POV: You're in a Korean classroom, totally focused on your notes, and your friend grabs a bright red pen to write someone's name on a paper... ๐ฑ My heart literally DROPS. I have to stop them IMMEDIATELY!
Red Ink + Names = Big NO-NO in Korea!
Because bestie, in Korea, writing names in red ink is a HUGE no-no. Like, a super big deal! It's one of those things that lowkey gives everyone the shivers. So, why is it such a taboo? Well, it's all about a really old, kinda spooky superstition.
Historically, red ink was used to write the names of the deceased on burial registers or ancestral tablets (์ ์ฌ์ โ jesasang, ancestral ritual table). It's associated with finality, literally signifying someone has passed away. No cap, it's pretty serious! So if you write a living person's name in red, it's like... wishing bad luck or even death upon them. Yikes! That's why even today, most Koreans will avoid it like the plague when it comes to people's names. My ํ ๋จธ๋ (halmeoni, grandmother) would literally faint if she saw me do it!
It's not just an old folk tale, fr fr. Many Koreans still strongly believe this, even us youngins! Of course, red pens are totally fine for grading papers, marking mistakes, or just adding a cute heart โค๏ธ to your diary. It's ONLY when you're writing someone's name that it hits different. So, next time you're in Korea or interacting with Korean friends, remember this little tip! It's a subtle but important piece of ์ฐ๋ฆฌ์ ๋ฌธํ (uri-ui munhwa, our culture) that shows respect. You don't want to accidentally give someone the heebie-jeebies, right?
โจ Fun Fact / ๐ก Pro Tip!
While it's considered super unlucky to write a living person's name in red, some very old traditions *did* use red ink for the names of deities or powerful protective charms because red was also seen as a color of power and warding off evil spirits! But for everyday names? Blue or black is your bestie. Stick to those colors unless you want to lowkey freak someone out! ๐