Guide · Compatibility
Saju compatibility: how gunghap works
The short answer
Saju compatibility, called gunghap in Korean, compares two birth charts through their Day Masters, elemental patterns and branch relationships. A full comparison uses more than the two Day Masters. It is a traditional framework for reflection, not a reliable way to predict whether a relationship will succeed.
Gunghap (궁합) is the Korean practice of reading two birth charts against each other to see how two people’s energies meet. It is not a score between two zodiac signs: all eight characters of each chart are in play, with the two Day Masters and the day-pillar branches weighed most heavily. The tradition is centuries old and still very much alive — couples check it before marriage, friends check it for fun, and parents sometimes check it whether anyone asked them to or not.
What a compatibility reading compares
A gunghap reading places two complete charts side by side. It is not a score between two zodiac signs — all eight characters of each person are in play. That said, readers weigh some layers more heavily than others: the two Day Masters, the elemental balance of each chart, and the relationships between the earthly branches, especially of the day pillars.
Day Master dynamics
The first question is how the two Day Masters relate through the elemental cycles. If one feeds the other — Water and Wood, say — the relationship has a natural direction of support, and the reading asks whether that flow is mutual enough. If one controls the other — Metal and Wood — there is natural tension, which can read as friction or as productive structure depending on the rest of both charts. Same-element pairs understand each other easily, and just as easily compete.
Complementary balance
The second layer is whether the charts fill each other’s gaps. A chart heavy in Fire paired with a chart heavy in Water is the classic dramatic pairing — but a chart missing Earth paired with one abundant in it is the classic stabilizing one. Traditional readers often value this complementarity above surface harmony: the partner who carries what you lack changes your weather more than the partner who mirrors you.
Branch relationships: harmony and clash
The earthly branches of two charts form specific classical relationships. Some pairs combine (합, hap) — read as natural affinity and ease. Some pairs clash (충, chung) — read as volatility, friction, or simply a lot of energy in the same room. A day-branch combination between two people is traditionally considered one of the strongest signs of closeness; a day-branch clash is flagged not as doom, but as a dynamic the couple should know they have.
What gunghap is not
A serious reader will tell you what the tradition itself holds: gunghap describes the dynamic between two natures, not the fate of a relationship. A “difficult” pairing names the specific friction two charts are likely to generate — which real couples navigate successfully all the time, usually because someone named the pattern. A “perfect” pairing guarantees nothing. The reading is a map of the terrain, not a verdict on the journey.
Start with your own chart
Compatibility starts with knowing what you bring. Calculate your own chart first — your Day Master and elemental balance are the half of any gunghap that never changes. Our free calculator gives you both in under a minute, and the full reading includes how your chart tends to behave in love and partnership.
Common questions
Is Day Master compatibility enough to judge a relationship?
No. Two Day Masters are only two characters from two charts. A broader reading also considers other pillars and elemental relationships, and no chart replaces communication or lived experience.
Does a clash mean a couple should break up?
No. In this tradition a clash names a symbolic relationship between chart characters. It is not evidence that a real relationship must fail and should not decide a major personal choice.
These guides explain a traditional symbolic framework. Chart calculations and their interpretations are different things. Interpretations are for cultural exploration and self-reflection, not predictions or medical, financial, legal or psychological advice.