"With Rising Meal Costs, Should 150,000 Won Be the New Standard for Wedding Gifts?"... Debate Flares Over 'I Don't Want to Lose Money on My Wedding' Post

"I hope the standard for wedding gift money will shift from 100,000 won to 150,000 won."

There has been growing controversy online over the claim that the minimum standard for wedding gift money should be raised from 100,000 won to 150,000 won due to rising meal costs at weddings. Internet users have criticized this argument, saying it undermines the original purpose of wedding gifts.

Buffet food. Getty Images

On June 12, social networking platforms were abuzz with posts suggesting that "it's time to raise the price of wedding gift money." One user, identified as Mr. A, commented, "Buffet prices keep going up these days," and insisted, "Now, the basic atmosphere should be 150,000 won instead of 100,000 won."

Wedding-related image. Pixabay

He added, "From the perspective of someone getting married, it's not easy to cover the remaining amount with just 30,000 to 40,000 won per person, and I don't want to hold a wedding at a loss. Maybe it's because I'm getting married myself, but honestly, nothing is left over." This is interpreted to mean that if 100,000 won is received as wedding gift money, about 60,000 to 70,000 won goes toward meal costs, making it difficult to cover other incidental expenses with the remaining money.

"Wedding gifts are not just for meals" – Backlash

However, most internet users reacted critically to the virtually compulsory nature of wedding gifts. One user pointed out, "Wedding gift money is meant as a congratulatory gesture, not to settle meal expenses. If inviting guests is burdensome, it's better to opt for a smaller wedding."

Another user also criticized, "It is inappropriate to choose an expensive wedding venue and then pass the costs onto guests." Additional criticisms included, "A wedding should be held within one's means," "If you think you're going to run a deficit, just don't have a wedding," "If you're worried about guests' meal costs, simply don't invite guests and get married," and "You should pay for your own wedding, not expect guests to cover it."

Average Wedding Cost: 21.39 Million Won... 'Meal Cost Burden' Increases

Rising wedding costs are at the root of this debate. According to the "Wedding Service Price Survey" published by the Korea Consumer Agency, as of February 2026, the national average wedding cost was 21.39 million won, up 2.3% from December of the previous year. This figure includes wedding hall deposits, studio photography, dress, makeup, and other so-called "studio-dress-makeup" packages.

Wedding-related image. Getty Images Bank

Meal costs are also on the rise. The median meal cost per person was 59,000 won, up 1.7% from the end of last year. In particular, the average meal cost at wedding halls in Gangnam, Seoul, reached 88,000 won, the highest in the country.

Wedding Gift Money Also Increasing

The actual amount given as wedding gift money is also steadily rising. NH Nonghyup Bank analyzed 5.33 million remittance transactions from 1.15 million customers between January 2023 and December 2025. The results showed that the average wedding gift amount rose from 110,000 won in 2023 to 114,000 won in 2024, and 117,000 won in 2025—an increase of about 6.9%.

By amount, 50,000 won accounted for the largest share at 42.3%, followed by 100,000 won at 39.7% and 200,000 won at 7.5%. By age group, those in their 20s and 30s gave the highest average at 138,000 won, while those over 60 gave 118,000 won, and those in their 40s and 50s gave 107,000 won. By region, Seoul led with an average of 134,000 won, followed by Busan at 128,000 won, Gwangju at 124,000 won, and Incheon at 119,000 won.

Wedding-related image. The Asia Business Daily DB

The proportion of high-value wedding gifts is also expanding. The share of gifts over 1 million won increased from 2.92% in 2023 to 3.17% in 2024, and gifts over 10 million won rose from 0.22% to 0.36% over the same period. Notably, the number of remittances exceeding 100 million won jumped 14-fold in 2024 compared to the previous year and increased by 1.6 times again in 2025.

Kakao Pay's "2025 Money Report" also revealed that the average wedding gift money surpassed 100,000 won for the first time. This figure has doubled in about five years, rising from an average of 50,000 won in 2019.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.