Informant is a second generation Korean. She currently lives in Los Angeles and is in her early 30s.

Superstition as told by informant: I remember my mom telling me not to sign my name in red ink. It signified death or something.

This is one that has come up twice during my collection and I think it’s one of the more popular ones in Korean households.

In many Asian countries the color red is usually associated with death in various ways. One of them is because simply red is the color of blood. Another association is when someone passes away their name is written in red on the funeral registry and on the funeral banners. It’s believed that this practice wards off evil spirits.

For more on this superstition see http://www.gwangjunewsgic.com/online/behind-the-myth-the-red-pen/