"Gyulsonghamnida": '49-Person' Limit Turns Engaged Couples Into 'Wrongdoers'... Wedding Hall Disputes Continue

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With the social distancing level raised to stage 4, the number of attendees allowed at wedding halls is limited to 49, causing deep sighs among engaged couples. Photo unrelated to specific expressions in the article.

[Asia Economy, Reporter Heo Midam] # Bride-to-be Ms. Kim (30) is expressing her frustration ahead of her wedding next month. Due to the Level 4 social distancing measures in the Seoul metropolitan area, the number of attendees at wedding halls is limited to 49, making it impossible for her to invite some acquaintances. Kim said, "I already postponed my wedding once, but the situation has only gotten worse, so I decided to go ahead with it. Since this is a once-in-a-lifetime event, I wanted to have my wedding surrounded by the blessings of my friends and family. However, due to the restrictions on the number of guests at the wedding hall, I couldn't invite everyone I wanted, which was disappointing for me and made me feel sorry for my friends as well."

With the government deciding to extend Level 4 social distancing in the Seoul metropolitan area for another two weeks, engaged couples awaiting their weddings are becoming increasingly anxious. Under the Level 4 measures, only a total of 49 guests from both families are allowed to attend wedding halls, which many criticize as excessive.

In particular, there is criticism that it is unfair to strictly limit the number of guests only at wedding halls while allowing up to 99 people at religious facilities. Amid these circumstances, a new self-deprecating term, "Gyulsonghamnida" (meaning "Sorry for getting married"), has emerged, reflecting the reality that couples cannot actively invite acquaintances to their weddings even as they announce their marriage.

On August 20, the government announced that Level 4 social distancing in the Seoul metropolitan area would be extended for another two weeks until September 5. Under the current Level 4 rules, up to 49 people can attend a wedding, regardless of family relationship. In addition, tables must be spaced 1 meter apart or divided by partitions.

Engaged couples are voicing their frustration over the continued extension of Level 4 social distancing. One user scheduled to get married next month wrote in a wedding community, "I'm making the guest list, but 49 people is just too few. I can't help but think it's unreasonable. How hurt must those acquaintances feel who didn't receive an invitation? My parents just want to go ahead with the wedding, but my fianc? and I are simply left disappointed."

Photo by Blue House National Petition Board screen capture.

Among engaged couples, a new term has even emerged: "Gyulsonghamnida," meaning "Sorry for getting married." This neologism was coined among couples who have had to postpone their weddings or are unable to invite anyone other than close family due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.

Related petitions have also been posted one after another on the Blue House National Petition Board. In a petition posted on August 12 titled "Do you know the term 'Gyulsonghamnida'?", the petitioner lamented, "Although we've been preparing for our wedding for over a year, getting married during the COVID-19 era is not only uncelebrated but is even seen as selfish by some, leading to the creation of the term 'Gyulsonghamnida.' As someone about to get married, it's a sad reality that such a term even exists."

The petitioner continued, "Just as religious facilities vary in size, so do wedding venues. If religious facilities are allowed up to 99 people based on fairness regarding venue size, then the same standard should be applied to wedding venues as well."

The petitioner also emphasized, "Engaged couples are even being forced to shoulder unfair cancellation fees. I hope realistic measures will be put in place to address disputes related to weddings."

Meanwhile, complaints related to wedding venues from engaged couples are surging. According to the Korea Consumer Agency, the number of consumer consultations related to wedding services exceeded 540 cases in July alone, when Level 4 social distancing began, showing a sharp increase.

Previously, the Fair Trade Commission (FTC) established new standards for reducing cancellation fees last year and revised the consumer dispute resolution standards accordingly. However, there is criticism that these standards are only "recommendations" and lack effectiveness.

According to the FTC's standard contract terms, in the wedding industry, if only 49 family members are allowed to attend, couples can change their contract terms-such as postponing the wedding date or adjusting the minimum guaranteed number of guests-without penalty. If the wedding is canceled entirely, the cancellation fee is reduced by 40%. However, since the FTC cannot force companies to provide refunds, confusion continues at the ground level.

Members of the National Newlywed Couples Association held a non-face-to-face protest using vehicles in front of Seoul City Hall on the morning of the 19th, demanding the revision of "unreasonable wedding guidelines" related to COVID-19 prevention measures. [Image source=Yonhap News]

As a result, some are calling for the complete relaxation of restrictions on the number of guests at wedding halls. Under the current Level 4 social distancing, only 49 people can enter wedding halls, while up to 2,000 people are allowed at concert venues and entry to supermarkets and department stores is virtually unlimited, leading to criticism that the standards are unclear.

In particular, the National Newlywed Couples Association, composed of engaged and newly married couples, held a protest using trucks equipped with electronic billboards in front of Gwanghwamun in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 19th, criticizing the government's wedding quarantine guidelines.

They displayed messages on the truck billboards such as "49 guests, 300 minimum guarantee. Hundreds of thousands of won in cancellation fees are the burden of engaged couples," and "Same area, different facilities are crowded. Revise unreasonable regulations."

The association stated, "We hope that wedding halls, like other facilities, will be regulated fairly, taking into account size, area, and separate spaces. Please establish detailed guidelines that ensure fairness, rather than uniformly limiting the number of attendees to 49 without exception."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.