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| An official poster for Hanbok Culture Week 2022, running from Monday until Sunday / Courtesy of Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism |
By Park Han-sol
Hanbok Culture Week 2022, a nationwide festival held every October since 2018 to promote the beauty and history of Korean traditional clothing, began its seven-day run on Monday. This year's edition is set to be staged far beyond the confines of Seoul, with a series of hanbok-related events kicking off simultaneously across 36 major cities in 17 countries.
Organized by the Korea Craft and Design Foundation (KCDF), this year's festival comes after the country's Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) designated the cultural practices associated with the traditional attire, known as "hanbok lifestyle," as national intangible cultural heritage back in July.
Events in Seoul will mainly unfold at HiKR Ground, a newly established promotional hall for Korean pop culture equipped with extended reality technology, at the heart of the city near the Cheonggye Stream.
The building houses a handful of special hanbok-themed exhibitions at the moment. On view are clothing items from Netflix's zombie period drama "Kingdom" set in the mid-Joseon era (1392-1910), children's traditional attire created by renowned hanbok designer Kim In-ja, and handmade hanbok-clad dolls produced by Korea's first-generation art toy designer Lee Chan-woo who goes by the alias of, Coolrain.
Once visitors reach the hall's second floor, decked with a K-pop studio, they can try on a wardrobe of hanbok costumes to film their own music videos. The fifth-floor lounge offers craft sessions on Korean knot bracelets and keychains that can be worn as decorative items along with traditional clothing.
On Friday, academics, designers and performers who have contributed to the promotion of the country's national dress will be recognized at an awards ceremony ― including Professor Cho Hyo-sook of Gachon University, CEO Hwang Yi-seul of contemporary hanbok brand Leesle, trot singer Song Ga-in and K-pop girl group Oh My Girl.
The ceremony will be followed by an outdoor hanbok fashion show and a K-pop concert, featuring Dynamic Duo and soloist Ha:tfelt, a former member of the girl group Wonder Girls.
In addition to Seoul, nearly 20 other cities worldwide will celebrate Hanbok Culture Week 2022 with their own version of fashion shows, performances, screenings and exhibitions. These include Seattle, Vancouver, New Delhi, London, Sao Paulo, Budapest and Abu Dhabi.
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