▲ Online group chats established for wedding guest poomasi
"I am getting married in Wangsimni, Seoul, on the 28th. Looking for people to fill the empty seats."
This was a recent post uploaded to a KakaoTalk open chatroom recruiting participants for wedding guest poomasi.
A trend known as "guest poomasi"—where soon-to-be-married couples who worry about having a shortage of acquaintances to invite to their ceremonies act as guests for each other—is spreading primarily online.
Today (the 10th), posts gathering people for guest poomasi are flooding KakaoTalk open chatrooms and online wedding preparation communities.
In open chatrooms with hundreds of members, users share wedding schedules, locations, and headcounts before confirming attendance through individual contact.
Detailed rules, such as whether meals will be served or the dress code, are also thoroughly discussed and agreed upon in advance.
The methods of operation vary.
They range from a small number of engaged couples pairing up to visit each other's wedding ceremonies to forming one-time groups through online communities to gather the required headcount.
Among these, the practice of taking turns attending each other's weddings to fill seats is called "mat-pum" (mutual poomasi) among participants.
Poomasi participants visit wedding halls like regular guests, offer sincere congratulations, and even join in group photo shoots.
Depending on the need, specific relationships such as friends, coworkers, or relatives are established in advance to add a sense of naturalness.
The reasons why these individuals seek poomasi also vary.
Typical cases include having family overseas and few domestic connections, or holding a wedding at an older age, making it cautious to invite acquaintances.
The reality that social relationships have scattered due to job changes or relocations, making it difficult to mobilize a large scale of guests, also plays a part.
The biggest distinguishing feature is the nature of "mutual aid."
Unlike traditional "paid guest agency part-time jobs" where people are hired with daily wages, there is a strong emotional bond because individuals in similar situations fulfill each other's needs without financial compensation.
Kim, a 34-year-old who participated in poomasi twice last year, said, "I started poomasi because I didn't have many friends to invite as guests," adding, "It was great to be able to give and receive help with people facing similar concerns."
Realistic thresholds such as rising wedding costs and mandatory minimum guarantees by wedding venues are the main background driving poomasi demand.
According to "Price Information," a price information portal operated by the Korea Consumer Agency, the median minimum guaranteed headcount for wedding venues nationwide stood at 200 people as of July.
The minimum guaranteed headcount is the minimum number of people for which the bride and groom must pay meal costs regardless of the actual number of guests who visit the venue.
The burden of meal prices and venue rental fees is also formidable.
In the same survey, the median meal price per person at wedding venues reached 60,000 KRW nationwide and 80,000 KRW in Seoul.
The median venue rental fee also amounted to 3.5 million KRW nationwide and 6.3 million KRW in Seoul.
When the number of guests who can be invited decreases while failing to meet the minimum guaranteed headcount of the venue, it directly leads to financial loss.
Because mutual attendance is the principle for most and separate remuneration or congratulatory money is not exchanged, wedding guest poomasi is evaluated as a realistic self-救 measure to alleviate the pressure of soaring meal prices and guaranteed headcounts.
However, internal regulations have also emerged to prevent "no-shows," where people fail to appear on the day.
Some gatherings maintain trust by requiring participants to deposit a small security fund in advance or immediately expelling unexcused absentees from the community.
Soojin, a 33-year-old who sought poomasi partners through a community, said, "I was worried that the bride's side would look too empty when taking group photos," and added, "Since brides-to-be in similar situations gathered together, an atmosphere of cheering each other on was formed, and it was more satisfying with less burden than hiring part-time workers."
Experts point out that the phenomenon of spreading wedding guest poomasi is a new social custom forged as the growing burden of wedding costs aligns with the younger generation's way of forming relationships based on necessity.
Lee Eun-hee, professor emeritus of consumer science at Inha University, explained, "When preparing for a wedding, the process of inviting guests is followed by additional expenses such as hosting wedding invitation gatherings or treating people to food," adding, "Wedding guest poomasi is a practical way to reduce such cost burdens by exchanging attendance rather than paying separate compensation."
Lee Su-jin, a research fellow at the Trend Korea Consumer Trend Analysis Center, analyzed, "In the younger generation's recent relationship-building, it is important that the purpose of the relationship and what is exchanged between each other are clear," and noted, "Wedding guest poomasi is also a form of changed relationship-building in that 'equivalency,' where necessary help is given and received at a similar level, is guaranteed."
(Photo: Capture from Carrot and KakaoTalk open chatrooms, Yonhap News)
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