Korean Empire Era Civil Official Court Uniform Embroidered with Rose of Sharon to Become National Registered Cultural Heritage

Ceremonial attire that offers a glimpse into the official clothing system and the flow of modern clothing culture from the Korean Empire is set to become a designated national heritage.

The Korea Heritage Service announced today (August 13) that it plans to register the "1906 Revised Court Uniform for Chigimgwan Officials of the Korean Empire," owned by the Korea Bespoke Tailors Association, as a National Registered Cultural Heritage.

Court uniforms were garments worn during important national ceremonies.

In 1900, the Korean Empire established regulations regarding Western-style court uniforms for civil officials, which changed traditional attire to Western styles to enter the international diplomatic stage.


The civil official court uniform announced for registration is the only surviving example among the ceremonial attire produced in accordance with the system revised in 1906.

It consists of a set of upper and lower garments worn by a "chigimgwan" (high-ranking official), a government post reorganized during the Gabo Reform, and is estimated to have been produced between 1906 and 1910.

The court uniform features a black woolen base with blue wool used at the cuff ends, and stands out for its Rose of Sharon patterns embroidered with gold thread.

Accessory ornaments and metal decorations also remain completely intact.

This court uniform is regarded as an important material for studying modern clothing culture.

An official from the Korea Heritage Service explained, "It is a relic that demonstrates the identity of a modern state by reflecting the national symbols of the Korean Empire, such as the Rose of Sharon pattern, while adopting a Western-style ceremonial attire system."

The Korea Heritage Service plans to decide on the registration after reviewing opinions from various sectors during a 30-day notice period and undergoing deliberation by the National Heritage Committee.

Meanwhile, the Korea Heritage Service has finalized the registration of "Anatomy (Jejungwon Korean Medical Textbook)," published in 1906 at Jejungwon, a modern Western medical institution, as a National Registered Cultural Heritage.

"Anatomy" is a material showing the process by which modern Western medicine took root in Korea, and it is also helpful for the study of the Korean language, as it explains unfamiliar medical terms in Hangeul.

(Photo courtesy of Korea Heritage Service, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.