It seems that rumors that Sandara Park is the third richest K-pop idol may not be far off the mark, as she recently revealed that she gave a whopping P40,000 to someone she wasn’t even close with at a wedding—all by accident.
The K-pop idol made the revelation as she served as a guest in the South Korean variety series Cultwo Show, wherein the Korean culture of gifting money to people during important occasions came about.
It is customary in the country for guests to give “congratulatory money” in an envelope to the hosts as a way to help them pay for the reception as well as serve as a gift to the newlyweds. It can be stressful if you’re not prepared, and Sandara’s experience is a clear example.
During the show, a listener had asked about how much money they should give to someone at their wedding after they were given ₩30,000 (P1,263) as a wedding gift.
Sandara then admitted that she similarly experienced the same predicament of not knowing how much to give, to the point that she ended up giving too much that the couple had to contact her.
“Since I didn’t know the standards well, there were times when I ended up giving a lot, and the newlyweds contacted me,” Sandara said
The singer then recalled a time when she gave ₩1 million (P42,101) to a mere acquaintance. While most would be on cloud nine at receiving such a hefty amount of cash, Sandara shared that it was actually quite the opposite.
“I later ran into that person, and he treated me with beef and left. When I asked my acquaintances, ‘Why did he do that?’, they said he would feel burdened if he didn’t,” she said.
She has since learned her lesson about this, “I didn’t know [the standards] in Korea. I was ignorant about it while going to weddings or funerals, so I used to do that. But now I don’t. I have reduced it quite a lot,” she said.
Sandara first rose to prominence in the Philippines as a contestant on the talent show Star Circle Quest in 2004 before she returned to South Korea in 2007, where her career further prospered as a member of the now-disbanded girl group 2NE1.
Because of her blooming career, she has gained status as the third wealthiest K-pop idol in the country. However, she denied the rumors she has ₩30 billion (approximately P1.2 billion) in her bank account.
“I was so sad. What do they mean, 30 billion? It felt so unfair,” she said.
