“We’re Returning Your Wedding Gift Money” ... Woman Holds ‘Divorce Ceremony’ in White Dress, Draws 1.2 Million Views

[Financial News] The woman at the center of the ceremony enters holding a bouquet, greeted by applause from the guests. It looks just like a wedding, but the order of events is the exact opposite. Instead of lighting the wedding candles, she blows them out, and instead of reading a marriage declaration, she reads a “divorce declaration.” She even opened a “wedding-gift refund center” to reciprocate for the wedding gift money she had received in the past. The so-called “divorce ceremony,” which publicly marks the end of a marriage and celebrates a new beginning, has been drawing attention, particularly on social media.
The woman at the center of the story is Jo Seung-yeon, 37, a Johns Hopkins alumna and cancer-center researcher who is also a writer raising twin children on her own. On the 2nd of last month, Jo invited acquaintances to a divorce ceremony at a cultural complex in Bukchang-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. A video of the event that she posted on social media drew more than 1.2 million views in total, attracting an explosive amount of interest.
The event was filled with playful twists on the symbolic elements of a traditional wedding. Instead of a marriage declaration, Jo read a divorce declaration pledging to stand on her own, and instead of exchanging wedding jewelry, she performed a ring-tossing gesture. During the pyebaek ceremony, she threw chili peppers instead of jujubes, which symbolize wishes for many children. She also took time to burn sparklers and let go of regrets from the past.
What particularly caught the guests’ attention was the “wedding-gift refund center.” Rather than returning cash to acquaintances who had given her wedding gift money in the past, she gave handwritten letters expressing her gratitude and lottery tickets to those who had stood by her and supported her through the difficult divorce process.
Explaining why she planned the divorce ceremony, Jo said, “Divorce is a self-directed decision about one’s life, made by stepping outside the life-course path set by society. I thought it was no different from a wedding in its essence of celebrating a new beginning, so I borrowed familiar elements of a wedding.” She added, “Because divorce is treated as something to keep quiet about, there was little information, and that uncertainty felt frightening. I wanted to set an example showing that people can confidently build their own lives even after divorce.”
According to Statistics Korea, the number of divorces in the country is around 90,000 couples a year, making divorce one of the common paths through life. A Hankook Research survey last April also found that 85% of adult respondents considered divorce an acceptable choice.
Public reaction to Jo’s divorce ceremony has been both divided and passionate. Most online commenters voiced their support, saying, “Divorce is just one stage of life, and it’s refreshing and wonderful to see someone confidently announce a fresh start,” and “It’s impressive to face divorce positively instead of hiding it away.”

By contrast, more cautious views have also been expressed: “Respecting divorce as an individual choice is one thing; turning it into a celebration is another,” and “No matter how much times have changed, holding a party for a divorce still feels unfamiliar.”


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