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Korea's luck-boosting trend
— gaeun hikes and dried-pollack charms, chosen by the Five Elements
Gaeun (開運) means opening up your luck, and the trend in Korea is shifting from “reading” your fortune to “taking care of it with your body.” In 2026, “gaeun hike” posts topped 320,000 and lucky goods like dried-pollack charms multiplied. If you choose by Saju, the easiest approach is to add the element your birth chart lacks to daily life, little by little, through colors, directions and activities. Luck rituals are habits for settling your mind and don't guarantee results.
In this article
- What is gaeun, and why is it trending again in Korea?
- What do the numbers say about Korea's 2026 luck-boosting trend?
- What do Korea's best-known luck rituals mean?
- How do I choose a luck ritual that fits my Saju?
- What should I watch out for with luck rituals?
- How does the Mutal Unnie app help you look after your luck?
- FAQ
What is gaeun, and why is it trending again in Korea?
Gaeun (開運) means “opening up your luck” — the traditional idea of putting your life in order so you're ready to welcome a good flow. Where people once tended to hand it over to others through talismans or shamanic rituals (gut), these days “do-it-yourself gaeun” — climbing mountains, choosing objects, changing habits — is on the rise.
A trend column by Choi Ji-hye in the Korean daily Asia Economy (May 2026) points to chronic anxiety about the future and a desire to know yourself better as the background. The Korea Employment Information Service projected that the number of employed people aged 15–29 would fall by 213,000 in 2026, and the column's analysis is that in this situation, fortune-telling serves as a cheap, instantly reachable “safety pin for the mind.”
What do the numbers say about Korea's 2026 luck-boosting trend?
The way people look after their luck is spreading from screens to their bodies and belongings. Here are the figures cited in the same column.
| Trend | Figure | Source (as cited in the column) |
|---|---|---|
| Gaeun hike posts | More than 320,000 Instagram posts tagged “gaeun hike” (gaeun sanhaeng) | |
| Hiking spending | Over the same period, sales of hiking apparel up 138% and athleisure up 286% | E-commerce transaction data |
| Gwanaksan visits | 5,217 visitors to the Gwanaksan center in Seoul in February 2026, up 9.6% year on year | Seoul Tourism Organization |
| Lucky goods | About 39% more “aengmagi myeongtae” (dried-pollack charm) products on KakaoTalk Gift, Korea's in-app gifting service | KakaoTalk Gift |
| AI fortunes | Fortune-telling GPTs ranked near the top of the ChatGPT store's lifestyle category in January 2026 | ChatGPT store |
These figures are data cited in Choi Ji-hye's “Trend 2026” column (in Korean); Mutal Unnie has not independently verified the original data.
What do Korea's best-known luck rituals mean?
Most fall into three meanings: keeping bad things out, inviting good things in, and steadying your mind.
| Ritual | Traditional meaning | How people use it now |
|---|---|---|
| Gaeun hike | A custom of climbing high to change your energy and make a wish | Climbing to places known as prayer spots, like Yeonjudae — a hilltop hermitage on Gwanaksan in Seoul — and posting proof |
| Dried-pollack charm (aengmagi myeongtae) | A Korean custom of hanging a dried pollack over the door, its big eyes keeping watch against misfortune | Small goods kept at the front door, in the car or on a desk; gifts for a new business or a new home |
| Lucky color | Carrying the color that corresponds to each element | Choosing clothes, accessories or phone wallpaper in the day's color |
| Arranging directions | Reflecting each element's direction in your living space | Changing the direction your desk faces or where you usually sit |
| Journaling · gratitude | An attitude of emptying your mind and putting in sincere effort | A one-line daily mood log, a gratitude journal |
Whatever the method, if it means spending a lot or it makes your anxiety grow, it's best to stop.
How do I choose a luck ritual that fits my Saju?
Find the element that's weak or missing in your birth chart, and add that element's color, direction and activities to your life little by little. You can start by counting the elements of your eight characters with the free Manseryeok calculator.
| Missing element | Color | Direction | Habits worth trying |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wood (木) | Green · teal | East | Morning walks, growing houseplants, starting to study something new |
| Fire (火) | Red · orange | South | Getting some sun, meeting people, practicing presenting and expressing yourself |
| Earth (土) | Yellow · beige · brown | Center | Regular meals, tidying up, activities that put your feet on the ground, like hiking |
| Metal (金) | White · gold · silver | West | Clearing out things you don't use, setting deadlines and finishing |
| Water (水) | Black · navy | North | Enough sleep, drinking water, time alone to think |
How to count your elements is covered in Five Elements balance and what to eat today, and the color that changes every day in Today's lucky color. And to see why a missing element isn't automatically the energy you need most (your Useful God, yongsin), check How to find your Useful God.
What should I watch out for with luck rituals?
Steer clear of anyone who uses your anxiety to push expensive payments. “Something terrible will happen if you don't do this” isn't gaeun — it's scaring you. Check the weather and your fitness before a hike, and only pick goods at a price you can enjoy.
- Set your purpose in one lineWrite down first whether it's about clearing your mind or marking a fresh start.
- Set a spending limitSpend on luck only within what you'd be fine losing.
- Turn it into a habitSmall daily repetition lasts longer than one big event.
- Record how it wentNoting how you felt shows you which methods suit you.
How does the Mutal Unnie app help you look after your luck?
Every morning, the rhythm card shows you the day's lucky color, lucky number and something to try, for free. At the end of the day, you log your mood with a single emoji, and you can look back on your records in the Weekly report.
What Mutal Unnie recommends is making gaeun not “a one-off event” but “a little something you do every day.” How the records add up is explained in How to keep a mood journal.
Start with today's rhythm
Available on iPhone and Android. Daily rhythm cards and adding events are free. Check the cost before opening a paid reading. Store availability and app language support depend on the listing.
FAQ
Where should I go for a gaeun hike?
Places known as prayer spots, like Yeonjudae on Gwanaksan in Seoul, are popular, but tradition doesn't prescribe a particular mountain. Regularly climbing a nearby mountain that suits your fitness and the weather is safer and easier to keep up.
Where do you put a dried-pollack charm (aengmagi myeongtae)?
Traditionally, it was hung where people enter the home, such as above the front door. These days, many people keep one by the entrance, in the car or on a desk. Using it as a pledge to a fresh start matters more than where it goes.
Will filling in a missing element improve my luck?
Traditional interpretation favors balance, but it doesn't guarantee results. Use colors, directions and habits as small prompts for putting your life in order, and look at real-world conditions first for important decisions.
Do I need to spend a lot on luck rituals for them to work?
No. Cost has nothing to do with the effect. If someone urges a big payment because you're anxious, stop — starting with free habits like walks, tidying up and journaling is plenty.