'2020 Ontact Jongno Hanbok Festival' Held Until the 23rd... Available on Jongno Cultural Foundation YouTube, Instagram, and Other SNS
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] The largest hanbok festival in the country, where you can fully enjoy the excellence and beauty of our traditional clothing, will be held online amid the unprecedented situation of the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.
Jongno-gu (Mayor Kim Young-jong) is hosting the '2020 Ontact Jongno Hanbok Festival' through SNS channels such as the Jongno Cultural Foundation YouTube and the official Jongno Hanbok Festival Instagram account until the 23rd.
Jongno-gu, which has been striving to foster traditional culture and restore the unique identity of the nation through hanbok, hanok, hansik, hangeul, hanji, our traditional sounds (gugak), traditional dances, and traditional games, is particularly focusing on the daily use of hanbok, a precious traditional costume representing Korean culture.
Since 2016, the festival has been held annually to promote traditional hanbok not only domestically but also globally and to contribute to revitalizing the local economy.
Marking its fifth year, this year's main programs include the World Traditional Costume Festival, Royal Court Hanbok Fashion Show, Hanbok Pride Contest, and Hanbok Upcycling Project.
Until last year, the festival was held at representative urban tourist spots in Seoul such as Gwanghwamun Square and Marronnier Park in Jongno-gu, but this year it will be conducted online in a non-face-to-face manner so that anyone can safely enjoy the charm of hanbok anytime and anywhere.
The festival, which opened on the 9th with congratulatory messages from Jongno-gu Mayor Kim Young-jong and Lee Nak-yon, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, and on the 10th with an introduction to world traditional costumes and the royal court hanbok fashion show, will continue until the 23rd of this month.
New in 2020, the ▲World Traditional Costume & Royal Court Hanbok Fashion Show features six foreign countries including Romania, Azerbaijan, Algeria, Egypt, Colombia, and Tunisia. The wives of the ambassadors to Korea from each country appear in videos introducing their traditional costumes. This special program allows viewers to learn about the distinctive traditional costumes of each country and enjoy the elegance and classical beauty of Korean royal court hanbok through the fashion show.
Another highlight not to be missed is the ▲Jongno Hanbok Festival in Video, which comprehensively includes the annual representative program Ganggangsullae, various highlight videos, and performance stages. This special program captures the records of the Jongno Hanbok Festival, which has been loved by numerous tourists and residents every year and has deepened its significance.
The Hanbok Pride Contest, where participants proudly show off their hanbok, has attracted over 110 participants ranging from 3 to 71 years old, regardless of gender or age, indicating the enthusiasm for the event.
On the 9th, Jongno-gu conducted expert judging and photo shoots at the traditional cultural space Mugyewon for the document-qualified candidates, and plans to conduct an online preference survey based on the photos taken.
The preference survey will be available for participation through the Jongno Hanbok Festival Instagram from the 12th to the 15th for four days. A total of eight winners, from the top prize 'Euddeum Award' to the online popularity award, will be announced on the 16th on the Jongno Cultural Foundation website and SNS. Since the expert judging is conducted offline, it will be operated in compliance with quarantine rules such as prior temperature checks and maintaining social distancing.
The Hanbok Upcycling Project 'Again, Hanbok' Season 2, which utilizes donated hanbok, is also highly anticipated. The home experience kits, where participants make practical items themselves, were held twice with summer and autumn kits, both of which were very popular. In particular, the autumn kit was so successful that applications closed within three hours of opening.
The district is holding the 'Hanbok Upcycling Art Exhibition,' displaying various quilt works made from donated hanbok, at the Hanok Cultural Space Sangchonjae until the 17th.
From the 21st, the exhibition will also be available online through the Jongno Cultural Foundation YouTube channel.
Meanwhile, Jongno-gu has been practicing wearing hanbok by operating 'Employee Hanbok Wearing Day' monthly since 2013 and has been leading efforts to widely promote the beauty of hanbok since starting the 'Jongno Hanbok Festival' in 2016. The Jongno Hanbok Festival, which embodies Jongno-gu's efforts to lead Korean cultural content, was selected as a fostering festival by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 2018.
Furthermore, to promote hanbok revitalization policies, the 'Gopda Hanbok Experience Center' was opened in 2017, offering hanbok repair programs and education on properly wearing traditional costumes. In 2018 and 2019, 'Proper Wearing of Our Clothes, Hanbok Forums' were held to raise public interest in hanbok.
Mayor Kim Young-jong said, "This year's Jongno Hanbok Festival has been prepared in an ontact (online contact) format so that people can safely enjoy it at home to prevent infectious diseases and ensure citizens' safety. We will continue to make steady efforts to promote the excellence of hanbok, a precious cultural heritage that embodies the wisdom, culture, and spirit of the Korean people, not just as clothing." He added, "In addition to hanbok, we will continue to promote various projects to give positive value to Korean culture such as hanok, hansik, hangeul, and hanji, and to strengthen their sustainability."
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