Jennie and Song Hye-kyo’s ‘Black Guest Look’ Sparks Viral Reactions as Foreigners Question Korean Wedding Culture

“Korean wedding culture is really bizarre. Everyone looks like they’re going to work (crying emoji).”

This is a recent post by a foreign netizen on the social media platform X. As of November 23, the post has been viewed more than 2.73 million times. The reaction was triggered by the outfit worn by BLACKPINK Jennie, who attended a wedding in Seoul at the end of last month. At the event, Jennie wore a black short-sleeve knit top and black pants.

The wedding was also attended by actresses Song Hye-kyo and Kim Go-eun, among others. According to photos posted online, they all adopted a “black fashion” theme. Some overseas netizens responded with comments like, “If I wore something like this to a wedding in my country, I’d be kicked out immediately,””It looks like a funeral,” and “I would never think this was a wedding.”

However, there is also considerable opposition to these reactions. Korean netizens have argued that the attire was meant to respect the bride, who wore a white wedding dress. In Korea, it is not unusual for wedding guests to wear dark, muted colors or understated attire.

Reflecting this debate, a celebrity recently became embroiled in controversy for wearing bright clothes at a wedding. Actress Lee Yoo-bi was criticized for wearing a pink top and bottom to the wedding of her sister, actress Lee Da-in, and singer Lee Seung-gi last April.

Lee Yoo-bi explained on the SBS variety show “Strong Heart VS” in March, “I really wanted to talk about it. The groom’s side wanted blue, and the bride’s side wanted pink, so my sister bought the outfit for me.” She was surprised by the articles accusing her of trying to embarrass her sister by wearing the bright outfit, explaining that she didn’t intend to overshadow the bride.

This kind of incident, where wearing bright colors at a wedding is seen as inappropriate, has sparked discussions on online communities, with comments such as, “If everyone wore only black, the atmosphere would be too gloomy,” and “Can’t they just avoid wearing white?” One netizen also suggested, “The reason guests started wearing all black is probably because people on the internet criticized bright-colored outfits so much that they began to conform.”

Source: Daum