Held for Four Days at S Factory in Seongdong-gu, Seoul
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on September 18 that, together with the Korea Craft & Design Foundation, it will host the "2025 Today’s Tradition Festival" from September 25 to 28 at S Factory in Seongdong-gu, Seoul.
The Today’s Tradition Festival is an event designed to establish tradition as a cultural element that can be naturally enjoyed in our daily lives, and this year marks its third edition. The 2025 festival will move beyond the conventional exhibition format, transforming into a large-scale, integrated cultural festival that combines performances, exhibitions, lectures, and hands-on experiences.
On the first floor of the venue, a special exhibition titled "Modern Korean Lifestyle" will highlight how tradition is woven into everyday life from a contemporary perspective. Visitors can experience the new allure of tradition through works presented by more than 30 leading Korean artists. At the "Today’s Tradition Pop-up" booths, featuring over 50 companies specializing in hanbok, Korean cuisine, and crafts, visitors can try out and purchase a wide array of traditional products.
In the Glass House (first floor), the "21% Hanbok Festival" will be held, where visitors can bring clothes they rarely wear and exchange them for a new hanbok. The 21% figure represents the average proportion of unworn clothes in our wardrobes. There will also be workshops where participants can upcycle unused or discarded hanbok into new jeogori (jackets) or skirts, as well as experiences such as making traditional knot crafts.
On the second floor, the "Hanbok Experience Zone" will allow anyone to freely rent and wear hanbok through advance reservation. Visitors can stroll through the festival space dressed in hanbok, take part in social media photo events, and create special memories.
The main stage on the third floor will feature well-known Korean cultural lecturers such as Ko Sungbae (Birth of Ghost Stories) and Hong Daeseon (The King’s Work-Life Balance), who will share captivating stories about Korean traditional culture. Every day at 7 p.m. during the festival, there will be traditional performances such as gilnori (street parades) and cheongsaja nori (traditional lion dance), as well as special stages by popular artists beloved by younger generations, including Woo Wonjae, Aster, and Dal Subin.
Major cultural spaces, cafes, and select shops throughout the Seongsu-dong area will also participate in the festival. Around the venue, traditional performing artists will hold outdoor street performances throughout the day, and a variety of hands-on activities, including traditional games like ttakjichigi (Korean slap-match) and jegichagi (Korean shuttlecock), as well as a hanbok photo studio, will be available. Over 100 businesses, from traditional culture-based companies across Seoul to popular hotspots frequented by young people, will collaborate with the Today’s Tradition Festival to offer discounts and souvenirs, aiming to revitalize the local economy and foster cultural connections.
More information about the festival can be found on the Korea Craft & Design Foundation website and its social media channels.
Lee Jeongmi, Director of Cultural Policy at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, stated, "This festival is a meaningful opportunity to show how our traditional culture can communicate with modern society and create new value. The Ministry will actively support the development of our precious traditional culture as a future growth engine and as a core content leading K-Culture."
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