Valentine's Day Traditions in South Korea
- Jayven Frye
- 27 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Valentine's Day is a holiday celebrated worldwide. However, with each unique culture, there is a unique way the holiday is celebrated. One of the most fascinating things to learn about is how it is celebrated in South Korea.
Overview
In South Korea, their traditional rituals are very structured, with specific roles assigned to each gender. Korea's Valentine's Day does not just end on February 14th; instead, it consists of three days: February 14th (Valentine's Day), March 14th (White Day), and April 14th (Black Day). These three days are the most well-known, and each of the three days has a specific purpose. Other lesser-known days occur on the 14th of different months; however, they are much less popular. The other lesser known holidays are January 14th (Diary Day), May 14th (Rose Day), June 14th (Kiss Day), July 14th (Silver Day), August 14th (Green Day), September 14th (Photo Day), October 14th (Wine Day), November 14th (Movie Day), and December 14th (Hug Day).
Valentines Day
February 14th is known to be the day when women give treats to men, such as chocolates, candies, or small gifts. With these chocolates, there are two main kinds: Honmei-choco and Giri-choco. Honmei-choco is given to partners, and is often specially packaged, high-end
chocolates; some women even attend chocolate-making classes. Meanwhile, Giri-choco is given to males out of politeness, rather than affection, and is store-bought.
White Day
March 14th is when men are known to return the favor and give gifts to women that are worth more in value and often consist of flowers, jewelry, perfume, or scarves. If a gift is returned that appears to be of lesser value, it is often interpreted as a sign of disinterest.
Black Day
April 14th is a day for single people to eat Jajangmyeon (Black bean noodles), symbolizing singleness in a lighthearted way, often with other single friends. These days create a sense
of reciprocation and anticipation, and major sales occur around these days as they are heavily promoted. Couples more often than not plan their early-year relationship around these dates.
How the Tradition Began
These traditions began around the 1980s when American consumerism began influencing Japanese pop culture. This idea was already popular with women giving chocolates on February 14th and men giving things back on March 14th, but these only became more well-known after American influence. By the 1990s, the idea was even more solid. Major Korean cities such as Seoul gained a firm idea of the holiday, and it was becoming even more widespread. Through advertising, it spread nationwide via K-Dramas and recognition by celebrities. However, older generations view these holidays as overly commercialized and prefer traditional ways of expressing affection; thus, these holidays are more popular with younger Koreans. In recent years, Gen-Z has also been part of the movement of rejecting these days by stating how love should be celebrated all year, instead of focusing on gift-giving rules.
Economy Profits
South Korea profits the most from these dates, and according to the Korea Consumer Agency, “annual spending on these two days exceeds $1 billion USD collectively”. On Valentine's Day, the most popular items are chocolates, macaroons, and truffles. These items are around $10 a piece and are targeted towards women looking to buy for men. White day more likely than not leads to the purchase of white chocolates, teddy bears, watches, and skincare. These items are more expensive than Valentines day gifts, and typically cost around $140 total. Black Day’s best-selling items consist of Jjajangmyeon and other black colored food, which are mainly sold to singles and young adults. Despite criticism of commercialization, these days remain a strong tradition. Changing views in relationships and gender roles may result in changes in the future as this holiday continues.
Works Cited
KORELIMITED. “How Koreans Celebrate Valentine’s Day.” KORELIMITED, 9 Feb. 2022, korelimited.com/blogs/korelimited/how-koreans-celebrate-valentines-day?srsltid=AfmBOoqLUMofq0Xg0P2qmreLxzD_sjNnRZApe_-yX9NuatYotmCzs6uZ. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.
“Valentine’s Day in Korea.” Asia Society, 2014, asiasociety.org/korea/valentine%E2%80%99s-day-korea.
Zhang, Zoe. “Do Koreans Celebrate Valentine’s Day? Yes, and Here’s How.” Alibaba.com, 24 Jan. 2026, party.alibaba.com/valentine/do-koreans-celebrate-valentines-day#heading-9. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.
