yang thinking, which treats odd numbers as yang and fitting for a celebration, but this isn't backed by statistical research.
  • 100,000 won is an even number, but it's widely treated as an exception because it's seen as a "round, complete" figure. In NH NongHyup Bank's data, 100,000 won was in fact the second most common amount transferred (39.7%), and it was also the most commonly chosen amount for coworkers in the Incruit survey.

The recommended amount is a logical reference from applying the rules in order, not a fixed requirement. The reference amount is also just a survey figure, not a correct answer. How much you actually give may still vary with your relationship and circumstances.

Recommended gift: ₩100,000 (acceptable range ₩100,000–₩150,000)

How to use

Choose your relationship (family or relative, friend, coworker, acquaintance or business contact) and closeness (how long you’ve known each other, contact in the past year), and whether you’re attending. If you’re attending, also enter the number of companions and the meal cost per person (or pick a meal type if you don’t know it), plus the distance to the venue and how you’re getting there. If you’re married, you can also enter what the other person did at your own wedding (attended / sent money only / neither) and how much they gave. The result is shown in two parts: a reference amount (what surveys and statistics say people actually give, or “no reference data” when none exists) and a recommended amount (the logical conclusion from applying the rules below in order). Neither is a fixed answer — both are references.

  1. Base amount: set by relationship × closeness level (close/normal/distant). Frequent contact starts at ‘close’, occasional at ‘normal’, rare at ‘distant’, and knowing each other 3 years or more raises it by one step (up to ‘close’). For coworkers, this uses Incruit’s survey (close coworker vs. a coworker known only through work); for friends and acquaintances, it uses the two most common amounts in NH NongHyup Bank’s real transfer data (50,000 and 100,000 won). For family or relatives, with no reliable survey available, the ‘close’ level’s amount is used only as a minimum, and an amount your family has already agreed on takes priority if you provide one.
  2. Meal-cost floor (attending only): recommends at least (meal cost per person × attendees including you), so the couple isn’t left out of pocket for your meal. If you don’t know the meal cost, this uses the Chamgagyeok figure for the meal type you choose (course, buffet or set menu), or the nationwide median if you don’t choose one.
  3. Reciprocity floor: if you’re married and the other person gave you an amount at your own wedding, this recommends at least that amount — including when they only sent money without attending, without any reduction for that. If you’re not married yet, or they neither attended nor sent money, this rule doesn’t apply.
  4. Distance and transport (attending only): if the venue is far and you’re travelling at your own cost, the relationship-and-closeness base amount is lowered to the same level as not attending (one closeness level down), reflecting the travel cost and time you’re already spending. The meal-cost and reciprocity floors still apply, so the recommendation is never lower than if you only sent money; for family or relatives, the minimum reference amount (or the amount your family agreed on) stays the same regardless of closeness level. If the couple provides a chartered bus, or the venue is nearby, the usual rule (including the base amount) applies as-is.
  5. Round up to a conventional amount: the amount that satisfies all the floors above is rounded up to the nearest of 30,000 / 50,000 / 70,000 / 100,000 / 150,000 / 200,000 / 300,000 / 500,000 / 1,000,000 won. Above 1,000,000 won, it rounds up to the nearest 100,000 won.

Reference amount data

Situation Reference amount Source
Close coworker (attending) Reported range 100,000–200,000 won Incruit 2025, 2023
Coworker known only through work (attending) Reported range 50,000–100,000 won Incruit 2025, 2023
Overall respondents regardless of relationship (attending) Average 110,000 won; most common amounts 50,000 won (42.3%) and 100,000 won (39.7%) Shinhan Bank 2024, NH NongHyup Bank 2025
Overall respondents regardless of relationship (not attending, money only) Average 80,000 won Shinhan Bank 2024

For family/relatives and for acquaintances or business contacts, we couldn’t find reliable survey or statistical data specific to that relationship, so this shows “no reference data” and the recommended amount (the rules above) uses the closest available data instead. That said, Hankook Research’s 2025 nationwide survey of congratulatory and condolence money (1,000 respondents) found the maximum given to “family or relatives” was 860,000 won, much higher than the maximum for “others or acquaintances” (320,000 won) — not a wedding-only figure, but a reference showing family and relatives typically receive larger amounts.

Friends (attending): there’s no survey that breaks this down by closeness the way Incruit does for coworkers. A Gayeon × Opensurvey poll (designed with an unusually low 80% confidence level) found an overall average for “friends” of 130,000 won among unmarried respondents and 290,000 won among married respondents — far higher than the real-transaction data (around 110,000 won), so it’s shown only as supplementary context and isn’t used in the recommended-amount calculation.

Regional differences in actual transfers: NH NongHyup Bank’s 2025 transfer data showed regional differences — 134,000 won in Seoul, 128,000 won in Busan, 124,000 won in Gwangju, 119,000 won in Incheon, and a 117,000-won nationwide average. However, news coverage doesn’t specify whether this reflects the sender’s home region or the venue’s region, so it can’t be read as a rule that “weddings in that region require this much.” It’s shown only as background information and isn’t factored into the calculation.

A congratulatory-money average that isn’t wedding-only: Hankook Research’s 2025 survey found an average of 260,000 won given at weddings, which appears to be a total amount spent on weddings over a year divided by how many times respondents attended (the exact method isn’t specified in the source), regardless of attendance or relationship — much higher than Shinhan Bank’s (110,000 won) or NH NongHyup Bank’s (117,000 won) figures. It’s noted only as a case where other surveys report a higher figure.

Meal-cost reference data

According to the Korea Consumer Agency’s Chamgagyeok survey, the nationwide median per-person meal cost at a Korean wedding was around 60,000 won as of April 2025, ranging from the 40,000s won in Gyeongsang province to the 80,000s won in Seoul’s Gangnam district. Its February 2026 survey published a meal cost by service type for the first time: about 119,000 won for a course meal, 62,000 won for a buffet, and 55,000 won for a set menu (hansang-charim). If you don’t enter a meal cost, this calculator uses the figure for the meal type you choose, or the nationwide median if you don’t.

Customs worth knowing

In Korea, there’s a custom of giving odd amounts, such as 30,000, 50,000 or 70,000 won. One cultural explanation traces this to yin-yang thinking, which treats odd numbers as yang and fitting for a celebration, but this isn’t backed by statistical research. 100,000 won is an even number, but it’s widely treated as an exception because it’s seen as a round, complete figure, and the data shows it’s a common choice — in NH NongHyup Bank’s 2025 transfer data it came second (39.7%) after 50,000 won (42.3%), and in Incruit’s surveys it was the amount most often chosen for coworkers.

Separately, public officials, journalists, teachers and others covered by Korea’s Anti-Graft Act face a legal cap on congratulatory and condolence money (50,000 won in cash). Since this law applies only to specific occupations, it shouldn’t be read as a customary standard for the general public.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

How does this calculator decide the recommended amount?

It sets a base amount from your relationship (family, friend, coworker, acquaintance) and closeness (how long you've known each other, how often you're in touch). If you're attending, it checks a meal-cost floor (meal cost per person × number of people); if you're married, it checks a reciprocity floor (what they gave you before). It takes the largest of these. If the venue is far and you're travelling at your own cost, it lowers the base amount to the same level as not attending (one closeness level down). Finally, it rounds up to a conventional amount (odd numbers or the 100,000-won unit). Every step is shown on screen as reasoning.

How much should I give for a coworker I've worked with for 3 years?

The closeness level starts from how often you're in touch, then goes up one step if you've known each other 3 years or more. For example, someone you're only in touch with sometimes (normal level) still moves up to 'close' after 3+ years, which uses Incruit's most common amount for a close coworker: 100,000 won. If the meal-cost floor (nationwide median 60,000 won × 1 person = 60,000 won) is lower than that, the base amount stays the recommendation (100,000 won).

The wedding's meal cost is 100,000 won per person — how much should I give?

This calculator uses a meal-cost floor: at least (meal cost × attendees including you), so the couple isn't left out of pocket for your meal. For example, even if your relationship base amount is only 50,000 won (a more distant acquaintance), a 100,000-won meal cost floor is higher, so the recommended amount becomes 100,000 won. If you don't know the meal cost, you can pick a meal type (course, buffet, or set menu) to use the Korea Consumer Agency's figure for that type instead.

How much is appropriate if I'm not attending and only sending money?

Not attending lowers the closeness level by one step, reflecting Shinhan Bank's finding that the not-attending average (80,000 won) is lower than the attending average (110,000 won). For example, a friend at a normal closeness level drops to 'distant' when not attending, recommending 50,000 won — and the meal-cost or travel rules that apply when attending don't apply here.

Someone who didn't attend my wedding and only sent money now insists I attend theirs — how much should I give?

The reciprocity floor (at least what they gave you) still applies as-is — it isn't reduced just because they didn't attend your wedding. For example, if a more distant acquaintance (relationship base amount 50,000 won) once sent you 150,000 won, that reciprocity floor is higher than the meal-cost floor (60,000 won), so the recommended amount becomes 150,000 won.

The venue is far and I have to travel at my own cost — do I still need to give the full base amount?

No. If the venue is far and you're travelling at your own cost, the relationship-and-closeness base amount is lowered to the same level as not attending (one closeness level down), reflecting the travel cost and time you're already spending. The meal-cost and reciprocity floors still apply, so the recommendation is never lower than if you only sent money. For example, for a friend you're in touch with sometimes ('normal' level, base amount 100,000 won), it takes the larger of the 'distant' level amount (50,000 won) and the meal-cost floor (60,000 won) and rounds up to recommend 70,000 won. If the couple provides transport such as a chartered bus, though, there's no added travel cost, so the usual rule (including the base amount) applies as-is. There's social discussion about long-distance weddings and chartered buses, but no official survey quantifies an amount for it, so this rule is the calculator's logical judgment rather than a survey figure.

Why is there a custom of giving odd amounts like 30,000, 50,000 or 70,000 won?

One explanation traces this to a traditional idea that treats odd numbers as yang and more fitting for a celebration than even numbers. This is a cultural explanation, though, not something backed by official statistics.

100,000 won is an even number — why is it an exception?

It's seen as a round, complete figure and is widely accepted as a customary exception. The data also shows 100,000 won is a common choice, though which amount comes first depends on the survey: in NH NongHyup Bank's 2025 transfer data, 50,000 won was the most common amount (42.3%) and 100,000 won came second (39.7%), while in Incruit's 2025 and 2023 surveys, 100,000 won was the amount most often chosen for coworkers.

I heard public officials and journalists have a legal cap on wedding gift money — is that true?

Yes. The enforcement decree of Korea's Anti-Graft Act sets a legal cap on congratulatory and condolence money (50,000 won in cash, and no more than 100,000 won including flowers) for public officials, journalists, teachers and similar occupations. However, this is a legal limit that applies only to specific occupations, not a customary standard among the general public, and this calculator's recommendation doesn't factor it in.