First Lady Kim Hye-kyung Visits 'Hanbok Fair': "Hoping It Spreads into Everyday Culture"

First Lady Kim Hye-kyung, spouse of President Lee Jae-myung, visited South Korea's largest Hanbok fair and expressed her wishes for the broader promotion of Hanbok culture.

Ahn Gui-ryung, Deputy Spokesperson for the Presidential Office, stated that First Lady Kim visited the "2026 Hanbok Fair" held at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) in Seoul on the morning of the 14th.

First Lady Kim toured the booths of participating businesses, purchased items directly, and encouraged the merchants.

She promised Hanbok industry representatives, "I will continue to support the efforts to have Hanbok inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity," and expressed her gratitude to Kim Young-hee, a master artisan holding the National Intangible Cultural Heritage title for jade crafting, telling her, "You are doing precious work."

Concluding her visit, First Lady Kim said, "As global interest in K-content continues to grow, I expect Hanbok to further grow as a cultural industry representing South Korea, and for a culture where citizens naturally enjoy Hanbok in their daily lives to spread further."

Deputy Spokesperson Ahn conveyed, "First Lady Kim encouraged workers in the Hanbok industry and listened to voices from the field where traditional methods are preserved alongside new attempts, thereby examining the growth potential and future vision of our Hanbok industry together."

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Whee-young and others accompanied her at the event.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.