Couple culture in Korea, from matching outfits to relationship holidays

From identical outfits to more than a handful of love-focused holidays, here’s how Korean couples express love through daily life

In South Korea, romance isn’t just about private displays of affection—it’s woven into the fabric of everyday life, with couples embracing a distinctive approach to dating and relationships. From coordinated fashion choices to specially designated holidays, Korean couple culture has become a significant aspect of modern social life, influencing young people across the world.

While some might view certain aspects of Korean couple culture, which is prevalent in K-dramas, as excessive, it represents a celebration of romantic relationships and provides structure and meaning to modern dating practices. It’s an archetype of how technology, tradition, and romance can coexist and thrive together.

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1. Matching outfits: More than just clothing

One of the most visible aspects of Korean couple culture is the prevalence of matching outfits, known as “커플룩” (keopluk), which means “couple look”. This public declaration of love is when partners wear identical or complementary clothing, ranging from subtle matching accessories to fully coordinated ensembles.

Popular choices include:

• Identical T-shirts with complementary designs
• Matching trainers or shoes
• Coordinated winter coats and jackets
• Similar accessories like watches or phone cases
• Couple keychains
• Identical passport holders or travel accessories

This practice gained momentum in the early 2000s and continues to evolve, with many Korean fashion brands now offering dedicated couple collections. Unlike in many Western countries, where matching outfits might seem over the top, in Korea, it’s a celebrated way for couples to express their connection.

2. Relationship milestones and celebrations

Korean couples observe numerous relationship-centred celebrations throughout the year. These special days occur monthly during the first 100 days of dating, highlighting the importance Koreans place on marking relationship milestones with key dating anniversaries:

• 100 Days (백일): The first major milestone
• 200 Days (이백일)
• 300 Days (삼백일)
• 500 Days (오백일)

The 100-day anniversary holds particular significance, often celebrated by exchanging gifts such as personalised items, cute couple accessories, or handwritten letters. They would also treat themselves to a special meal or take commemorative photos to document the occasion on social media.

Follow-up key anniversaries are usually celebrated with more significant or thoughtful gifts, such as jewelry, a special weekend getaway, luxurious meals, or even a trip together.

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3. Love-focused holidays

Beyond celebrations like Valentine’s Day, which is celebrated slightly differently in Korea, there are additional romance-focused holidays established throughout the year:

• January 14, Diary Day: Couples exchange diaries or planners
• February 14, Valentine’s Day: Women typically give chocolates to men
• March 14, White Day: Men reciprocate with gifts to women
• April 14, Black Day: A day for singles to commiserate over black bean noodles
• May 14, Rose Day: Partners exchange roses
• June 14, Kiss Day: Celebrating affection through kisses
• July 14, Silver Day: Couples exchange silver accessories
• September 14, Photo Day: Taking and sharing couple photographs
• October 14, Wine Day: Sharing a bottle of wine together
• November 11, Pepero Day: Exchanging Pepero stick biscuits
• December 14, Hug Day: Celebrating physical affection

On Valentine’s Day in Korea, rather than celebrating it like a catch-all holiday with the rest of the world, women are expected to give chocolates to men as a sign of affection–a tradition that originated in Japan in the 1900s. On White Day, which falls on March 14, men will reciprocate with gifts in return.

4.  Couple apps and technology

Korean couples often use specialised apps to document their relationship. Developed by South Korean startup VCNC, Between is perhaps the most popular “couple manager app”. It functions like a social media platform specifically designed for couples, allowing them to share photos and messages and manage important dates within a dedicated, private space.

Another app called The Couple (Days in Love) allows couples to store anniversaries, date diaries, and each other’s birthdays. It even comes with an automatically calculated anniversary feature (100 Days, 200 Days, and first and second anniversaries). Couples can also document their love story by uploading photos and videos to create a shared timeline of their relationship and writing short stories or captions to accompany their photos.

Aside from apps, many Korean couples maintain couple accounts on Instagram, shared YouTube channels, or joint blogs documenting their relationship.

5.  Popular date spots and activities

Finally, Korean couples have also developed distinct dating traditions–because they love having experiences together–and favourite locations such as cafes with “couple seats” (side-by-side seating arrangements), Hangang (Han River) parks for a picnic, Namsan Tower for attaching love locks, and taking couple photos at photosticker booths at vibrant districts like Hongdae or Gangnam.

Other common dating activities that will turn the relationship into a storybook romance include getting creative by making handmade gifts for anniversaries or matching couple items, visiting a theme park or the zoo, or taking the romantic and scenic route by hiking up a mountain.