The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has begun a campaign to teach visitors how traditional Korean dress should be worn, after tourists in Chinese hanfu and Japanese kimono appeared repeatedly around Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul, raising concern that foreign visitors could confuse hanbok with hanfu.
The ministry said on the 20th that it held a launch ceremony for the "Wear Hanbok Properly" campaign the previous day near Gyeonghoeru Pavilion at Gyeongbokgung, starting activities to explain the history of hanbok and traditional ways of wearing it.
The campaign is run jointly by the ministry, the Korea Heritage Service and the Korea Craft and Design Foundation. It was arranged to coincide with 2026 Hanbok Culture Week, which runs through the 25th, following criticism that some rental hanbok do not properly reflect the forms of traditional hanbok.
The campaign follows an online controversy over a video by a Chinese influencer filmed at Gyeongbokgung while wearing hanfu. Seo Kyoung-duk, a professor at Sungshin Women's University, said on social media on the 17th that a Chinese man in hanfu had spoken in front of Gyeongbokgung to the effect that he had come to Korea and wanted to promote Chinese culture around the world.
"People can wear their own country's traditional clothing while traveling in South Korea, but foreign tourists may misunderstand," Seo said. "Our hanbok and China's hanfu are clearly different garments, yet foreigners could mistake hanfu for Korean traditional dress."
He added that photos and videos of visitors wearing hanfu at Gyeongbokgung were being posted on Chinese social media platforms such as Weibo and Xiaohongshu, and urged Chinese influencers to stop such activity at the palace. Respect for the history and culture of other countries is needed, he said.
Wearing one's own traditional clothing at Gyeongbokgung is not itself banned for foreigners. The controversy has centered less on the clothing than on the confusion that may arise when such images are filmed and posted online.
Through the campaign, the government plans to help tourists easily understand the form, components and proper wearing of traditional hanbok. Twenty-four hanbok rental shops near Gyeongbokgung are taking part, distributing a multilingual booklet titled "Hanbok Story" and QR code guides that explain the history, components and wearing of hanbok.
The Korea Craft and Design Foundation will train rental shop staff on how hanbok should properly be worn. Seventeen content creators working in the hanbok field will also promote the beauty of traditional hanbok and the culture of wearing it through social media.
A "Hanbok Quiz" on the components and names of hanbok will be held near Gyeonghoeru Pavilion at Gyeongbokgung. Exhibition and promotional booths introducing both royal court hanbok and hanbok featured in Korean dramas will also operate.
Participating rental shops will give a "Hanbok Pass" norigae ornament souvenir to tourists who rent and wear traditional hanbok. Twenty-seven outlets, including the National Museum of Korea's "Museum Goods" shops and businesses at Annyeong Insadong, are also joining the Hanbok Pass partnership.
The ministry and the Korea Heritage Service plan to visit hanbok rental shops in person to hear from the industry and discuss ways to expand the handling of traditional hanbok.
"Hanbok is a precious cultural heritage that has been part of our lives for a long time, and also a cultural asset that continues to develop in new forms today," Culture Minister Choi Hwi-young said. "I hope this will be an occasion to reflect on the efforts of hanbok artisans who have preserved its traditions, and for more people to wear and enjoy hanbok in daily life."