ART MUSEUM DEDICATED TO ‘HANBOK’

[Anchor Lead]

The Korean traditional dress hanbok has become a special outfit that people just rent for photo ops. Koreans don’t wear them even on traditional holidays anymore. Lately there has even been a dispute with China about the origin of hanbok. Now an art museum is making a new attempt to raise awareness on the attire.

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Pastel pink hanbok that resembles a spring flower and a dancer’s elegant movement. all billow in the wind. A uniquely designed hanbok draws attention with its sleeves made with Korean traditional paper hanji. A soulful song echoes through the flowing skirt to capture people’s hearts. A hanbok fashion show is underway outside of an art museum while another exhibition is waiting for visitors inside. The exhibition features a range of different Korean traditional attires, including the hanbok outfits that were in fashion during the 16th century, a horse-riding getup and even underwear.

[Soundbite] "We modernized the hanbok while keeping their traditional patterns. The colors also vary, from pastels to vivids."

Painter Kim Byung-jong’s paintings complement the elegant style of hanbok to portray the spring days of life.

[Soundbite] Kim Hye-soon(Hanbok Designer) : "They feel like the spring spirits dressed in hanbok. The exhibition was organized to encourage young people to come up with lots of ideas about hanbok."

From a finely crafted litter called gama to traditional accessories, such as flower-embroidered shoes, hair ribbons, and norigae pieces. These are all valuable legacies and artworks that provide a fresh look at the vanishing Korean costumes and a glimpse into the lives of Korean women in the past. These pieces either came from hanbok artisan Kim Hye-soon’s decades-old collection or were recreated with her advice. We have to remind ourselves about the beauty and meaning of hanbok. That is the way to put an end to the recent dispute about the origin of hanbok.

[Soundbite] Kim Hye-soon(Hanbok Designer) : "I often get asked why Koreans don’t wear such colorful and pretty outfits. We should prove that hanbok is Korean clothes by preserving them and wearing them, not by arguing with China over its origin."