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wearing korean hanbok

Hanbok (South Korea) or Joseon-ot (North Korea) is the traditional Korean dress. It is often characterized by vibrant colors and simple lines without pockets. Although the term literally means "Korean clothing", hanbok today often refers specifically to clothing of the Joseon period and is worn as semi-formal or formal wear during traditional festivals and celebrations.

Throughout history, Korea had a dual clothing tradition, in which rulers and aristocrats adopted different kinds of mixed foreign-influenced indigenous styles while commoners continued to use a distinct style of indigenous clothing that today is known as Hanbok.^[1][2]

In 1996, the South Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism made "Hanbok day" to encourage South Korean citizens to wear Hanbok.^[3]

Hanbok accessories

Children's hanbok

In old days, Kkachi durumagi (literally "a magpie's overcoat") were worn as seolbim (설빔), new clothing and shoes worn on Korean New Year, while at present, it is worn as a ceremonial garment for dol, celebration for a baby's first birthday.^[20][21] It is a children's colorful overcoat.^[22] It was worn mostly by young boys.^[23] The clothes is also called obangjang durumagi which means "an overcoat of five directions".^[20] It was worn over jeogori (a jacket) and jokki (a vest) while the wearer could put jeonbok (a long vest) over it. Kkachi durumagi was also worn along with headgear such as bokgeon (a peaked cloth hat),^[24][25] hogeon (peaked cloth hat with a tiger pattern) for young boys or gulle (decorative headgear) for young girls.^{[6][need quotation to verify], [26]}

Occasions

Hanbok is classified according to its purposes: everyday dress, ceremonial dress and special dress. Ceremonial dresses are worn on formal occasions, including a child's first birthday, a wedding or a funeral. Special dresses are made for shamans and officials.^[17]