Fortune telling still sways Korean marriage decisions, survey shows

Nearly four in 10 South Korean adults say an unfavorable saju — a traditional birth-date compatibility reading — is a valid reason to call off a marriage, a 2026 Gallup Korea survey of 1,507 adults found, a share virtually unchanged from four decades ago.

The findings, reported by the Korea Times, show that traditional fortune-telling practices retain deep cultural staying power in modern Korean life — a dynamic that also resonates in Korean-American communities in Orange County, where elders continue to consult fortune tellers for major family decisions including marriage.

A recent case highlighted by the Korea Times illustrates the stakes: a woman's engagement fell apart after her would-be mother-in-law consulted a fortune teller, who declared that "their fortunes showed they could neither live together nor marry." The breakup came even after both families had formally met and wedding preparations were underway. The case spread widely online, where many commenters reacted with disbelief, asking, "In the era of artificial intelligence, people still break off marriages over fortune telling?"

The 2026 Gallup Korea survey found that 59 percent of respondents said it was acceptable to marry despite an unfavorable reading, while 39 percent said such a reading was grounds not to proceed, according to the Korea Times.

The data reveal sharp divides along gender and generational lines. Women were more likely than men to say a bad saju reading justified ending an engagement — 47 percent versus 30 percent. The gap is equally stark by age: 49 percent of respondents 60 and older agreed that unfavorable readings justify not marrying, compared with only 22 percent of those in their 20s.

Belief in fortune telling overall — covering saju, face reading and related practices — stands at 40 percent nationally, unchanged from a 1991 Gallup survey, the Korea Times reported. Women (50 percent) believe at more than twice the rate of men (20 percent). Among those who have paid for readings, 71 percent said they relied on the advice in major decisions, and 59 percent said predictions matched what actually happened.

The historical consistency of these numbers is striking. Gallup Korea recorded 38 percent opposition to marriage based on unfavorable saju readings in 1983 and 34 percent in 2004 — suggesting that decades of modernization have done little to erode the practice.

Some saju-based breakup disputes have escalated beyond family arguments. The Korea Times reported that jilted parties in such cases have taken their grievances to Korean courts, filing lawsuits for damages over canceled engagements.