South Korea's long-running push to get more people wearing hanbok is shifting focus to wearing it correctly. The government says demand for the traditional dress is rising as K-culture spreads globally, but so are knockoff versions of uncertain origin, including Chinese-made garments. To encourage proper wear, the government will introduce a "Hanbok Pass" that offers shopping discounts.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said on the 17th that it will hold a launch ceremony for its "Wear Hanbok Correctly" campaign at 11 a.m. on the 19th near Gyeonghoeru Pavilion inside Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul's Jongno District, together with the Korea Heritage Service and the Korea Craft and Design Foundation. The event marks this year's Hanbok Culture Week, which runs from the 19th to the 25th. First Vice Minister Kim Young-soo will attend the ceremony alongside 24 hanbok rental shops near the palace and 17 influencers in the hanbok field to open the campaign and join efforts to spread proper wearing practices.
A ministry official said hanbok experiences have become a popular activity among domestic and foreign tourists visiting Gyeongbokgung and other royal palaces, giving more people a chance to encounter the dress. "However, there have been persistent concerns that some rental hanbok fail to reflect the distinctive forms and characteristics of traditional hanbok," the official said. The official added that the ministry designed the campaign to use the 2026 Hanbok Culture Week as an occasion to show tourists the unique beauty and value of hanbok and to spread proper wearing practices, and that it plans to provide tourists with accurate information about traditional hanbok and expand opportunities to experience it firsthand.
A new "Hanbok Pass" item is being introduced to promote proper hanbok wear. The program offers discounts at cultural facilities and partner stores to tourists who wear traditional hanbok correctly. Rental shops taking part in the campaign will give a "Hanbok Pass" norigae, a traditional ornament, as a souvenir to tourists wearing traditional hanbok. Tourists can present it at 27 businesses, including the National Museum of Korea's "MU:DS" shop, tenants at Annyeong Insadong and Matthew Jang Anguk, to receive discounts of 10% to 20%. The benefit runs through the 25th at MU:DS and through Dec. 31 at the other stores.
The ministry will also carry out on-site promotion aimed at domestic and foreign tourists visiting Gyeongbokgung to explain the campaign's purpose and encourage participation. The 24 hanbok rental shops near the palace will distribute "Hanbok Stories," a multilingual booklet introducing the history and components of hanbok and how to wear it correctly, along with QR-code guides, to help visiting tourists understand the value of traditional hanbok and choose accordingly.
The Korea Craft and Design Foundation plans to run training programs for rental shop employees on proper hanbok wearing methods to raise their understanding and expertise. The 17 hanbok influencers will promote proper wearing practices through social media.
The ministry and the Korea Heritage Service will visit participating rental shops to hear feedback and explore ways to cooperate on spreading proper wearing practices, while also encouraging the rental industry to expand its traditional hanbok offerings. Near Gyeonghoeru Pavilion, various exhibitions and hands-on events will be held so that domestic and foreign tourists can learn about the history and culture of hanbok in an accessible and entertaining way.
"With rental shops increasing the share of high-end hanbok, I expect this campaign, which brings together the rental industry and content creators, to further spread the culture of wearing hanbok correctly at Gyeongbokgung," Kim said.