Of all the colors available, there is one color which you should absolutely avoid when writing someone’s name in Korea – RED. This is especially true among the older generation and there are many theories surrounding this.
For a long time, the color red has been believed to have shamanistic power for warding off evil spirits or bad luck.
The first theory is that RED is symbolic of death, as it is the same color as BLOOD.
Since the color red is used to write the deceased name is ultimately goes along with death. Also, the color red signifies blood and generally when their is blood it’s a sign of pain or death. If you were to write the name of a living person in red ink it is said to have a reverse affect meaning that person will die.
Red pen ink is also less color-fast. Its dyes rapidly fade over time so it is not suitable for archival use. For these and other reasons it is regarded as inappropriate to use in business and legal contexts. (In those settings pen ink is used mainly in signatures.
And using red ink to sign something is a cultural taboo, since in some countries, especially Korea, red ink indicates death. Such cultural nuances abound throughout Asia. Some Asian business people are highly superstitious about certain numbers. The number 4 is considered unlucky in Japan, China and Korea.
“Writing one’s name in red ink means death in Chinese and Korean superstition. The use of red writing is meant to ward off evil spirits as one passes on. Since the color red is used to write the deceased name it ultimately goes along with death”, he elaborated.
The second theory is rooted in Korean history. That is, when Grand Prince Suyang, the second son of King Sejong the Great of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1897), was plotting a coup, he used RED ink to make a hit list of enemies on the opposing side.
The third theory claims that during the Korean War, RED ink was used to strike out the name of a dead civilian or soldiers killed in action. Whatever the case is, it is clear that RED is associated with unlucky, ominous events such as death, so it is something to look out for especially if your favorite color is RED.
Red ink is the color most used with a 도장 (dojang, name chop). But when writing with ink, one should never write someone’s name in red since the color is associated with death and red ink is used to record a deceased person’s name in the family register.
Colors of obangsaek and ogansaek are used to make saekdong, which is believed to drive away bad luck and bring good fortune. A lot of Korean foods make use of the colors as well.
