What are Korean colors?
John Castro
Published Jan 21, 2026
The traditional Korean color spectrum, also known as Obangsaek (오방색, means five-orientation-color), is the color scheme of the five Korean traditional colors of white, black, blue, yellow and red.
What are some Korean colors?
All the Colors in Korean: Basic Korean Colors 101
- Red in Korean is 빨간색 (ppalkansaek)
- Orange in Korean is 주황색 (juhwangsaek)
- Yellow in Korean is 노란색 (noransaek)
- Green in Korean is 초록색 (choroksaek)
- Blue in Korean is 파란색 (paransaek)
- Purple in Korean is 보라색 (bolasaek)
What is a lucky color in Korea?
Currently, the color green symbolizes prosperity, a fresh start and auspicious beginnings. Many Korean storefronts are green to draw prosperity and success to the business.What is Korea's main color?
Till date, Koreans are known to prefer wearing white clothes, and have done so for thousands of years to the extent that it has earned them the moniker of 'white-clad Koreans'. To ancient Koreans, the color white represented the starting point, the origin, and the very foundation of humanity.What is the famous color in Korea?
Korean, Russian, Rumanian, Chinese and Japanese all have white on the top. In the second rank, Chinese has yellow unlike other languages because yellow had been regarded as the emperor's noble color or color of gold. Yellow color is also used as gold in flags of Ghana, Venezuela and Colombia.한국어 Learn Korean | Korean Words & Phrases: Color
What color is unlucky in Korea?
This is traditionally taboo because the color red to Koreans used to symbolize death. The belief was that if a person's name was written in red, death or bad luck would come soon.What does purple mean in Korea?
Korean. Wealth, Spiritual Awareness. Purple symbolizes wealth and spiritual awareness. It is utilized in physical and spiritual and mental healing as well.Is red lucky in Korea?
Red in Korea is, unlike China, not a lucky color but the color of passion, and borders on social impropriety.What does black mean in Korea?
1-2 검정National Folk Museum of Korea. 1-2. Black. Black has been associated with negative meanings such as night, death, darkness, etc.Does red mean death in Korean?
Another deadly Korean superstition is writing a living person's name in red ink. Traditional Korean culture uses red to write the names of the dead and doing the opposite (writing the names of the living) is a big no-no and considered very unlucky and potentially life threatening.What does red hair symbolize in Korea?
But perhaps the answer lies in the significance of the color red in Korean culture. According to the National Folk Museum of Korea, “For a long time, the color red has been believed to have shamanistic power for warding off evil spirits or bad luck.What is the purple box of BTS?
The time capsule, which contains “musical achievements and messages from BTS members,” is set to be open on the 20th Youth Day celebration in 2039, reported Korea Joong Ang Daily. The capsule is in the form of a purple box that is about 40 centimeters (15.75 inches) long, 30 cm (11.80 in) wide and 26 cm (10 in) high.What does yellow mean in Korea?
Traditionally, blue symbolises creativity, immortality and hope; white symbolises chastity, truth, innocence and death; red symbolises the sun, fire, production, creation, passion and love; black symbolises existence; yellow symbolises light and essence of vitality [25].What is green in Korea?
Green in Korean is 초록색 (choroksaek)Is it rude to write in red in Korea?
Writing names in red ink is a death threatTherefore, writing someone's name in red ink meant they had either passed away, or, if they were still living, you were wishing harm or death upon them. While this is no longer the case, many Koreans still consider it very rude to write someone's name in red ink.
What does 4 mean in Korea?
Examples of Korean superstitionsThe number 4 is a symbol of bad luck. In elevators, the letter F indicates the fourth floor instead of the number 4.