A forum on ways to make hanbok part of everyday life was held Tuesday at the National Assembly. Experts said the first step is changing the view that hanbok are only for formal occasions.
Kim So Hyun, a professor in the Department of Hanbok Culture Contents at Baewha Women’s University, said younger people have led the shift. “In the past, older generations wore hanbok for weddings and other formal events, but younger generations rent hanbok, take photos and have turned them into something for play,” she said.
Kim said more content is needed so people can experience hanbok in virtual spaces. She pointed to examples of companies such as Louis Vuitton offering brand experiences to young users in virtual platforms like Zepeto and generating revenue through item sales. “Hanbok are changing into cultural content enjoyed as play by linking with films, dramas, webtoons and games,” she said, adding that “the space for hanbok in daily life is expanding into virtual worlds such as the metaverse.”
Kwon Hye Jin, CEO of Hanbok Studio Hyeon and an adjunct professor at Ewha Womans University, said lifestyles have changed so much that some people do not wear hanbok even for Lunar New Year bows. She said the hanbok industry has “degenerated into the wedding industry.” To bring hanbok into daily life, she said, “it’s not about changing perceptions; hanbok have to enter everyday life,” noting that 70% of customers at hanbok shops are in their 20s and 30s.
Kwon said modern designers must grapple with making hanbok for daily wear without losing their core value. She also said idol stars bowing in hanbok to fans worldwide help promote the clothing, and she stressed strategies to increase hanbok exposure through K-content and collaborations with Korean Wave stars. She also proposed a hanbok festival that friends, couples and families can enjoy together, like Brazil’s Carnival or Japan’s matsuri.
Ji Su Hyun, a professor in the Department of Korean Costume Science at Wonkwang Digital University, called for building a hanbok data foundation. “We need to build a database of original hanbok forms,” he said. “When hanbok data opened to the public spreads worldwide, its value will be enormous. Standardization is needed.” He also advised that hanbok should evolve to offer consumers more benefits, similar to Louis Vuitton headquarters providing repair services.
Ahn Mi Jung, director of the Traditional Culture Division at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said that if the Hanbok Culture Industry Promotion Act is enacted soon, the government will draw up a basic plan as a long-term roadmap to foster the industry. “We will build the foundation for the hanbok industry to develop,” she said. On the Hanbok Wave project, she said the ministry will better promote participating designers’ stories and plans to produce separate content.
The forum was hosted by People Power Party lawmaker Lee Dal Hee and Democratic Party lawmaker Baek Hye Ryun, and organized by the Korea Hanbok Promotion Institute and a lawmakers’ group that supports hanbok.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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