14 Peculiar Korean Superstitions Believed By Many

Every country has its own version of superstitions, like in the U.S, it is considered unlucky if you break a mirror, or a four-leaf clover is lucky.

South Korea has its own series of superstitions. These superstitions generally originate from legends or folklore.

In this blog, we will introduce 14 superstitions widely believed in Korea.

Sleeping With A Fan On

Koreans believe that if you fall asleep with a fan on, you will die.

This is a common superstition in Korea, but lately, it is being debunked.

A variation of this superstition that is becoming more popular is that if you will die if you run a fan without opening a door.

Although the exact origins of this superstition are unknown, electric fans were first introduced in Korea during the influenza epidemic in the 1920s.

Since there was already a heightened level of fear, it was easy for people to associate electric fans with death.

Below is an old news article warning people about the risks of sleeping with a fan turned on.

Korean news article from the 1930s

Seaweed Soup On Exam Days

Eating seaweed soup or mi-yeok guk (미역국) is a Korean birthday tradition.

But, if a student happens to have an exam on that day, they will forgo the seaweed soup.

The reasoning behind this superstition is quite literal.

Since seaweed (mi-yeok) is slippery, if you eat it you will "slip" up.

This superstition not only applies to exams but other important events like job interviews.

Pregnant Women, Newborns & Funerals

Many young people today still believe this superstition. Basically, pregnant women and newborns should never attend funerals.

In the event of a funeral, pregnant women or mothers with newborns will ask others to express their condolences.

Many Koreans believe that dead souls can pass curses onto unborn and newborn babies.

Because of this many Korean mothers refrain from attending funerals when pregnant or with a newborn.

Gifting Shoes To A Lover

This is another pretty literal superstition.

If you give your partner shoes, it implies that you would like them to leave or you are getting ready to leave.

Either way, giving shoes is a general sign of a breakup.

Since gifting shoes is taboo, many will exchange or return the shoes to eliminate the bad meaning.

Stone Wall Road Of Deoksugung Palace

Another superstition related to dating.

Couples that walk along the stone wall road of Deoksugung Palace are destined to break up.

There is a legend that the concubines that have been thrown out, have lingering resentment, so they curse any couple that comes here.

Another reason people believe this modern-day, is that there is a divorce court nearby.

So this contributes to the mindset that many couples that come here end up separating.

Unlucky 4

This stems from the traditional Chinese characters. The number four translates to 사 (sa · 四) in Korean.

Different Hanja (Chinese characters) with the same pronunciation for 'sa' has bad meanings like death (死), kill (殺), snake (蛇), etc.

Four is an unlucky number in Japan and China as well for similar reasons.

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Because of this animosity towards four, you will find that many Korean elevators will replace four with "F" or skip it altogether.

Writing Names In Red Ink

This superstition is originated from ancient Chinese culture.

Back then red was a symbol of wealth, so the emperor thought monopolizing the color, would mean he monopolized the wealth.

So the emperor ordered the people not to use red, and if they violated this rule, they were executed on the charge of insulting the emperor.

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To this day, Koreans avoid writing names in red.

Couples Eating Chicken Wings

If couples eat chicken together, they usually avoid the wings.

In English the phrase "You are the wind beneath my wings" is used when you want to refer to someone supportive.

But in Korean, it has the opposite meaning. The phrase for having an affair is "바람나다" which directly translates to making wind.

So the literal implication is if you have wings, then you can generate winds to fly away.

Next time you're eating chicken at a restaurant why not check if a couple is eating wings!

Eating Apples At Night

In Korea, there is a saying that morning apples are gold, and evening apples are poison.

Don't you all find this strange?

Apples are rich in pectin, which is a fiber that promotes digestive function.

This can make your stomach feel uncomfortable and therefore hinder sleep.

However, this superstition is no longer as prominent.

Pig Dreams Bring Good Fortune

There is a phrase "I hope you have many pig dreams."

At first, this may seem weird, but it is actually a blessing to dream of pigs.

It is believed that if you see a pig in your dream then you will come across a big fortune (lottery, work bonus/raise).

In Korean, 돈 mean pig (like in 돈까스), but it can also mean money.

This is why pigs are a common symbol of money.

In addition to wealth, pigs also symbolize fertility.

Whistling At Night

There are multiple reasons why Koreans believe you should not whistle at night.

During the Korean War, whistling at night was considered a spy signal. It is said that spies during this time committed irredeemable sins.

Another reason is that whistling at night awakens bad spirits or snakes.

Stepping On A Door Threshold

In Korea, stepping on a door threshold is considered unlucky.

Older generations of Koreans also believe that this indirectly causes the elders in your family to get sick.

One theory of how this superstition came to be is that the thresholds in traditional homes were fairly high.

So this superstition was meant to train people and prevent major injuries from tripping and falling.

Rice Cakes On Exam Day

If there is a superstition of failing exams, there should be one to counter that, right?

Well, luckily there is!

In contrast to eating something slippery like seaweed, eating something sticky like rice cakes (떡) can help you "stick" to your desired score.

Many high school students before taking the College Scholastic Ability Test (수능), will eat lots of rice cakes in hopes to "stick" to their dream college.

Astrology Or Blood Type

While many people believe in the 12 astrological signs as an indicator of personality, Koreans believe in blood type.

In Korea, it is common for people to ask for their age and blood type.

Source: naver@mazingablue

We hope you all enjoyed learning about these Korean superstitions.

While they may not have much scientific basis, they are things Koreans just to believe in.

Thank you for reading, and let us know about your county's superstitions below.