Gunghap: Saju Couple Compatibility
Gunghap (궁합) is the Korean comparison of two people's saju charts. Before a wedding it is checked as routinely as people in Russia check zodiac signs, only in more detail: it compares not the birth years but the full charts of eight characters.
If the time is unknown, clear the field: the hour pillar will not be counted. Names are used only to label the result and are never sent anywhere.
What the calculator compares
- Day Masters (일간): the main stems of the two charts. How their elements are related, and what your partner's Day Master is in your chart under the Ten Gods (십신) system.
- Spouse palaces (일지): the day branches. A combination, clash, harm or punishment between them is the main indicator of married life.
- Useful elements for each other (용신): the calculator works out each person's Day Master strength and useful element, then checks whether the partner brings it. Korean masters rank this sign among the most important.
- Wonjin (원진) and gwimungwan (귀문관): Korean “warning” branch combinations, mutual resentment and heightened sensitivity.
- Spouse stars (배우자성): for a man, his wife is his “Wealth”; for a woman, her husband is her “Officer.”
- Year signs: the “outer gunghap,” the familiar compatibility by birth year.
- All the connections between the pillars of the two charts, and the elements one person lacks and the other has in abundance.
Outer and inner gunghap
In Korea, people distinguish 겉궁합 (geotgunghap, “outer”) and 속궁합 (sokgunghap, “inner”). The outer one is compatibility by year signs: Rat and Dragon, Tiger and Horse. Everyone knows it, and it is the most general. The inner one looks at the charts as a whole: whether the Day Masters get along, whether the spouse palaces are in harmony, whether each fills in what the other lacks. It is the inner gunghap that masters look at, and it is the inner gunghap that this calculator works out.
Most masters rank importance like this: the Day Masters and spouse palaces first, then the useful elements for each other, then the spouse stars and wonjin, and only then the year signs.
How It's Used in Korea
Traditionally, the families of the bride and groom checked the gunghap before the engagement. Today it is more of a ritual and a conversation starter: couples check their gunghap in apps and “saju cafés,” and go to a master when they want details or are choosing a wedding date. A bad gunghap does not usually cancel a marriage: the master suggests what to pay attention to and what softens the tense signs.
Gunghap terms
| Term | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 궁합 | gunghap | compatibility of two charts |
| 겉궁합 | geotgunghap | outer gunghap, by year signs |
| 속궁합 | sokgunghap | inner gunghap, by the full charts |
| 일지 | ilji | day branch, spouse palace |
| 용신 | yongsin | the chart's useful element |
| 원진 | wonjin | mutual resentment combination |
| 귀문관 | gwimungwan | “Ghost Gate,” heightened sensitivity |
| 배우자성 | baeujaseong | spouse star |
How the charts are built
Both charts are calculated by the same engine as the Saju calculator: the year from Lichun, the month by the solar seasons, true solar time from the longitude of the birthplace, and historical time zones, including Korea's UTC+8:30 in 1954–1961 and daylight saving time. Day Master strength and the useful elements follow the classical school: the characters are weighted by position, the month branch weighs the most, and the birth season is taken into account separately.
An Honest Look at the Method
Gunghap is a prominent part of Korean culture, but it has no verifiable predictive power. It is useful as a reason to talk about how you are alike and where you argue, and harmful when a decision about marriage is made based on the result. In Korea this is discussed openly.
Related in This Section
Frequently asked questions
How is gunghap different from compatibility by year sign?
Comparing by year sign is only the “outer gunghap” (겉궁합): one branch out of the chart's eight characters. The “inner gunghap” (속궁합) compares the Day Masters, the spouse palaces and the useful elements, so couples with the same combination of year signs get different results.
What is 원진 and why do people fear it?
Wonjin (원진) is the “mutual resentment” combination of branches: Rat and Goat, Ox and Horse, Tiger and Rooster, Rabbit and Monkey, Dragon and Pig, Snake and Dog. In Korea it is considered the main warning sign for a couple, especially between the day branches. It is a reason to treat each other with more care, not a verdict.
Do I need to know both birth times?
It is better if you do. Without a time, the hour pillar is not built and its connections are not taken into account. The Day Masters and spouse palaces do not depend on the time, unless the person was born around midnight.
Is there an overall score?
No. Many apps give a percentage, but the tradition has no formula for one: a single clash between the day branches can mean more than three combinations. The calculator shows the signs themselves and explains each one, and the AI reading button brings them together into an overall story about the couple.