Gangneung fortune-telling house: family saju reading at Geumdong-am

These days time really seems to fly. Quite a lot of this year has already gone by, and between the busy days I've reached that point where I start thinking about the time I have left this year, and next year too.

Normally I just get through things one at a time, but sometimes you get curious about what's coming for your family and whether you're on the right track. So while traveling in Gangneung I looked up fortune-telling houses and ended up visiting Geumdong-am. Here's my review.

Where Geumdong-am is in Gangneung and what a saju reading costs

• 19 Wondae-ro 8beon-gil, Gangneung-si, Gangwon, South Korea
• Open daily 10:00–22:00
• Reservations and parking available
• Sasju (four pillars) reading cost: ₩100,000

Geumdong-am is located behind Tire Pro in Gyo-dong, Gangneung. It's in Bienville Room 103, with parking right in front. We had a reservation, and the door was open with the reader waiting for us.

Why we looked for a fortune-teller in Gangneung

I'm not someone who completely believes in fortune-telling or sasju, but there are moments in life when you get curious about what's coming. Especially with this much of the year already gone, I wondered whether things had been going well so far, what to watch out for in the time left, and what kind of flow next year might bring.

Honestly, for a first-time visitor a fortune-telling house can feel a little nerve-wracking. You don't know what you'll hear, and you wonder whether it's okay to actually ask the things you're curious about.

Inside Geumdong-am: the room for the child spirit

Stepping inside, the interior was neatly organized.

There was also a space set up for the 'baby spirit' (aegidongja), which felt a bit different from the usual atmosphere you'd see at a fortune-telling house. Maybe because we came with our baby, the items for the baby spirit really caught my eye, and it made me think that sinjeom (spirit-based fortune-telling) isn't just about reading fortunes — it carries a lot of layered meaning and symbolism too.

This year and next year's fortune: a spirit reading for all three of us

What I especially liked this time was that it wasn't just a reading for this year and done — it flowed from this year's trajectory straight into next year's fortune. Hearing about this year first made me look back over everything that had happened so far.

We went as a couple with our baby, and all three of us were read together.

At first I only meant to ask a few things, but as the session went on more and more questions kept coming to mind, so I ended up asking about all sorts of things. It was great that she explained everything we were curious about in detail.

Troubles flagged in advance, and how Geumdong-am says to resolve them

She also looked ahead at any difficulties or troubles that might come up down the road. It wasn't only good news — she pointed out potential hard times or troubles in advance, and even explained how to work through them so that, even if they did happen, they wouldn't grow too serious and we could get through them without major harm.

What impressed me was that she didn't just stop at saying something might happen — she went into detail about how to minimize it and get through it smoothly. She also told us what to be careful about going forward and what to pay attention to in daily life, which let me set my mind at ease a little.

I plan to remember what I heard this time, get through the rest of this year well, and start next year with a fresh mindset. It was a time to look back on this year while thinking ahead to the next, and personally, I found it satisfying!!