Korean Fortune Telling: Saju, Gunghap and Where a Chart Fits
korean fortune telling · Education
Korean fortune telling is not one practice. It is an umbrella for several traditions that sit side by side in Korean life: birth-chart readings called saju, compatibility checks called gunghap, new-year readings, face reading, spirit readings with a shaman, and the tarot and saju cafés that many visitors meet first. Some of these start from your birth data; some do not. This guide sorts them out, so you know which door you are opening.
The chart-based door (free, no account): run the PillarAtlas Saju calculator and see the four pillars that saju readings are built on.
The main kinds, at a glance
| Practice | Korean | What it starts from | On PillarAtlas |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saju (four pillars) | 사주 | Birth date and, if known, birth time | Free chart available now |
| Gunghap (compatibility) | 궁합 | Two people's birth charts | Not available yet |
| New-year reading | 토정비결 and similar | Birth data plus the coming year | Not offered |
| Face reading | 관상 | A person's face | Not offered |
| Spirit reading | 신점 | A shaman's consultation | Not offered |
| Tarot | 타로 | Cards drawn in the session | Not offered |
The first three rows belong to the calendar-based family. The rest work from something other than a birth chart, so a chart tool cannot stand in for them, and they cannot stand in for a chart.
Saju: the birth-chart tradition
Saju (사주) means "four pillars". Your birth year, month, day and hour each become a pair of symbols, a Heavenly Stem over an Earthly Branch, giving eight characters in all. The same chart family is called BaZi in Chinese. A saju reader interprets those eight characters; the chart itself is a calendar calculation, and the same birth data always gives the same chart under the same rules.
Saju readings are often called saju-palja (사주팔자, "four pillars, eight characters") in everyday Korean. If you are completely new to the idea, What Is Saju?, our beginner's introduction, is the place to start. If you already have a chart and want to know what a reader actually does with it, see Saju Reading: What Your Four-Pillar Chart Can (and Can't) Tell You.
Before birth-chart apps, people looked up their pillars in a printed perpetual calendar, the manseryeok (만세력). An online saju calculator does the same lookup for you.
Gunghap: compatibility between two charts
Gunghap (궁합) compares two people's charts. In Korea it is traditionally associated with couples and marriage, and today it shows up in apps and casual conversations as much as in formal consultations. A gunghap reading needs both people's birth data, and it should only be done with the other person's consent.
Two-person compatibility readings are not available on PillarAtlas yet. When they are, we will say so on this page rather than point you to something that does not exist. In the meantime, you can still learn what your own chart contains, which is the starting point for any compatibility reading.
New-year readings
Around the Lunar New Year, many people look at a reading for the year ahead. The best-known traditional form is Tojeong Bigyeol (토정비결), a fortune book associated with the Joseon-era scholar Yi Ji-ham, which pairs your birth data with the coming year. Modern sites run many variations of this idea. If you want to know which zodiac animal (tti) your chart uses for your birth year, see Korean Zodiac Animals and Saju: Why Your Chart Year Can Differ.
PillarAtlas does not offer a yearly reading. Your free chart shows the structure that does not change from year to year.
Face reading, spirit readings and tarot
- Gwansang (관상), face reading, interprets facial features. It needs no birth data.
- Sinjeom (신점) is a consultation with a shaman (무당, mudang), who gives guidance through spiritual practice rather than a chart.
- Tarot and saju cafés are a common sight in busy shopping and student districts, and are where many visitors first try Korean fortune telling. In a saju café, the reader usually asks for your birth date and time and works from a chart; in a tarot session the cards drive the reading.
These traditions are part of the same cultural landscape, but they answer different questions in different ways. It is worth knowing which one you are looking at before comparing results.
How to tell which kind you are getting
Ask one question: what does it start from?
- If it asks for your birth date and time, it is in the saju family. You should be able to see the four pillars it used.
- If it asks for two people's birth data, it is gunghap. Check that both charts are shown.
- If it asks for nothing from your birth data, it is something else: a face reading, cards, or a spiritual consultation.
A site that asks for your birthday and then shows a paragraph with no chart has skipped the part that makes saju what it is. On PillarAtlas, the chart always comes first.
Before you enter birth data anywhere
- Use only data you are allowed to use: your own, or a made-up date.
- If you do not know your birth time, say so. Saju Birth Time: What the Hour Pillar Needs explains what you keep and what you lose.
- Check how the site handles your data. The PillarAtlas calculator keeps birth details in the page and clears them when you leave; see our Privacy Policy.
- Know what is free. On PillarAtlas the four-pillar chart is free, and purchases are not open yet, so no card is ever charged. Free Saju Reading: What You Get Without Paying has the details.
Start with your own chart
If you came here because you heard about Korean fortune telling and want to try the chart-based kind, the first step is simple: generate your four pillars, find your Day Master with How to Find Your Day Master, and read the labels before you read any story about them.
CTA: Get your free chart with the Saju calculator
Entertainment-only disclaimer
PillarAtlas charts and guides are for learning and entertainment. They are not medical, psychological, financial, relationship or legal advice, and no outcome is guaranteed.