Free Korean Saju Compatibility Test — Are You & Your Partner Actually Compatible?
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In Korea, before two families approve a marriage, they look at 궁합 (gunghap) — Saju compatibility. It compares both birth charts using the Five Elements harmony method and tells you whether your energies generate, support, or clash with each other. This page explains how it works in plain English, with a free calculator that does it in 60 seconds.
Quick answer: Korean Saju compatibility (궁합, gunghap) checks whether two birth charts harmonize across four layers — Day Master harmony, combined Five Elements balance, Earthly-Branch combinations versus clashes, and 10-year cycle synchrony. Unlike Western sun-sign matching, it weighs the whole eight-character chart of both partners, so it can show one couple that "clashes" on the surface is actually a strong support pairing underneath.
What Korean Saju compatibility actually checks
Western compatibility usually compares sun signs ("a Leo and a Scorpio? oof"). Korean gunghap is structurally deeper. It looks at four overlapping layers:
- Day Master harmony — Do your two core selves feed or clash?
- Five Elements balance — Combined, do your two charts have all five elements? Or do you both lack Water?
- Branch combinations and clashes — Specific Earthly-Branch pairs are "Six Combinations" (강력한 결합) or "Six Clashes" (충, chung).
- 10-year cycle synchrony — Are you both in life seasons that mesh, or one in a rising cycle while the other is in retreat?
The Five Elements compatibility cheat sheet
| Combination | Relationship | What it feels like |
|---|
| Wood + Fire | Wood feeds Fire (생, generation) | You inspire each other. Energetic, public-facing couple. |
| Fire + Earth | Fire feeds Earth (생) | Stable partnership. Easy domestic life. |
| Earth + Metal | Earth feeds Metal (생) | Quietly productive. Builds wealth steadily. |
| Metal + Water | Metal feeds Water (생) | Smart-couple energy. Communicates well. |
| Water + Wood | Water feeds Wood (생) | Romantic, growth-oriented. Often a creative pair. |
| Wood + Metal | Metal cuts Wood (극, control) | Tense but productive. One pushes, one resists. |
| Fire + Water | Water extinguishes Fire (극) | Volatile. Big highs, big lows. |
| Earth + Wood | Wood breaks Earth (극) | One feels controlled. Needs explicit boundaries. |
| Metal + Fire | Fire melts Metal (극) | Transformative. Either deeply rewarding or burnout. |
| Water + Earth | Earth blocks Water (극) | Communication friction. Solvable with effort. |
Important: "극 (control)" doesn't mean a bad relationship. It means an edge. Some of the strongest, longest marriages in Korea are 극 pairings where both partners learned to use the tension productively. Generation pairs (생) are easier; control pairs are deeper.
The Six Branch Combinations (육합)
If your year branches form one of these pairs, you have a built-in soulmate factor:
- 🐭 Rat + 🐂 Ox
- 🐯 Tiger + 🐖 Pig
- 🐰 Rabbit + 🐕 Dog
- 🐉 Dragon + 🐓 Rooster
- 🐍 Snake + 🐒 Monkey
- 🐴 Horse + 🐑 Goat
The Six Branch Clashes (육충)
Opposite branches clash. These pairings can still work — but expect more drama and more growth:
- 🐭 Rat ↔ 🐴 Horse
- 🐂 Ox ↔ 🐑 Goat
- 🐯 Tiger ↔ 🐒 Monkey
- 🐰 Rabbit ↔ 🐓 Rooster
- 🐉 Dragon ↔ 🐕 Dog
- 🐍 Snake ↔ 🐖 Pig
How to read your couple compatibility, step by step
- Calculate both Saju charts (use our free tool below — or any Four Pillars calculator).
- Compare the two Day Masters. Note the element relationship using the cheat sheet above.
- Count the Five Elements across both charts combined. Are all five represented? Imbalances signal what each partner needs to bring.
- Check year branches against the Six Combinations and Six Clashes lists.
- Optional: compare current 10-year cycles. Both rising = power couple year. Both flat = patient year.
Don't break up over a clash report
Korean gunghap exists to give you language for your dynamic — not a verdict. Modern Saju practitioners typically interpret the chart this way: clashes mark where the work is, not whether the relationship should end. Marriages between "incompatible" charts often last longer than "perfect" ones because both people show up consciously.
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FAQ
Is gunghap actually used in modern Korea?
Yes, especially in older families and in arranged-introduction (sun, 선) settings. Younger Koreans often check gunghap casually with apps before getting serious. The cultural weight has softened, but the tradition persists.
What if our gunghap is "bad"?
Read it as terrain, not destiny. Knowing you're a Wood-Metal pair tells you to negotiate boundaries explicitly. Knowing you're a Fire-Water pair tells you to schedule cool-down rituals. Bad gunghap forewarned is good gunghap managed.
Does the calculation need our birth times?
For the deepest reading, yes — the hour pillar refines compatibility. Year + day alone gives a useful directional answer, which is enough for casual checking.