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2025 Hanbok Expo explores the four seasons

Published: 05 Aug. 2025, 14:19 Updated: 05 Aug. 2025, 18:23

KIM MIN-YOUNG
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Poster for the 2025 Hanbok Expo [HANBOK EXPO]

Korea’s largest trade show for hanbok, or traditional Korean dress, returns to Coex with a record 150 brands, deep discounts, and a fresh focus on everyday wear.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Craft & Design Foundation will host the 2025 Hanbok Expo at Hall D of Coex in southern Seoul from Thursday to Sunday.

Now in its eighth year, the Hanbok Expo is Korea’s only trade show dedicated to the traditional garment. Brands will be offering up to 80 percent discounts on a range of products, including traditional hanbok, everyday hanbok, fabrics and accessories such as norigae (decorative pendants), ribbons and hairpins.

Themed “Hanbok with Four Seasons,” this year’s expo will explore the aesthetic and cultural significance of hanbok across the changing seasons through exhibitions and hands-on activities, according to the Culture Ministry.

The main exhibition, “Textures of the Seasons,” will be curated by Sim Yeon-ok, a traditional textile researcher and professor at the Korea National University of Cultural Heritage. The display will draw parallels between the seasons and stages of life, showcasing garments made with traditional fabrics. More than 170 pieces will be on view, alongside weaving demonstrations using both traditional and modern looms.

The opening ceremony will take place at 2 p.m. on Thursday and will include an awards ceremony for the Hanbok Design Project Contest, as well as a hanbok fashion show related to the exhibition. Actors Jung Il-woo and Kwon Yuri will make special appearances in the show.

The promotional hall will highlight the government’s hanbok initiatives, including the 30 winning entries from the design contest, newly developed hanbok uniforms for various professions and education programs from the Hanbok Patternmaking Studio aimed at training young designers.

Additional attractions include hanbok tailoring workshops and traditional game contests with a Hanbok performance troupe.

More information is available on the official website. Admission is 5,000 won, but free for visitors who wear hanbok or preregister online by Wednesday.

“Hanbok has recently been featured in various K-content and is gaining attention as a symbol of Korea’s tradition and beauty,” said Lee Jung-woo, director-general for culture and arts policy at the Culture Ministry. “We hope to see hanbok become a natural part of everyday life, not just for special occasions.”

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [[email protected]]