• Beautiful Hanbok: Pride of the Korean People
  
• Development of Hanbok
  
• Modern-style Hanbok

Beautiful Hanbok: Pride of the Korean People

In all cultures, traditional costume is an indicator of national character and values. Koreans use "ot" as a general term for clothing. Koreans have designed their ot to cover their whole body but for comfortable use. Traditional clothing is called "hanbok," an abbreviation of the term Han-gukboksik (Korean attire). Hanbok forms a highly effective expression of Korean identity and changes in hanbok design from the past to the present parallel the nation's historical development. Moreover, forms, materials and designs in hanbok provide a glimpse into Korean lifestyle, while its colors indicate the values and world view of the Korean people.


Development of Hanbok

Hanbok is a kind of apparel of the Caftan type; a style of attire commonly seen in Northeast Asia and Central Asia. The outer top garment is loose fitting and opens in the front. Its single piece coat mirrors other Asian designs.

Today few in cities wear hanbok as daily apparel but older women in the countryside still wear "chima," a skirt and "jeogori," a bolero-like blouse. A sokchima is a full slip and beoseon are thick padded socks. In winter, a long overcoat, durumagi, is worn outdoors. Durumagi is also worn on formal occasions in all seasons. Men wear jeogori, jokki, a vest, magoja, a jacket or short coat, and baji, baggy trousers. For undergarments, they wear variations of the jeogori and baji. Men also wear beoseon and sometimes a durumagi when they go out.

Ritual garments are worn at rites of passage. On their first birthday boys wear a knee-length vest, a five-colored top coat called kkachidurumagi, and on their head hogeon or bokgeon, peaked or plain hoods. Women wear dang-ui, a ceremonial jacket with front lapels, over chima and jeogori, a small bejeweled toque called jokduri on their head, and quilted beoseon decorated with embroidery and pompons, on their feet.


For wedding the groom wears a gossamer hat called samo and dallyeong, a kind of topcoat with a rounded neckline and a belt. The bride wears wonsam or hwarot, a long decorative jacket, on top of seuran-chima, a long skirt decorated with embossed gold at the hem.

For burials in the Joseon era, the corpse of an upper-class man was dressed in the official attire of the highest office he held during his lifetime. Upper-class women were dressed in attire corresponding to the rank of her husband's last official post. Common people were wrapped in hemp robes patterned after wedding attire.

There were also special garments for rituals held at Jongmyo, the royal ancestral shrine of the Joseon Period, and for shamans, folk dancers and other performers.

In the ancient times during the Gojoseon era (paleolithic age-57B.C.), records reveal that people trimmed their hair and wore hats.

During the Three Kingdoms period, which began with the founding of Goguryeo (37B.C.-A.D.668), hanbok consisted of a two-piece "unisex" outfit. The upper garments (yu) of this period opened in front and came down to the hips. They were held shut with a belt. The lower garments (go) were also tied off above the feet. Notably, the opening flap of the upper garments seems to have been the right to left style in contrast with the left to right flaps on the jeogori worn today. This change in the direction of the opening flap occurred after the mid-Goryeo period. Among Western apparel, a right-side flap is used for male attire, while a left-side flap is used for female attire. Thus, the unisex style popular in the modern period can be said to have originated in East and North Asia, whereas the differentiation between male and female attire is thought to have originated in the West. Ancient Koreans produced upper and lower garments in a snuggly fitting style, which were beautiful yet practically suited to the active lifestyle of nomadic hunters. But dress and ornaments like head gear, necklaces, bracelets and earrings of the upper class were brilliant and decorative.

Korean society diversified while contacts with neighboring countries increased during the Silla period. At this time, Koreans began to introduce the international fashions of China's Tang Dynasty. Examples include sleeveless shirts for women, long scarves, decorative hairpins, male headdress and coats with round lapels. Elaborate silk clothing and ornaments are deemed related to the refined clothing fashions of the period from Persia to Japan's Nara period.

During the Goryeo period, the long upper garments of the previous period gave way to waist-length attire. As a result, waist belts were replaced by coat tie-strings, otgoreum. As one of the unique features of Korean clothing, the coat string was initially a short, thin cord but eventually developed into the style seen today, i.e., a long, dangling piece of cloth that hangs down below the knees. Around this time, after the splendid Silla fashion, the mode of Goryeo embraced a calmer and quiet manner. As Goryeo society turned to the values of frugality and simplicity, the tranquil beauty of agricultural life found expression in the period's famous blue celadon vessels and white clothing. Korean clothing underwent further refinement as cotton was introduced into Goryeo from Yuan China. In addition, clothing regulations were introduced from abroad and a system of official uniforms was established for the palace.

The beginning of the Joseon period saw the development of a Confucian society. At this time, the use of cotton became widespread all over the country. In addition, the period saw the development of a unique script, known as Han-geul, and the publication of numerous scholarly compilations. At the same time, there were diverse developments in the system of ritual attire. Confucianism, as the central ideology and faith of East Asia, was actively pursued at this time, along with its system of ritual dress.

Ritual clothing represented the visible manifestation of intangible Confucian virtues such as benevolence, propriety, wisdom and trust. Clothing served as a medium for the visible expression of a rite. Hence, Joseon apparel, in addition to its role in delineating social status, represented a strict conformity to Confucian codes of ritual attire. In particular, a standardized system of clothing for the various rites of passages was established in accordance with numerous ritual manuals. Special attire was worn for the rites of manhood, marriage, mourning and memorial services. Even today, this clothing can be seen at weddings and funerals, and in particularly conservative areas, in memorial services as well. The traditional dress of Confucian scholars can be seen in the paintings of the famous Joseon folk painter, Sin Yun-bok. In these paintings, the outer robes are long, yet never touch the ground. Inside the robes, multiple layers of undergarments can be seen. With wide sleeves hanging down, the grave-looking scholar sports a broad-brimmed, horsehair hat.

The late-Joseon period was confronted by great social changes as the common people came to resent the feudalistic system. The period was also marked by significant changes in values and aesthetics. At this time, female entertainers took the lead in new developments in women's attire. Men's fashions, on the other hand, were primarily influenced by members of overseas missions, political reformers, overseas students and Western missionaries. Folk art depictions of women during this era show them wearing white belts, snug jeogori that show the contour of the breast, and numerous undergarments exaggerating the volume of the dress. The erotic beauty of the garments has little precedent in traditional Confucian culture.

The opening of Korea to the West intensified the pace of change in apparel. Most notably, clothing during this period became much simpler. During the Gabo Reform (1894), clothing specifications for various ceremonies were combined to form a single ritual attire. The awkwardly wide sleeves became narrower and male top-knots were cut off. Among woman's attire, undergarments as well as concealing vestments such as the sseugae-chima (shawl), jang-ot (hood) and neo-ul (veil) gave way to a more practical, short coat.

The disappearance of traditional attire during the process of modernization has been explained in relationship to economic development. Nations which have industrialized and developed economically have given up their traditional clothing as their everyday dress at a more rapid pace than economically backward nations. In Korea, the hanbok began to disappear from daily life in the 1960s and came to be used only on special occasions. As for traditional ritual attire, only marriage and mourning clothing have survived. Traditional hanbok are now only seen on special traditional events such as folk festivals, shaman's rites called gut, historical dramas or reenactments of palace ceremonies.

Hanbok has undergone many changes but still maintains the same elements of pants, outer coat, skirt, and so on. During its development, the hanbok acquired some elements from neighboring nations, while changing to suit the particular needs of the times.


Modern-style Hanbok

A Korean family ready to celebrate the Lunar New Year in their Hanbok.

At present, attire can be divided into Western-style dress, which has become the common form of attire throughout the world, and various forms of traditional dress. In Korea, as elsewhere, Western-style clothing is so pervasive that one rarely comes across anyone wearing Korean hanbok in public. The hanbok presently worn can be classified, according to use, as everyday attire, ritual attire and special attire.

First, the hanbok worn by women as everyday attire consists chiefly of the following: a dress (jeogori), a skirt (chima), and undergarments, such as an undershirt (sokjeogori), under pants (gojaeng-i), inner skirt (sokchima) and socks (beoseon). Men's hanbok are made up of jeogori, pants (baji), an overcoat (durumagi), vest, outer coat (magoja) and socks (beoseon). Western accessories such as shoes and handbag are also used.

In recent times, Korea's Ministry of Culture and Tourism has launched a campaign encouraging people to wear hanbok. Facilitated by Koreans' fondness for their own traditions, the campaign has promoted the creation of new hanbok styles that are practical for everyday use. At present, hanbok, as everyday attire, is worn chiefly by old people and by the general population during special occasions such as traditional holidays, weddings and 60th birthday celebrations.

Second, there is a hanbok worn during rites of passage. Examples include baenaet jeogori worn by newborn infants, hwarot (loose robe decorated with peonies) worn by a bride as the bride presents gifts to her new parents-in-law, wonsam (ritual attire worn by a woman), and jokduri (black, silk headpiece worn by women), hairpieces, daenggi (pigtail ribbons). During traditional weddings, the man wears a large robe known as a dallyeong over his other clothing, a gakdae (traditional belt) and samo (tall cap with round projections of the left and right).

During funerals, the corpse is clothed in special attire. The clothing design is the same as that of weddings, but natural-colored hemp is used instead. Women from the deceased person's family wear white skirts and coats.

Third, there is special attire worn during all traditional rituals and related events.

As seen above, the hanbok design is characterized by a two-piece outfit without pockets and buttons that are closed with strings, belts or cords. In traditional ondol houses, people sit on the warm floor, thus the legs of the lower garment tend to be baggy. Hanbok colors are based on natural hues which are interpreted according to East Asian theories of eum-yang (yin-yang) and the five elements. The female aspect is represented by yin and likewise the lower garment is given a yin color. Yang represents the male aspect as well as upper and outer garments. White garments, which the Korean people have always been very fond of, indicate the Koreans' simple and pure aesthetic sense.

In traditional Korean garments color is used symbolically. White was the basic color most widely used by common people. It symbolized a modest and pure spirit. Red signified good fortune and wealth and thus was used in woman's wedding garments. Indigo, the color of constancy, was used for the skirt of court ladies and the official coats of court officials. Black, symbolizing infinity and the fountainhead of all creation, was used for men's hat. Yellow, which represented the center of the universe, was used for royal garments. Common people were forbidden from wearing yellow. These five colors were also firmly established as symbols of the four directions and the center of the universe and order of the universe.

Neutral colors symbolized the yin or implicit virtues. They were used for embroidery on garments worn below the waist. The five cardinal colors, symbolizing the yang, or overt virtues, were used in patterns on garments worn above the waist. The five colored garments worn by children, five-colored purses and five-colored dancing costumes are good examples of this symbolism. Colors symbolizing heaven and earth were used for wedding dress.

Unlike most of the world's peoples, Koreans have managed to preserve the basic design of their traditional attire up through the modern period. Their ability to do so can be attributed to their strong sense of national identity.

To study the history of a national costume is to understand the culture and character of that nation. It is no surprise that the hanbok, like the traditional costumes of other nations, is increasingly seen as ceremonial or ornamental attire today.