Korean Gift Money Calculator
Recommended Korean wedding and funeral gift money by relationship and attendance — a reference when you're unsure how much to give.
Recommended amount
Typical range: 5~10 0,000 KRW
If you attend in person, custom is to give one tier higher to cover the meal (~50,000 KRW).
Koreans prefer odd amounts (30/50/70/100K). Even numbers imply 'division' and are avoided — 100K is the exception.
No fixed rule; it varies by relationship, region, and prices. Reference based on common custom.
What this tool does
The Korean gift money calculator recommends appropriate amounts for wedding (축의금) and funeral (부의금) cash gifts based on relationship and attendance. There's no fixed rule, but customary ranges exist by closeness — acquaintance, colleague, friend, close friend, relative — plus the custom of giving one tier higher when attending (to cover the meal) and the preference for odd numbers.
Who uses this
- When unsure how much wedding gift money to give
- Check appropriate funeral money
- Set a baseline for a colleague's event
- See the difference between attending and not
- Guide for foreigners new to Korean ceremony customs
How to use
- 1Choose the occasion (wedding/funeral).
- 2Pick your relationship (acquaintance/colleague/friend/close friend/relative).
- 3For weddings, check attendance — the recommendation adjusts to cover the meal.
Recommended amounts (custom)
Wedding (10,000 KRW units): acquaintance 5 / colleague 5-10 / friend 5-10 / close friend 10-20 / relative 10-30 Funeral: acquaintance 3-5 / colleague 5-10 / friend 5-10 / close friend 10-20 / relative 10-30 Give one tier higher when attending (meal cost). Odd amounts preferred (30/50/70/100K) — even numbers imply 'division' (100K is the exception).
Real examples
Example 1: Colleague's wedding, attending
Colleague base 50K, but attending (meal ~50K) suggests 100K. Custom is to give more than the meal cost.
Example 2: Close friend's wedding
Close friend range 100-200K. Decide based on the friendship and future reciprocity at your own wedding.
Example 3: Boss's parent's funeral
Colleague/boss funeral money 50-100K. Sometimes the team contributes together. Attendance matters more than the amount.
Korean congratulatory & condolence money etiquette checklist
Wedding gift money (축의금) — how much
- Baseline is ₩50,000 (minimum) and ₩100,000 (most common); the 2024 average was around ₩90,000.
- A coworker you only see at work: ₩50,000; a coworker you socialize with: ₩100,000 (judge by closeness, not job rank).
- Friend: ₩100,000 for a regular friend, ₩150,000+ for a close friend, ₩200,000+ for a best friend.
- Relatives: ₩200,000–300,000 for cousins/aunts/uncles; ₩500,000+ for parents/siblings.
- Invited but not attending (no meal): ₩50,000 is customary. Use odd amounts and avoid ₩40,000 (4 sounds like 'death').
Funeral condolence money (부의금)
- Typical amounts: ₩30,000 / ₩50,000 / ₩70,000 / ₩100,000 — odd numbers are auspicious; avoid ₩90,000 and never give ₩400,000.
- ₩50,000–100,000 for a coworker; give more for close ties to the deceased or the bereaved family.
- Unlike weddings, used/older bills are traditionally preferred over crisp new notes.
- Wear black (or subdued navy/grey) — no bright colors, strong perfume, or flashy accessories.
- At the altar, offer incense or a white chrysanthemum, make two deep bows, then a half-bow to the chief mourner; keep words brief.
Writing the white envelope
- Use a plain white envelope and a black (or dark blue) pen.
- Funeral front (centered, vertical): 賻儀 (Buui) or 謹弔 (Geunjo); wedding front: 祝結婚 or 祝華婚.
- Write your name vertically on the lower-left of the BACK, with your affiliation (company/team) above-right.
- For a group gift, write only the organization name — e.g., 'OO회사 임직원 일동'.
- For a bank transfer, write your name plus the occasion word in the memo — e.g., '홍길동 부의'.
Other occasions & workplace custom
- First-birthday party (돌잔치): friends ~₩50,000–100,000 (often ~₩70k); coworkers/acquaintances ~₩30,000–50,000.
- Housewarming (집들이): bring a ~₩50,000 gift (a household item) rather than cash; coworkers often pool.
- Cash is strongly preferred for weddings and funerals; gifts suit doljanchi and housewarmings.
- Bank transfer is fine among close peers, but in-person cash is more polite for seniors; team-pooled envelopes are common at work.
Frequently asked questions
Should the amount be an odd number?
Korea prefers odd amounts (30/50/70K). Even numbers imply 'division (separation)' and are avoided, but 100K is an exception ('completeness'). It's not an absolute rule.
Can I give less if I don't attend?
Attending incurs a meal cost (~50K), so when not attending, the amount minus the meal (e.g., colleague 50K) is fine. When attending, custom is to exceed the meal cost.
I'm a foreigner invited to a Korean wedding
50-100K is safe depending on relationship. Write your name on the envelope and hand it at the reception desk; use crisp new bills in a white envelope. Funerals use white envelopes; weddings white/plain too.
Do wedding and funeral amounts differ?
Similar, but funeral money tends to be slightly lower. For funerals, attendance to share grief matters more than the amount.
If the company contributes, do I still give?
When a team/department jointly gives a wreath or condolence money, individual extra is optional by closeness. Close ones may add a little separately.
What do I write on the envelope?
For weddings, 祝結婚/祝華婚 on the front; for funerals, 賻儀/謹弔, with your name and affiliation on the back. Korean ('축 결혼' / 'condolences') is also fine.
Cautions
- •No fixed rule — a reference varying by relationship, region, prices.
- •Give one tier higher when attending (meal cost).
- •Odd numbers preferred, but 100K is the exception.
- •For funerals, attendance matters more than the amount.
- •Use new bills in a white/plain envelope.
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Last reviewed: 2026-05-30