Koreans Who Believe in the 'Blood Type Personality Theory'... "Consider It When Choosing a Partner or Spouse"

6 out of 10 People Say "Blood Type and Personality Are Related"

Six out of ten Koreans believe that blood type is related to personality. Among those who believe in the blood type personality theory, 'Type O' was the most favored, and they also consider blood type when choosing friends of the opposite sex or spouses.

Six out of ten Koreans say, "Blood type and personality are related"

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According to a survey on blood types conducted by Gallup Korea from February 10 to 28 among 1,501 adults aged 19 and older nationwide (excluding Jeju), 57% of Koreans believe in the blood type personality theory.

When asked, "Do you think a person's personality differs according to their blood type?" 52% answered "somewhat yes," and 5% said "yes, there is a difference." Those who responded "not much" accounted for 38%, and 5% said "not at all."

Across most respondent characteristics such as gender, age, occupation, marital status, and education level, slightly more than half consistently believed in the blood type personality theory.

Among the 855 people who believe in the blood type personality theory, when asked which blood type they liked the most, 49% chose 'Type O.' This was followed by ▲Type A (19%) ▲Type B (12%) ▲Type AB (6%), while 14% said they did not have a particular favorite blood type. Previous surveys also showed that about half of those who believe in the blood type personality theory preferred 'Type O.' In a 2012 survey, reasons for liking a specific blood type were also asked, with 'Type O' being favored for reasons such as 'having a harmonious personality,' 'being passionate,' and 'being lively.'

Additionally, among the 855 believers in the blood type personality theory, when asked about considering blood type when dating or choosing a spouse, 36% said "it is good to consider blood type," while 64% said "it does not matter at all." Considering all respondents (1,501 people), including those who do not believe in the theory, about 20% of Korean adults might consider blood type at least once for fun in interpersonal relationships.

Three out of ten are Type A

The most common blood type was Type A. The distribution was ▲Type A (34%) ▲Type O (28%) ▲Type B (26%) ▲Type AB (11%). These results are not significantly different from previous surveys in 2002, 2012, and 2017, as well as the blood type distribution from military service physical examinations in 2016 and 2022 (Type A 35%, Types O and B 27%, Type AB 11%).

In the 2002 survey, 5% of respondents did not know their blood type, but this decreased to 2% in 2012 and less than 1% in both 2017 and 2023 surveys.

Twenty-one years ago, most people who did not know their blood type were elderly, especially among women aged 50 and older, where the rate reached 27%. Among men aged 50 and older, only 2% did not know their blood type. This difference is presumed to stem from men having more formal opportunities to confirm their blood type through military service and employment. However, since the enactment of the National Health Insurance Act in 1999 and the increase in health checkup rates, awareness of blood type among elderly women has also improved.

Older generations emphasize experience... MZ generation has more 'extroverts'

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Regardless of whether they believe in the blood type personality theory, people were asked how they judge their own tendencies and whether self-assessed tendencies differ by blood type.

Using a slightly modified version of the four aspects of the widely known personality type test (MBTI), two statements were presented for each aspect, and respondents chose which one they felt closer to. The results showed that the distribution across all four aspects was largely similar by blood type.

Differences in self-assessed tendencies by blood type were generally minimal and did not exceed the inherent margin of error of the sample survey. However, differences by respondent age were notable in some aspects. Older respondents tended to value actual experience and the present more than ideas or the future (among those aged 60 and older, sensing type 61% vs. intuitive type 34%; among those in their 20s, sensing 46% vs. intuitive 52%). Those who considered themselves introverted or extroverted were evenly split, but among those in their 20s to 40s, extroverts slightly outnumbered introverts, while among those aged 50 and older, introverts slightly outnumbered extroverts, each group hovering in the low 50% range.

Gallup Korea stated, "In academic fields such as psychology and psychiatry, various personal psychological tests and diagnostic tools have been developed and utilized. Although there is now easy access to content for those curious about how they differ from others, we hope that no classification, including blood type, becomes a source of exclusion or conflict."

Blood type follows genetic laws, so while there are characteristic distributions among ethnic groups, there are no differences among social groups within a single country. This survey also found that blood type distribution was generally similar across gender, age, region, and occupation. Furthermore, among 966 married respondents asked about their spouse's blood type, no notable correlation was found in blood type combinations between couples.

This survey was conducted by Gallup Korea through telephone interviews (CAPI) by trained interviewers. The sampling error is ±2.5 percentage points at a 96% confidence level, and the response rate was 26.3%.

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