Korea's largest hanbok fair blends modern fashion with 120 years of craft
Long before machine looms and mass production arrived in East Asia, a Korean hanbok was built to tell a story through every stitch, from the precise weight of its silk to the gold leaf stamped onto its cuffs. For 120 years, the epicenter of that painstaking labor has been Seoul’s Gwangjang Market, where generations of tailors have quietly kept the craft alive. This week, that living heritage is…
For over a century, the art of crafting a traditional Korean hanbok has been a labor of meticulous detail, from the delicate weight of the silk to the intricate gold leaf accents adorning its cuffs. This centuries-old craft was once centered in Seoul's Gwangjang Market, where generations of skilled tailors have preserved and passed down this heritage.
This week, the rich traditions and techniques of hanbok-making are taking center stage at the 2026 Hanbok Sangjeom fair, held at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza. The theme of this annual event, "The Market That Crafts Hanbok," aims to provide an immersive experience that transports visitors back to the historic workshops of Gwangjang Market.
Spanning four days and featuring 149 vendors, the fair showcases the entire traditional garment-making ecosystem. A dedicated pavilion within the event recreates the historic silk district of Gwangjang Market, allowing attendees to witness the transformation of raw silk into wearable art through the hands of master embroidery and tailoring artisans.
The centerpiece of the exhibition is the craftsmen's journey, from the selection of raw silk to the final stitch, providing a rare opportunity to observe and appreciate the dedication and skill involved in creating these symbolic garments.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
