First Lady Kim Hye-kyung Visits Hanbok Fair

Kim Hye-kyung visited the '2026 Hanbok Fair' on August 14, exploring South Korea's largest exhibition of traditional clothing and related items. The event, held at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) in Seoul, showcased the present and future of the Hanbok industry.

Kim toured the exhibition hall with Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Kyung-ha and Korea Craft & Design Promotion Agency President Kim Kyung-bae. This year marked the ninth iteration of the Hanbok Fair, attracting approximately 150 Hanbok businesses, educational institutions, and supporting organizations from across the country.

A special exhibit highlighted the Gwangjang Market's Hanbok district, which has been a central hub for Hanbok production and distribution for over 120 years. The theme for this year's fair was 'A Market Where Hanbok is Made.'

During her visit, Kim praised Hanbok as a precious cultural heritage and a representative cultural asset of Korea. She stated, "The efforts of artisans preserving traditional techniques and designers creating Hanbok with new sensibilities will further enhance the competitiveness of our Hanbok industry."

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Hanbok is a precious cultural heritage that has been with our lives for a long time and a representative cultural asset of Korea. The efforts of artisans preserving traditional techniques and designers creating Hanbok with new sensibilities will further enhance the competitiveness of our Hanbok industry.