Hanbok is a traditional type of Korean clothing that is often worn at special or traditional occasions. The history of the hanbok traces back to the origins of Korea itself and has continued to experience foreign influences. With a dress style for women and a pant style for men, the hanbok has multiple garments that make one outfit. A traditional hanbok has different styles, patterns, and colors that once was used to symbolize one’s level of social class. More contemporary styles of the hanbok have been adopted and are commonly worn by many people in Korea today. To maintain the traditional hanbok culture, there is a hanbok rental service in Korea that allows people to borrow their choice of hanbok for the day. This is an excellent way for tourists to directly assimilate traditional Korean culture.
As a Korean-American born in the United States, wearing a hanbok is not very common for me. However, older members of my family usually wear a hanbok on wedding days, birthdays, or traditional holidays such as “Chuseok”, Korea’s major harvest holiday. When I went to visit Korea, I was able to rent a hanbok and walk around the historical palace nearby called Gyeongbokgung Palace. By wearing a traditional hanbok and exploring historical monuments, I was able to re-connect and truly appreciate my home culture. It felt like I was a part of the traditional Korean culture, and it is definitely an experience that both visitors and citizens of Korea should partake in.