Some very little things are attainable in some countries. If you try to do the same in another country, you can be prosecuted. The country that subjects this piece is one of those countries you shouldn’t dare use red ink if perhaps you pay a visit.
If you find yourself in the bustling cities or in the calm countrysides of South Korea, avoid using red ink. Historically in Korean culture red ink was only used to note the names of the dead on the family register.
If the name of a living person was written in red ink, it was considered a sign that the person who wrote the name wished harm upon the other.
Now, using red ink is a huge ‘no’ throughout the country, especially to write down a name. It’s considered rude and of ill-will against the person whose name is noted, so it’s best to simply avoid the color altogether.
In South Korea, writing someone’s name in red ink is recognized as a taboo. There are some different views on where did the taboo comes from.
First, there is a view that the taboo derived from the Korean War (1950-1953). During the Korean War, when people were checking the dead, they wrote the name of the dead by a red or underline the name with red on the list. So this made Korean people gloomy when writing someone’s name in red.https://youtu.be/XQinPYnZpKU
Second, there is a view that the taboo originated from China. Qin Shihuangdi, the emperor who made the unification of the whole country termed ‘red’ color as the only usage of the emperor.
If anyone except the emperor writes with the red color, that person will be executed of the guilt of high treason. Also, in ancient China, people ground the red stone to make a dye.
Then, there was the theory that using the dye to write one’s name gives that person good health and long life. Qin Shihuangdi was actually anticipating good health and long life, so he threatened the people not to use the color red to write their names. Only Qin Shihuangdi was allowed to write the name in red.
This led the superstition that someone except the Qin Shihuangdi writes their name with red color will be executed exist. Therefore, it is thought that the theory came to Korea, and the execution of people using the red color meant writing one’s name with red will give oneself cursed or death.
In addition, there is another theory that in ancient China, when people rise in revolt to the emperor, they wrote the name with red to make the symbol of rebellion.
