'Recently the entertainment industry has been buzzing over a "congratulatory money relay." From Kim Jong-kook, the Kim Jun-ho and Kim Ji-min couple, YouTuber KwakTube, to actor Jung Jun-ho, stories from their weddings have been repeatedly revealed, and the "generous congratulatory money" is drawing renewed attention. But on the other hand, reactions saying "now it's too unrealistic" have continued.
Earlier on SBS variety show 'Running Man', Kim Jong-kook's wedding aftermath was revealed. When members Choi Daniel and Yang Se-chan talked about having given an unexpected "large amount of congratulatory money," Kim Jong-kook laughed and said, "You gave so much I asked, 'Are you crazy?'" Jun Hyuk Yoo also said, "I was emcee and I gave a lot too," conveying the members' loyalty and warm atmosphere. Later on "My Little Old Boy," Cha Tae-hyun mentioned Kim Jong-kook's congratulatory money ranking and jokingly said, "He was fourth even 20 years ago." Kim Jun-ho marveled, "He did it generously," and Kim Jong-min teased, "He knew he'd get it back." It was a scene where congratulatory money was consumed like a "unit of friendship."
The same applied to the Kim Jun-ho and Kim Ji-min couple. The "congratulatory money hierarchy" was a topic even at their wedding. The two even revealed it through their YouTube channel. Kim Ji-min said, "The top giver was a non-celebrity friend," and "Jeong_E and my sister made our home dress room themselves. It was almost 10 million won worth." Kim Jun-ho added, "That's right. He was really generous," which became a topic.
Actor Jung Jun-ho recently appeared on 'Solo Parenting Tour' and once again surprised people by revealing an anecdote from his wedding. He said, "Only from the budget count, 2,500 guests came. Even a prince of Dubai came," and "I thought it would amount to the price of an apartment in Gangnam (about 400–500 million won at the time), but actually 100 million won came in," which astonished everyone.
The recent case of YouTuber KwakTube, who recently married, cannot be left out. A lavish wedding where Jun Hyun-moo was the master of ceremonies and Davichi sang the congratulatory song. KwakTube said, "The person who gave the most was my close friend Gil Yi (Jang Hyun-gil)," and added, "I was surprised while counting the congratulatory money — an unimaginable amount," drawing attention.
As stories of "hundreds of millions won in congratulatory money" from the entertainment industry poured out, netizen reactions have been sharply divided. Some expressed amazement with comments like, "One Dubai prince = 100 million won? Incredible," "It's really their own league," and "The scale is different," while critical views such as "Is congratulatory money a brag now?", "A distant world for ordinary people," and "The amount overshadows the sentiment" were not few.
In fact, such congratulatory money culture itself is rare abroad. Indian-born broadcaster Lucky recently appeared on 'Save Me, Holmes' and said, "In India, you just dress nicely for someone's wedding and get a free meal. There is no congratulatory money," and found Korea's scene astonishing. Kim Sook laughed and said, "How about doing it the Indian way in Korea?" and Park Na-rae added, "Let's not accept congratulatory money." Korean-Japanese celebrity Choo Sung Hoon also said, "In Japan, congratulatory money is definitely 300,000 won. Whether you're close or not, it's a set etiquette," conveying cultural differences.
Meanwhile, singer DinDin recently confirmed the viral remark "celebrities have no monetary value." In response to a fan's question on his YouTube channel asking what an appropriate amount of congratulatory money is, he commented on celebrity contributions, saying, "Who gives 10 million won? I give 300,000 won, and 500,000 won if we're close," expressing his view, which some found rather realistic.
But in the broadcasting world, "wedding = publicizing congratulatory money rankings" is still solidifying like a national rule. It seems to encourage the reality where the amount of congratulatory money is consumed as if it were the "size of friendship." Netizens said, "Really, the size of the heart is more important than the money," and offered bitter reactions such as, "Hundreds of millions wedding, hundreds of millions congratulatory money… it feels like a world they alone live in." They added a variety of responses: "It feels more like a festival of capital than a wedding," "I can't understand broadcasts that make the amount of congratulatory money look like proof of friendship," "It's a problem that they create momentum by revealing unrealistic congratulatory money," and "The remark that money has no value resonates most."
[Photo] OSEN DB, SNS, broadcast screen capture
[OSEN]