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First lady Kim named honorary hanbok ambassador, vows to spread beauty of traditional attire

Published: 06 Feb. 2026, 18:48 Updated: 06 Feb. 2026, 19:17

SARAH KIM
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First lady Kim Hea Kyung, center, poses for a commemorative photo with attendees at a Lunar New Year’s hanbok (Korean traditional attire) event at Jeongdong 1928 Art Center in Jung District, central Seoul, on Feb. 6. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

First lady Kim Hea Kyung vowed to spread the beauty of Korean traditional attire across the world after being officially appointed as an honorary ambassador for hanbok on Friday.

“Hanbok is a precious cultural heritage representing Korea and a core asset of K-culture,” Kim said at a Lunar New Year's event at the Jeongdong 1928 Art Center in central Seoul. “Let's work together so that our hanbok can be loved by more people around the world.”

Kim wore a light green jeogori (traditional Korean jacket) paired with a darker green skirt during the event, which was attended by 77 people, including intangible cultural heritage holders; veteran and emerging hanbok designers; academics; distributors; and foreign influencers from Estonia, Lithuania and France. Vice Culture Minister Kim Young-soo, Kim Ye-rin, the CEO of fashion brand 71to96, and Kim Gi-ho, a state-designated master gold-leaf artisan, were also in attendance.

First lady Kim Hea Kyung, center, holds up a plaque after her appointment as honorary ambassador for hanbok (Korean traditional attire) at an event at Jeongdong 1928 Art Center in Jung District, central Seoul, on Feb. 6. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

The event took place ahead of the Lunar New Year and was themed “Wear the New Year!” The first lady was presented with a plaque naming her honorary ambassador for hanbok by Jeong Soon-hoon, the head of the Hanbok Globalization Foundation (translated).

“I am deeply honored to have been given this meaningful role,” she said upon receiving the plaque. “I will continue to promote the value and dignity of hanbok, proudly wearing it and sharing its beauty with others.”

The Jeongdong 1928 Art Center, designated as Seoul Monument No. 20 in 2002, was built as the headquarters for Salvation Army officers in 1928 and is now a public center for culture and art.

During the event, the first lady participated in a traditional craft program, during which she learned how to make a “lucky pollack.” The wooden pollack, believed to ward off misfortune, was attached to a keyring via a silk thread.

A fashion show featuring hanbok (Korean traditional costume) takes place at the opening ceremony for the Korea House for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics at the Villa Necchi Campiglio museum in Milan on Feb. 5. [YONHAP]

Models are lined up at fashion show featuring hanbok (Korean traditional costume) at the opening ceremony for the Korea House for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics at the Villa Necchi Campiglio museum in Milan on Feb. 5. [YONHAP]

“Just as we held a hanbok fashion show at the opening ceremony of the Korea House for the [Milan-Cortina] Winter Olympics yesterday, we will actively utilize hanbok at various international events so that it may establish itself as a cultural asset representing K-culture,” Vice Culture Minister Kim said. “I hope that hanbok becomes a cultural bridge connecting our society with the world.”

The Korean hospitality house for the Games opened in Villa Necchi Campiglio in Milan on Thursday. The opening ceremony for the Korea House began with a fashion show featuring hanbok, and officials — including Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Chae Hwi-young and Ryu Seung-min, the president of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee — donned the traditional attire as they gave speeches.

BY SARAH KIM [[email protected]]