The bride wears the Korean traditional paebaek robe over her hanbok, and some brides will choose to adorn their cheeks with red dots, either via makeup or stickers, to represent youth and virginity.
In modern Korean weddings, a wooden goose may be given in place of a traditional kireogi. This Korean tradition is respected as a symbol of harmony and structure. Wild geese mate for life, so by giving the mother a goose, the groom is promising a life of love and care to the woman's daughter.
Marriage in Korea is a civil procedure. Koreans normally have a separate wedding ceremony at a wedding hall, hotel or church. Before or after the ceremony, the couple visits city hall or a district office (구청) and registers their marriage (혼인신고).
Korean Mandarin Ducks (원앙) are gifted to newlyweds as a symbol of unity and fidelity. That's because Mandarin Ducks stays monogamous. Once they find a partner, they stay together until death. Today we present you with a pair of premium wedding ducks in Korea!
The blue and red threads were braided together and hung across the pine twigs and bamboo which meant that marriage is the union of two families as well as two individuals. Following the wedding ceremony was the "pyebaek" ceremony, a ritual offered to the parents of both the groom and the bride.
In some countries particularly in Japan, China and Korea, there is a belief about destiny – an ancestral story of what they call “The Red String of Fate”. The story follows… “An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place or circumstance.
The two people connected by the red thread are destined lovers, regardless of place, time, or circumstances. This magical cord may stretch or tangle, but never break. This myth is similar to the Western concept of soulmate or a destined partner.
Bowing. Just like in Japan, in Korea people bow as a sign of respect, especially between people they don't know or work colleagues. It is not uncommon to see students bowing when they meet their sunbae (older student), just as it is common for the ajumma at the restaurant (middle-aged lady) to bow when greeting you.
The small bow, or mourning pin, is a traditional funeral custom in Korea. When a member of one's family dies, there is an official mourning period that lasts anywhere from 40 to 60 days after the funeral, depending on whether the family observes Confucian or Buddhist traditions.
In Korea, most young people are broke too. That's why most families will pay for their share of the wedding costs. That means most brides and grooms in Korea will not pay for the wedding themselves, but their families (parents) will. Korean parents see marrying off their children as their very last duty as a parent.
The husband or wife can apply to the Korean family court for a divorce if their partner has cheated or committed an act of unchastity. Adultery (or cheating) and an act of unchastity are not the same in Korea.
Current Age Gap for Marriage in Korea. In modern-day Korea, the age gap for marriage has changed significantly. According to the Korean Family Law, the minimum age for marriage is 18 years old. However, there is no maximum age limit for marriage in Korea.
A ring on the ring finger is a sign of love and commitment. A ring on your index finger represents friendship. Many older couples don't wear wedding bands and it is usually the younger couples who choose to wear couple, engagement, or wedding rings. Diamonds were not traditionally used in Korean jewellery.
In South Korea, living together outside marriage is now more accepted, with the approval rate up to 65% from 46% a decade before, while only 35% agree an unmarried couple can have a child, according to the latest government surveys.
As a rule, it's best to dress simply and conservatively, and there is no taboo of wearing dark colours such as black or grey to weddings in Korea.
Korean couple rings
Korean couples get matching rings and these are called couple rings. They usually go buy couple rings after the 100th day anniversary or when they want to show that they are in a committed relationship.
Geodeulji is attached to dangui (a ceremonial jacket) or jangot (장옷, a headgear) to cover hands because showing hands in front of seniors was considered not a courtesy during the Korean Joseon Dynasty.
Many of these pre-funeral traditions are done by the funeral service these days, but the sangju is still a central part of the funeral. He is the one that organizes the funeral service. Mourning begins as soon as a family member dies, and it continues for three days.
Traditional Koreans bow to the portrait of the deceased, but Christians do not. You can offend the family of the deceased if they are Christian and you bow. As a foreigner, you are generally expected not to bow to the portrait. Before leaving the funeral area, you may give a bow or a nod to the sangju.
Flirting in Korean culture is pretty much like what you see in Korean dramas. They use romantic, sweet, and cute phrases to touch the heart of the person they like. Aside from romantic phrases, they also flirt by acting cute, called aegyo (애교).
Hanok, a traditional Korean house first built in the 14th century, had an “Ondol (온돌)”, which is a floor-based heating system. By sitting or lying down on the floor, one can feel the warmth of the floor.
Crossing your legs is seen as being lazy or disrespectful to the other person. Therefore, you should sit up straight and keep your hands on your lap. Open body language shows honesty and attentiveness.
But, roses have different meanings according to colors for Koreans. The orange rose symbolizes first love, the pink rose symbolizes happiness or lovers, and the red rose means passionate love.
But perhaps the answer lies in the significance of the color red in Korean culture. According to the National Folk Museum of Korea, “For a long time, the color red has been believed to have shamanistic power for warding off evil spirits or bad luck.
Love, passion, and romance are all connected to the color red. It is also linked to war, ruthlessness, and violence. The balance of red and blue has great meaning in Korean culture. While red represents yang's (the man's) energy, which is masculine in nature, blue represents yin's (the woman's) energy.