"50,000 Won Is Enough"…Clear Recommendation on Appropriate Amount for Monetary Gifts

Sungkyunkwan Yudohwe Headquarters Recommendation
"Practices Causing Economic Burden to Bereaved Families Should Be Avoided"

How much is an appropriate condolence money? The Sungkyunkwan Confucian Association recommended that "50,000 won is an appropriate amount for condolence money."

An Proposal on Monetary Gifts by the Sungkyunkwan Confucian Association. Excerpted from a comic produced by the Headquarters of the Sungkyunkwan Confucian Association.

On the 18th, the headquarters of the Sungkyunkwan Confucian Association announced guidelines on the "Dignified and Prepared New Funeral Culture Project to Prepare in Advance." Regarding condolence money, they explained, "It is a token of the heart and sincerity, so it is best to give an amount that is not excessive according to one's circumstances," and added, "Since funerals and celebrations involve large expenses, considering the traditional culture of neighbors helping each other by pooling resources, 50,000 won, which is the current highest denomination, is sufficient for condolence money."

They also proposed ways to simplify funeral rites. For example, only one of the ancestral tablet (sinju) or the portrait of the deceased (yeongjeong) needs to be set up. They explained, "In the past, it was common to place a wooden tablet called sinju with the name of the deceased on the altar, but as photographs became widespread, the portrait replaced it, so there is no need to place both at the same time."

They urged to refrain from practices unrelated to traditional funeral rites that increase the economic burden on the bereaved family. "At some point, rituals with unclear origins like 'Seongbokje' (成服祭) and items such as armbands, which were not part of traditional funerals, have appeared as if they were essential procedures or products," they pointed out. "Seongbok refers to wearing mourning clothes for the first time after a death, but it originally has no relation to ancestral rites, and armbands likely spread according to the 'Ceremonial Regulations' established by the Japanese Governor-General of Korea during the Japanese colonial period."

Furthermore, they advised, "Flower decorations placed on the altar do not represent the level of sincerity, so it is not desirable to spend excessive costs on them," and added, "Since the bereaved often find it difficult to make calm decisions due to the suddenness of death, it would be helpful to prevent unnecessary formalities if the person concerned shares an advance funeral intention document expressing their wishes regarding funeral procedures or methods with their family in advance."

In a public opinion survey on condolence culture conducted last year, the average appropriate amount of condolence money was 73,900 won. The appropriate amount tended to decrease with age, and 65.7% of people in their 50s thought the appropriate amount was 50,000 won or less. Additionally, people aged 50 and above pointed out that the current condolence culture places an economic burden on mourners.