Do Koreans Associate Blood Type with Personality?

If someone asked me, 'Do Koreans think blood type can predict personality traits?' I'd say, 'Not really these days.'

In the early 2000s, lots of people believed that a person's personality is determined by their blood type, whether it's A, B, AB, or O. Let me explain what 'Korean blood type personality' means, how it began, and how much people liked it.

Blood Type Personality Craze in 2000s South Korea

Koreans aren't big fans of astrology, but there was a different trend in the early 2000s. People believed that their blood type could reveal something about their personality. 🩸

At the time, I was just in elementary school, and I remember group chats in class about blood types. We'd say things like, "What's your blood type? That must mean your personality is like this."

After our gym class, some friends would bring cold water and juice. If you wanted a sip, they'd ask, 'What's your blood type?' That's because some kids believed that sharing a drink with someone of a different blood type could make them sick, thinking that their spit might mix when they drank from the same bottle. So, they only shared drinks with friends who had the same blood type.

Back then, bookstores were full of books about blood types. Some of these books grouped personality traits by blood type and offered advice on how to improve yourself and manage relationships based on it. Some stores had whole sections just for blood type books. Titles like 'Succeeding by Understanding Your Blood Type' and 'Blood Type in Business' were everywhere.

Even though scientists and doctors said there's no proof, people still kept linking blood types to personalities. Those who believed in this idea often judged others by their blood types. Some fans even liked people with the same blood type and sometimes stayed away from those with different types.

Korean Blood Type Personality A

These are characteristics of type A:

• Thoughtful
• Conservative
• Sensitive
• Hold grudges for a long time
• timid
• Lack self-confidence

This video is from a past comedy show called 'B.O.A,' where they exaggerated the personality traits linked to blood types. It gained popularity, with blood type A, in particular, becoming known for its humor and bringing lots of laughter to the audience.

At 00:15, a friend with blood type O tries to say hello to their friend with blood type A. However, blood type A seems too shy to say hello in person and instead sends a message to the friend next to him.

At 04:03, you'll see this person meeting friends, and even though he is happy to see them, it takes a while for him to gather the courage to say 'hello.'

At 07:44, he shows up completely wet from the rain, even though he has an umbrella. When his friends ask if he got wet despite having an umbrella, his response is, "Well, this is a brand-new umbrella..."

Unfortunately, people with blood type A had a tough time escaping this stereotype. If they said they weren't shy, others would say, 'Look, you're getting upset because you're shy.' But if they agreed, they still heard things like, 'Look, you're getting angry because you're shy.' In both situations, their answers would make people think they were shy and not very confident. 😨

Korean Blood Type Personality B

This is for blood type B:

• High self-esteem
• Good sense of humor
• Dislikes strict rules or traditions
• Intelligent
• Has strong preferences
• Quickly gets passionate but also cools down fast

In this not-real science, people often described blood type B as being self-centered and upfront. Out of all blood types, it seemed like men with B-type blood faced the most challenges because of these ideas. They usually weren't the first pick for romantic partners. Many called them 'bad boys' because they were straightforward and sometimes not loyal.

This song is 'Type B Man,' released by Kim Hyun-jung in 2004.

The lyrics of this song tell the story of a woman who has a Type B boyfriend and is expressing her frustration with his flirtatious behavior.

In 2005, a movie called 'My Boyfriend is Type-B' came out and had 1.17 million people watching it. In the movie, the main guy has blood type B and is shown as someone who does whatever he wants and cares a lot about looking cool to others.

Korean Blood Type Personality AB

People with Type AB blood are often described as:

• Mysterious and not easily understood
• Becoming calm and cool when angry
• Attracted to those who give them a lot of attention
• Enjoying solitude
• Seeing themselves as unique or special

Korean Blood Type Personality O

Individuals with Type O blood are often described as:

• Natural leaders
• Having high standards
• Having a peaceful nature, disliking conflicts or arguments
• Being optimistic
• Combining simplicity and complexity in their personalities

Korean Blood Type Compatibility

Some even believed in compatibility based on blood types, depending on gender. In this table, each row represents women's blood types, and each column represents men's blood types. The numbers in the table show the percentage of compatibility between men and women of their respective blood types.

Blood Type Humanics: How It All Started

This idea goes back to Nazi Germany. The Nazis studied human genetics and racial traits a lot. They wanted to sort people based on their genes to create a ranking. They even examined blood types to claim that they were superior. Eugenics was completely abolished because it lacked sufficient scientific evidence and raised ethical concerns.

Japanese writer Masahiko Nomi thought that personalities depend on each blood type. In 1971, he wrote a book called 'Understanding Affinity by Blood Type' that talked about this idea.

This book quickly became very popular in Japan. It sold more than 1.2 million copies soon after it was released and became really famous. Lots of people and TV shows talked about blood types, and there were even drinks and condoms based on blood types. 😱😱

Because people liked his first book so much, Masahiko Nomi wrote more books like 'Blood Type Affinity Study,' 'Blood Type Sports Study,' and 'Blood Type Politics Study.' In these books, he said that blood types can affect love, sports, and politics.

When Nomi's books were translated into Korean, this pseudoscience of connecting blood type to personality became very popular in Korea. Even though there wasn't any real scientific proof, lots of people believed it, and it became a big trend.

Wrap-up

In the 2000s, many in Korea believed blood type (A, B, AB, O) influenced personality traits. Despite scientists and doctors saying there wasn't enough proof, people still believed it. Instead of asking about interests, people would inquire about blood type. Some felt a strong connection with the same type and disliked those with different blood types.

These days, Koreans see it as an old trend and know it was wrong. Planning to visit Korea? I think you probably won't get any of those strange questions about your blood type. 😃