"Buffet Prices Up, Calls for 150,000 Won Wedding Gifts... Controversy Over Claims That 100,000 Won Leaves Nothing"

"I don't want to get married at a loss"
Controversy over calls for "150,000 won wedding gifts"

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

There is growing controversy online as proposals to raise the standard wedding gift from 100,000 won to 150,000 won are spreading, citing rising wedding meal costs. Internet users have criticized this, arguing that it undermines the original purpose of wedding gifts.

Wedding-related images. Pixabay

On June 12, posts discussing the need to increase the amount of money given as wedding gifts are spreading across various social media platforms. User A wrote, "Buffet prices have been steadily rising lately," and argued, "It's time for 150,000 won, not 100,000 won, to become the new standard."

They went on to say, "As someone getting married, it's not easy to cover the remaining costs at 30,000 to 40,000 won per person, and I don't want to get married at a loss," adding, "Maybe I'm saying this because I'm the one getting married. There really isn't much left over." In other words, if one receives 100,000 won as a gift, 60,000 to 70,000 won goes toward the meal, making it difficult to cover other incidental expenses with what remains.

Backlash: "Wedding gifts are not just for meal costs"

However, most internet users have reacted negatively to the atmosphere of pressuring people to give larger wedding gifts. One commenter noted, "A wedding gift is meant as a congratulatory gesture, not to cover meal costs," adding, "If inviting guests is a burden, it's better to choose a small-scale wedding."

Another user also criticized, "It's inappropriate to choose an expensive wedding venue and then pass the costs onto the guests." Other comments included, "A wedding should be held within one's means," "If you think you'll end up in the red, just don't have a wedding," "If you don't want to pay for guests' meals, just get married without inviting anyone," and "You should pay for your own wedding, not make your guests pay for it."

Average Wedding Cost at 21.39 Million Won... Meal Costs Rising

The background to this debate is the continuous increase in wedding expenses. According to the 'Wedding Service Price Survey' released by the Korea Consumer Agency, as of February 2026, the national average wedding cost was 21.39 million won, a 2.3% rise compared to December of the previous year. This figure includes the wedding hall deposit, studio photography, dress, and makeup—the so-called "studio, dress, makeup" package.

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 venues in Seoul's Gangnam district reached 88,000 won, the highest level nationwide.

Wedding Gift Amounts Also Increasing

The amount given as wedding gifts has also been steadily increasing. According to an analysis by NH Nonghyup Bank of 5.33 million money transfer transactions from 1.15 million customers between January 2023 and December 2025, 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, followed by those over 60 at 118,000 won, and those in their 40s and 50s at 107,000 won. By region, the averages were 134,000 won in Seoul, 128,000 won in Busan, 124,000 won in Gwangju, and 119,000 won in Incheon.

Wedding-related image. The Asia Business Daily DB

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

Kakao Pay's '2025 Money Report' also showed that the average wedding gift amount surpassed 100,000 won for the first time. This represents a doubling in about five years, from an average of 50,000 won in 2019.

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