From October 9 to 24, a variety of events including Hanbok Fashion Show, Hanbok Road Project, and Hanbok Pride Contest will be held at district offices, cultural foundation websites and SNS, and various local venues.
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Jongno-gu (Mayor Kim Young-jong)'s representative brand festival, the 'Jongno Hanbok Festival,' will be held both online and offline from the 9th to the 24th.
The district has been striving to foster traditional culture and restore the unique identity of the nation through hanbok, hanok, Korean cuisine, Hangul, hanji, traditional Korean music and dance, and traditional Korean games. Among these, to promote 'hanbok,' which represents Korean (Han) culture, to the world and revitalize the local economy, the hanbok festival has been held annually since 2016 at major landmarks such as Gwanghwamun and Marronnier Park in Daehangno.
Marking its 6th year, the Jongno Hanbok Festival has primarily focused on online platforms again this year, considering the prolonged COVID-19 situation. The aim is to help citizens safely experience hanbok culture and foster an atmosphere where wearing hanbok in daily life becomes common.
Main programs include ▲ Hanbok fashion show 'Hanbok, Harmony with Jongno' (non-face-to-face) ▲ Jongno Hanbok Road Project 'Hanbok You Want to Wear, Jongno You Want to Walk' (both face-to-face and non-face-to-face) ▲ Jongno Hanbok Pride Contest (non-face-to-face).
The hanbok fashion show features models starting from various locations symbolizing Jongno’s past and present, converging at Gyeonghuigung Palace, captured in six video episodes. Traditional percussion performances add excitement, and the videos will be released sequentially from the 9th to the 21st of this month.
The Jongno Hanbok Road Project, introducing various hanbok-friendly walking areas such as Seosunra and Wonseo-dong streets, Buam, Cheongun, Seochon streets, and Bukchon and Samcheong-dong streets, will operate using both face-to-face and non-face-to-face methods, including various exhibitions.
First, Seosunra and Wonseo-dong streets are themed 'Tradition and Daily Life.' This section stretches from Sewoon Shopping Center to Wonseo-dong Laundry Site and features an upcycled hanbok artwork exhibition at Gallery Soyeon and a craft exhibition at Ko Hee-dong Art Museum.
The Buam, Cheongun, and Seochon streets, connecting Mugyewon to Inwangsan footpath and Sangchonjae, are themed 'Nature and Regeneration.' Exhibitions include Hwahaejang (leather flower shoes) at Mugyewon, a photo certification event at the Choso Bookstore photo zone, and a display of traditional baby clothes (Golbok) at Sangchonjae.
The Bukchon and Samcheong-dong streets, representing 'Coexistence of Past and Present,' extend from Gwanghwamun to the National Folk Museum, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Jeongdok Library, Bukchon Exhibition Hall, and Seoul Craft Museum. Photo certification events will be held at the Bukchon Exhibition Hall inside the Bukchon Village Information Center and at Baek In-je House.
Additionally, a promotional video featuring people elegantly dressed in hanbok traveling along the Jongno Hanbok Road under the theme 'Hanbok You Want to Wear, Jongno You Want to Walk' will be released from the 11th to the 15th.
The Jongno Hanbok Pride Contest, aimed at encouraging daily hanbok wearing, was held in two categories: general (ages 13 and above) and children (ages 6 to 12). Pre-registration was accepted until August 15, and 13 winning teams were announced in September. Winners receive opportunities to serve as official festival promotional models and participate in the hanbok fashion show, among other benefits.
Moreover, various projects, exhibitions, contests, and lectures linked to the hanbok festival will continue throughout the district. Notable programs include the 'Jongno Hanok Salon,' a non-face-to-face cultural class held at the traditional cultural space Mugyewon Sarangchae; an exhibition of award-winning photos from the 'Jongno Hanbok Photo Contest,' showcasing hanbok memories; and the 'Hanbok Upcycling and Art Hanbok Exhibition' at the Jongno Urban Gallery.
For detailed festival schedules and program information, please visit the Jongno Hanbok Festival website or contact the festival office.
Since the 5th local government term, Jongno-gu has been promoting various projects to break away from the outdated and stereotypical image of traditional culture, emphasizing that it can be enjoyable and fresh, and strengthening the self-sustainability of Korean culture.
To this end, the district operates 'Employee Hanbok Wearing Days' and hosts the 'Jongno Hanbok Festival' to widely promote the beauty of hanbok. The Jongno Hanbok Festival, embodying Jongno-gu’s efforts to lead Han culture content, was honored as a Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism designated fostering festival in 2018.
To promote hanbok revitalization policies, the 'Gopda Hanbok Experience Center' was opened in 2017, offering hanbok repair programs and education on proper traditional dress wearing. In 2018 and 2019, 'Proper Wearing of Our Clothes, Hanbok Forums' were held to raise public interest in hanbok.
This year, the traditional cultural space Mugyewon hosted the 'Hanbok Upcycling Art Exhibition' and the 'Jongno Hanbok Talk Concert' commemorating the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s 2021 Spring Hanbok Culture Week, receiving positive responses.
Mayor Kim Young-jong stated, “This year’s Jongno Hanbok Festival has been carefully prepared with both face-to-face and non-face-to-face methods to support the normalization of hanbok wearing while adhering to social distancing.” He added, “The festival is packed with various programs that allow people to directly and indirectly experience the excellence and beauty of our traditional clothing throughout the district. I recommend everyone to experience the essence of hanbok culture through this festival.”
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