The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Minister CHAE Hwi-young, MCST), together with the Korea Craft & Design Foundation (President KIM Kyung-bae, KCDF), will hold the “2026 Hanbok Expo,” Korea’s largest hanbok fair, from August 13 (Thursday) to 16 (Sunday) at the Art Hall of Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP). Now in its ninth edition, the “Hanbok Expo” will be held under the theme “The Market That Makes Hanbok” and will feature a special pavilion dedicated to “Gwangjang Market’s Hanbok Fabric Market,” Korea’s leading hanbok fabric market, allowing visitors to experience both the hanbok industry and its culture. For the first time, the event will also operate business-to-business (B2B) consultation sessions to help hanbok companies expand their domestic and overseas sales channels and identify new business opportunities.

Gwangjang Market’s 120-Year History and Hanbok-Making Culture in One Place

Gwangjang Market is a leading traditional market visited by domestic and international tourists seeking to experience Korea’s traditional culture, the root of “K-Culture.” For more than 120 years, it has served as a center of hanbok production and distribution in Korea. The special pavilion will present the history of Gwangjang Market’s Hanbok Fabric Market together with the culture of hanbok making. The entire process of completing a single hanbok—from fabric selection to gold leaf imprinting, embroidery, and sewing—will be presented through an exhibition, and six hanbok and textile companies based in Gwangjang Market will operate sales booths to showcase their fabrics and hanbok directly to visitors. Through these programs, visitors can explore the history and value of Gwangjang Market’s Hanbok Fabric Market as the center of hanbok production and distribution in Korea over the past 120 years, and gain an understanding of how a single hanbok is made and of the artisanship and skill behind it.

First B2B Consultation Sessions to Support the Expansion of Sales Channels for Hanbok Companies

“Hanbok Culture Festival” Featuring Discounts of up to 80% on Hanbok Products, Along with Exhibitions and Hands-On Programs

At the B2B consultation sessions, held for the first time this year, domestic and international distributors and professional buyers will be invited to hold one-on-one business consultations with participating companies and to explore possibilities for entry into distribution channels and overseas markets. Going beyond simple product introductions, the sessions will provide consultation opportunities that can lead to actual business partnerships, thereby supporting a tangible expansion of sales channels for hanbok companies.

In the Sales Pavilion, 149 domestic and international hanbok companies will offer a wide range of hanbok products—including traditional hanbok and everyday hanbok, as well as fabrics, accessories, bags, and lifestyle goods —at discounts of up to 80%. The Promotion Pavilion will introduce “hanbok workwear” designs developed in consideration of the characteristics and mobility needs of different occupations, with the aim of spreading the culture of wearing hanbok in everyday life. The Education Pavilion and Collaboration Pavilion will showcase a variety of achievements in hanbok education, research, and cultural projects carried out by five educational institutions specializing in traditional dress and four partner organizations.

Hands-on programs for visitors will also be held. Through the “Hanbok Expo Style Festival,” which reinterprets traditional hanbok through a contemporary lens, a “custom hanbok making” experience organized in connection with Gwangjang Market, and traditional market games with the “Hanbok Pungnyudan” group, visitors of all ages can experience the beauty and culture of hanbok firsthand. In addition, to enhance the credibility and quality of the event as a whole, a “Hanbok Expo Secret Inspector Team” will review product quality and country of manufacture, creating an event environment that visitors can enjoy with greater confidence.

Free Admission for Visitors Wearing Hanbok or Registering in Advance (by August 12)

Admission to the “2026 Hanbok Expo” costs KRW 5,000, but visitors wearing hanbok or registering in advance by August 12 (Wednesday) will receive free admission. Detailed information on the event is available on the Hanbok Expo website (kcdf.or.kr/hanbokexpo).