"80,000 Won if Attending, 60,000 Won if Not" Average Wedding Gift Amount from Unmarried Individuals

Men Give 10,000 to 20,000 Won More Than Women as Wedding Gifts
Some MZ Generation Say "Better Not to Give or Receive"

Recently, controversies related to 'chug-ui-geum' (monetary gifts for weddings) have been ongoing online, and it has been found that unmarried men and women tend to give chug-ui-geum in the range of 'more than 50,000 won but less than 100,000 won.'

On the 15th, Gayeon Wedding Information announced the results of a survey conducted on 500 unmarried men and women aged 25 to 39 (250 each) regarding 'wedding chug-ui-geum,' dividing the responses into those who 'attend the wedding' and those who 'do not attend.'

The congratulatory money pledged when attending a wedding was confirmed to be an "average of 86,300 KRW." By gender, men gave 93,500 KRW, and women gave 79,000 KRW. By age group, those in their 20s gave 88,300 KRW, and those in their 30s gave 84,200 KRW.
[Photo by Asia Economy]

According to the survey results, the average chug-ui-geum given when attending a wedding was confirmed to be '86,300 won.' Men gave 93,500 won on average, while women gave 79,000 won. By age group, those in their 20s gave 88,300 won, and those in their 30s gave 84,200 won.

The amount given when not attending was calculated to be '60,400 won' on average. Men gave 64,600 won, women gave 56,100 won, with 61,000 won from those in their 20s and 59,700 won from those in their 30s.

When not attending a wedding, it is generally interpreted that the amount is about 26,000 won less on average, considering that the relationship is not close enough to attend in person or that the person does not partake in the meal at the venue.

The Biggest Factor Determining the Amount of Chug-ui-geum is Still 'Closeness'

So, what is the biggest factor in deciding the amount of chug-ui-geum? The highest percentage, 86.8%, answered 'closeness and length of acquaintance with the person involved.'

Following that were 'whether the person will attend my wedding in the future (5.6%)', 'wedding venue and meal cost (5.4%)', 'whether a physical invitation card was delivered (2%)', and 'others (0.2%)' in that order.

Jeon Eun-seon, a couple manager at Gayeon, explained, "Recent controversies over chug-ui-geum may be due to economic burdens or changes in perceptions of human relationships, but unlike in the past when getting married at a certain age was natural, the issue tends to arise more because marriage is no longer seen as essential."

She added, "Originally, chug-ui-geum was a concept of mutual exchange given along with congratulations, but among some MZ generation members, if they think they won't get it back, they consider it better not to give or receive it. However, the essence lies in taking the time to celebrate one of the most important events in life. Both parties should keep in mind to focus on sincerity rather than the amount."

Meanwhile, recently, a post asking 'If the wedding is held at a hotel, should the chug-ui-geum be higher than at a regular wedding hall?' sparked controversy online. Along with this, opinions were divided among netizens over a story about a coworker who gave 100,000 won as chug-ui-geum and had a meal for a family of four.