SEOUL, South Korea—Traditional Korean clothing, locally called hanbok, has gradually won favor by people from different parts of the world.
Hanbok gives the wearer a sense of elegance and dignity. For tourists who visit South Korea, taking souvenir photos in hanbok and purchasing hanbok has become a trend.
Ms. Lee Hyeon-jeong is a hanbok store owner in Geumcheon-gu, Seoul. A hanbok model from the age of 20 to 35, she traveled to the United States, Canada, and North Korea to participate in fashion shows.
Her 15 years of experience in hanbok modeling gave her extraordinary insight into the essence of Korean clothing. She then opened a hanbok store to help expose more people to the beauty of traditional Korean clothing.
“Hanbok is regal, traditional, and elegant, and can truly bring out feminine grace and poise with the help of accessories such as barrettes, earrings, rings, and other jewelry,” she said.
Balance of Traditional and Modern
“When young people in our country get married, the bride and groom as well as their parents must all wear traditional hanbok. This is our tradition,” she said.
“Modern hanbok is usually worn during birthday parties. But we can’t ignore tradition; therefore, traditional and modern hanbok each make up 50 percent,” she added.
Lee said that modern hanbok incorporates elements of modern wedding veils and is appreciated by young people. She sells both traditional and modern hanbok in her store, and modern hanbok is generally more popular.
Most of the fashion designers who work for Lee are young, and their designs have been heavily influenced by modern fashion. According to Lee, their designs are original and refreshing, and therefore popular among newlyweds.
