Elementary School Nephew Receiving New Year's Money Complains, "What Am I Supposed to Do with This?"

30,000 KRW for 5th Graders, 20,000 KRW for 3rd Graders, 10,000 KRW for 5-Year-Olds Prepared
Nephew Complains, "What Am I Supposed to Do with This?"

On the occasion of Lunar New Year, an aunt who gave her fifth-grade elementary school nephew 30,000 won as New Year's money ended up taking the money back after hearing complaints that the amount was too small.

On the 9th, a post titled "I was totally pissed off because of my nephew's New Year's money" was uploaded on an online community.

Children at a daycare center in Busan performing the traditional New Year's bow. Stock photo unrelated to the article.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

The writer began by saying, "My eldest sister has a 5-year-old son, and my younger sister has an eldest daughter in fifth grade and a younger daughter in third grade of elementary school," adding, "Today, we gathered for both my mother's birthday and Lunar New Year."

He prepared New Year's money in pretty envelopes along with a small handwritten note. The three nephews bowed to him in a row. He gave 30,000 won to the eldest daughter, 20,000 won to the younger daughter, and 10,000 won to the 5-year-old nephew.

He continued, "I wasn't planning to give anything if they didn't bow," and "Honestly, I didn't really know how much was appropriate or how much to give at that age."

The eldest daughter, after receiving the New Year's money, opened the envelope and said, "Wow, what am I supposed to do with this?" Then she opened her younger sister's envelope and asked, "How much did you get?" She grumbled, "That kid (the 5-year-old nephew) doesn't even know how to buy things, so why did he get 10,000 won?"

The writer was baffled and scolded her, saying, "Didn't you just say 'Happy New Year' to your aunt? What's with that attitude?"

The eldest daughter pouted and showed an unpleasant expression, and the writer's father also scolded the grandchild, saying, "What's with that attitude toward your aunt?" Then the brother-in-law took the child to the room and scolded her, and the nephew reportedly cried loudly, describing the situation at the time.

However, the writer's sister defended her daughter, saying, "She's still young, why go that far?"

In response, the writer expressed frustration, saying, "I was so angry that I took back all the New Year's money I gave to my younger sister's daughters," and apologized, "I'm sorry for making the atmosphere awkward on my mother's birthday. I'm really upset."

Meanwhile, a survey conducted by KB Kookmin Card on 400 customers about appropriate New Year's money showed that the most common answers were 100,000 won for adults, 50,000 to 100,000 won for middle and high school students, 30,000 to 50,000 won for elementary school students, and 10,000 won for preschool children.