"Why Disclose My Congratulatory Money?"...Office Workers 'Uncomfortable' as Company Group Chat Reveals List

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A story about discomfort arising from the disclosure of all employees' congratulatory money amounts in a company group chat has recently sparked debate over how to handle congratulatory money among colleagues.

According to a recent post in the online community 'Insider,' someone wrote under the title, "Is it normal for the amounts of congratulatory money to be fully disclosed in the company group chat?"

The author, identified as A, explained, "I experienced something a bit embarrassing at work, so I wanted to share it. Recently, one of our team members had a wedding, and we decided to collect congratulatory money as a group and deliver it together."

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A continued, "Everyone sent their amounts, and the person serving as treasurer organized and delivered the total, but the problem came after that. Suddenly, a list showing who paid how much was posted in the group chat. Both names and amounts were made public."

"At first, I thought I might have misread it, but everyone just acted like it was no big deal," A added. "Honestly, it was uncomfortable because it led to comparisons of how much each person gave, and I felt self-conscious about it."

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They went on, "What’s even more awkward is that you can sense who gave more or less, and it subtly affects the atmosphere. I’m curious whether it’s normal for companies to share the specific amounts of congratulatory money, or if this is crossing a line."

Reactions to this story were divided. Some commenters said, "Transparency in accounting is fundamental. Disclosing the amounts prevents misunderstandings and is efficient," "If it’s money collected together, that’s how it’s usually handled. Since it wasn’t paid individually, the recipient should know who gave what to return the favor," and "Maybe you’re upset because you gave an embarrassingly small amount." On the other hand, others responded, "It’s basic etiquette not to disclose the amounts. Making them public is crossing the line," and "You’re not being overly sensitive at all. It’s just plain rude."

Congratulatory money image. Photo by The Asia Business Daily DB

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Meanwhile, according to the '2025 Money Report' based on a year of remittance data from Kakao Pay, the average amount sent using wedding congratulatory money envelopes has surpassed 100,000 won for the first time. This is double the 50,000 won recorded in 2019, marking a twofold increase in five years. In fact, a survey conducted last year by Incruit targeting 844 office workers showed that 61.8% of respondents selected "100,000 won" as the appropriate amount for congratulatory money.

Comments on online communities also reflect the new norm of higher amounts, with posts like "If you consider the meal cost, 50,000 won is inconsiderate," and "If you’re not close, it’s better not to attend at all out of respect for each other."

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