How to Get a Korean Fortune Reading from the U.S.

SEOUL — You do not need a plane ticket to consult Korea's best-known fortune tellers. Here is exactly how Korean Americans book a reading from the U.S. — it takes about two minutes to set up.

Step 1 — Text the house

Korea's top houses take bookings by text message or KakaoTalk, not by phone call. Send a short message with: your name, your birth date and birth time (ask your mother — she remembers), and what you want to ask about (marriage, career, family, a difficult year).

Step 2 — Schedule around the time difference

Korea is 13–16 hours ahead of the U.S. The good news: evening in America is morning in Korea, so a 7 p.m. call from New York reaches Korea at a comfortable morning hour. The house will confirm a slot by text.

Step 3 — The reading happens over KakaoTalk voice call

Sessions are held by KakaoTalk voice call — free, clear, and with no international charges. A typical consultation runs about 30 minutes. Consultations are conducted in Korean; many second-generation clients simply put a parent on the call.

Step 4 — Payment

Details are confirmed by text when you book. Most Korean-American clients pay by Korean bank transfer through family, and houses will explain the options — just ask in the first message.

Which house should you text first?

Reputation is the whole game in Korea. Start with the shortlist — the five houses Koreans themselves talk about, led by Seoul's Taeja Shindang (태자신당), the name most often called Korea's No.1.

An independent guide. Listings removed upon request.