What is Korean Four Pillars (Saju)?
Korean Four Pillars is written in Korean as 사주 (romanised as Saju), and its full name is 사주팔자 (Sajupalja), meaning "Four Pillars, Eight Characters." It is in fact the same system as the BaZi familiar to Chinese readers: both convert a person's birth year, month, day and hour into heavenly stems and earthly branches, setting up four "pillars," each with a stem and a branch, for a total of eight characters, which is where the name "Eight Characters" comes from.
In other words, Saju and BaZi share the same roots, and the underlying method of casting the chart is almost identical. The difference lies mainly in the reading styles and cultural flavour that each later developed.
How does Korean Saju differ from Chinese BaZi?
Centred on the Day Master (일간)
Korean Saju places particular emphasis on the Day Master (일간, ilgan), the heavenly stem of the birth day, treating it as the representative of "you." The whole chart is read around the Day Master to understand a person's underlying character and the way they relate to others, which makes the reading feel a lot like getting to know yourself.
Emphasis on Five-Element (오행) balance
Korean readings strongly stress the Five Elements (오행, ohaeng) — Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water — and whether they are in balance. Which element is abundant and which is lacking is used to describe personality tendencies and the directions worth strengthening, in a tone that leans toward "adjustment and nourishment" rather than pronouncing things good or bad.
Using the Ten Gods (십성) to read relationships
Korean Saju also uses the Ten Gods (십성, sipseong) to describe how the chart holder interacts with wealth, career, relationships and love. The overall language is modern and warm, more like a conversation about personality and life circumstances, without the solemnity of traditional divination texts.
Why are young people in Taiwan reading Saju too?
In recent years, Korean fortune-telling apps and Saju content on Instagram have gone hugely viral, and combined with the influence of K-dramas and K-pop, this has made Saju a relaxed and fashionable form of self-exploration. It turns stiff metaphysical jargon into readings that feel close to everyday life, almost like chatting, and its low barrier and attractive visuals naturally draw many young people in Taiwan to give it a try.
For Chinese readers, Saju is not unfamiliar at all, because its foundation is BaZi. If you have already encountered BaZi, Saju will resonate strongly; and if you started with Saju, you have effectively stepped into the world of BaZi at the same time. Whichever language you use to get to know yourself, the point is not "destiny" but understanding your own traits better and finding a direction that makes life feel more comfortable and balanced.