"A Small Act of Wearing Hanbok in Daily Life Can Become a Great Force in Spreading Our Culture Globally"
The presidential office announced that First Lady Kim Hye-kyung participated in the '#Hanbokhaeyo Challenge' event at the Seoul Museum of Craft Art on October 24, following her attendance at the '2025 Hanbok Culture Week Commemorative Event' held at Uijeongbu Historical Heritage Square in Seoul on October 21 to mark Hanbok Day. The '#Hanbokhaeyo Challenge' event is held in celebration of Hanbok Culture Week, encouraging people to share photos and videos of themselves wearing or enjoying hanbok in their daily lives, thereby spreading the beauty of hanbok.
First Lady Kim also wore a light pink hanbok and participated in the challenge event in the front yard of the Seoul Museum of Craft Art, holding a sign that read '#Hanbokhaeyo.' As citizens approached her with warm greetings, Kim Hye-kyung said, "I am here to promote hanbok," shaking hands with each person and taking photos together. According to Deputy Spokesperson Ahn Gwi-ryeong of the presidential office, a long line formed in the museum's front yard as people waited to take photos with the First Lady.
First Lady Kim also greeted foreign tourists kindly and introduced them to hanbok. In particular, she had an extended conversation with a student from Russia who came to Korea to study the Korean language, discussing the beauty of hanbok and the Korean language. Kim and the citizens introduced each other's hanbok, encouraging one another by saying, "Let's do our best to promote our hanbok," and "Let's all join #Hanbokhaeyo."
After participating in the '#Hanbokhaeyo Challenge,' First Lady Kim toured exhibitions at the Seoul Museum of Craft Art, including displays of bojagi (traditional wrapping cloths) and embroidery. She expressed her amazement at the diversity in size, material, and composition of bojagi, ranging from the ornate ones used in the royal court to those used in everyday life, saying, "I feel like we can rediscover the beauty of bojagi, which has traditionally been regarded simply as a wrapping cloth."
She also showed interest in embroidered spectacles cases from the 19th and 20th centuries, saying that they would still be marketable today. Concluding her visit, the First Lady expressed her intention to widely promote Korean identity, dignity, and the appeal of the K-lifestyle through hanbok.
First Lady Kim emphasized, "Hanbok is our cultural heritage that transcends generations and is the most beautiful symbol representing Korea to the world," adding, "The small act of wearing hanbok in daily life can become a great force in spreading our culture globally."
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