March 2025
There are several ways to get a taste of Hanbok with just a modest investment of your time. Whether you want to see the stylings of Korean celebrities or borrow some Hanbok to try it on yourself, there are ample opportunities to experience the charms of this age-old costume.
한복을 반드시 구매해야 즐길 수 있는 것은 아니다. 짧은 시간을 투자해서 한복을 즐길 방법을 알아보자. 한류 스타들의 모습을 통해, 한복 대여 서비스를 통해 그것의 매력을 경험한다.
Writer. Sung Ji Yeon
The KingDom reinterprets cultures from around the world through K-pop, adding their own fantasy to create a unique and original charm on stage. They actively incorporate Hanbok and Korean elements to deliver mesmerizing performances.
Hanbok has long been a popular choice for stars in Hallyu, also known as the Korean Wave. In recent years, Hanbok has been a popular choice for K-pop artists’ stage attire and a main component of their music videos and album covers.
Korean celebrities have demonstrated Hanbok’s diverse charms and potential in a multitude of settings. Costumes worn on stage are often fresh interpretations of Hanbok designed for maximum convenience. For example, BLACKPINK has presented a variety of gorgeous Hanbok renditions, including dresses inspired by the cheollik (man’s upper garment with a pleated skirt attached). Many K-pop artists have shown up in music videos and concerts wearing Hanbok outfits that accentuate their carefully synchronized choreography. They have also displayed royal robes on album covers and dressed up in traditional costumes for New Year’s messages, suggesting just how many idols are head over heels in love with Hanbok.
These artists’ fashion choices are easy enough to find: simply look them up on a search engine or video platform like YouTube. In fact, listeners from around the world who start watching K-pop videos for the music often end up raving over the artists’ Hanbok stylings.
If you’re interested in seeing Hallyu stars showing off traditional threads in a non-musical context, your best bet is the Hanbok Wave project, which is held every year. Hanbok Wave pairs Hanbok designers with some of Korea’s best-known stars to bring Hanbok’s beauty into the spotlight. Designers in the project put together dozens of outfits for stars like Kim Tae-ri (2024), Bae Suzy (2023) and figure skater Kim Yuna (2022). The resulting outfits are published in various media and advertised in such settings as digital billboards in Times Square, New York.
This yearly project has helped cultivate a profound appreciation for the beauty of Hanbok not only among foreigners, but among Koreans as well. So if you want a quick survey of the delights of Hanbok, pick up your smartphone and dive right in.
Hanbok outfits of BLACKPINK, the K-pop group that captured the world’s attention.
I’m Jolene Nicole Kozak, and I come from the United States. I think the best way to really experience a country’s culture is by trying on itstraditional costume. So I decided to try on Hanbok to get more meaning out of my time in Korea.
To find some Hanbok, you’ll first want to head to Gyeongbokgung, the royal palace. There are so many Hanbok stores around the palace. Each store has different styles of Hanbok at different price ranges. I suggest running a search for “Hanbok Gyeongbokgung” before you visit. After you arrive at a Hanbok store, you can choose the top and bottom of your costume. I went with a more authentic style of costume. After selecting your costume, some stores will also adjust your hairstyle to match your outfit.
Gyeongbokgung Palace has gates on all four sides, so just head for whichever one is closest to the Hanbok store you patronized. A special perk for anybody dressed up in Hanbok is free admission to Gyeongbokgung Palace. When you enter the palace through the front gate, there is Geunjeongmun Gate. If you stand in front of Geunjeongmun Gate, you can capture the dramatic contrast of Seoul’s modern skyline and the grand buildings of the ancient palace in a single frame. Moving further into the palace brings you to Jagyeongjeon Hall, which may be less familiar to many visitors. The small gates and the curious patterns engraved on the stone wall are noteworthy here. Gyotaejeon Hall, one of the main filming spots for the TV drama Kingdom, is also worth a visit. Gyeonghoeru Pavilion and Hyangwonjeong Pavilion are built above a pond on the palace grounds. These offer a view of unforgettable beauty.
I also found myself wanting to pick up some of those adorable accessories worn with Hanbok. About a 15-minute walk from Gyeongbokgung Palace is an area called Insadong that’s brimming with Korean knick knack shops and fashion boutiques. There are also showrooms here featuring some up-and-coming Hanbok brands. In Ssamzigil, a shopping mall, you can find many shops that sell traditional accessories that enhance the charm of Hanbok.
