Hanbok (한복) is the traditional clothing of Korea. You will see it at weddings, first-birthday parties and the big holidays of Seollal and Chuseok, and on visitors renting outfits to walk around Seoul's palaces. It also appears in historical dramas, K-pop stage costumes and, on this site, in the characters drawn for each reading.
Because hanbok is often confused with the traditional clothing of China and Japan, this guide walks through its main parts, the accessories that complete it, and the details that make an outfit recognisably Korean.
The jacket: jeogori
Every hanbok starts with the jeogori (저고리), a jacket worn by both women and men. In the style most people picture today, which developed in the later Joseon period, the women's jeogori is short, often ending just below the chest, while the men's version is longer and looser.
Three details are worth knowing. The collar, called git (깃), crosses over the front. Along its edge runs the dongjeong (동정), a narrow strip of white fabric that frames the neck and can be replaced for washing. And instead of buttons, the jacket closes with the goreum (고름), a pair of long ribbons tied in a distinctive loop on the chest. A neat goreum knot is one of the clearest signs of Korean dress.
Skirt and trousers: chima and baji
Women wear the jeogori over a chima (치마), a long wrap skirt attached to a wide band. Because the band is tied high, just under the arms, the skirt falls from above the chest and opens into a full bell shape. Underneath, a petticoat called sokchima helps the skirt hold that shape.
Men wear baji (바지), roomy trousers gathered at the ankles with ties, which make sitting on the floor comfortable. In everyday modern Korean, the word baji simply means trousers, a reminder of how ordinary this garment once was.
For going outside or for formal occasions, both men and women may add a durumagi (두루마기), a long overcoat that reaches below the knees. Men in the Joseon period often wore a gat (갓), a wide-brimmed hat woven from horsehair and bamboo, familiar to many viewers from historical dramas.
Accessories that complete the outfit
The best-known accessory is the norigae (노리개), a decorative tassel hung from the goreum ribbon or from the skirt band. A norigae may carry a knot, a small charm and silk tassels, and it was often given with wishes for good fortune or a happy marriage.
Hair accessories also carried meaning. Unmarried young women traditionally wore their hair in a single long braid tied with a ribbon called daenggi (댕기). Married women wore their hair in a low chignon held by a long pin, the binyeo (비녀). Many modern hanbok outfits mix these freely, but the traditional distinction still appears in period dramas and formal ceremonies.
Footwear completes the look: padded white socks called beoseon (버선) with their gently upturned toes, and embroidered silk shoes for women, often called kkotsin (꽃신), literally "flower shoes."
How hanbok differs from Chinese hanfu
Hanbok and the Chinese clothing often called hanfu share a long history of influence, but they are different. A few visual clues help. The women's jeogori is usually short and closed with a goreum ribbon rather than a wide sash. The chima is tied high, so it rises from the chest instead of the waist. Sleeves are typically gently curved rather than very wide and trailing. The overall silhouette, a small top above a full bell-shaped skirt, is distinctively Korean.
These differences matter to many Koreans, and they are why K-Soul Seal's character drawings ask specifically for a short jeogori with a goreum ribbon and a high-waisted chima, and avoid large waist bows and wide trailing sleeves. You can see the results, one for each element, on our page about hanbok characters.
Colors and their meanings
Traditional hanbok uses color carefully. Bright combinations, including the five symbolic colors of obangsaek, appear on festive clothing; the striped saekdong sleeves on children's hanbok for a first birthday are a famous example. Everyday clothing for ordinary people was often plain and pale. Our guide to obangsaek explains how the five colors map to the five elements.
When people wear hanbok today
Most Koreans keep hanbok for special days. Families may dress children in hanbok for Seollal, the Lunar New Year, and for Chuseok, the autumn harvest festival. Weddings often include a hanbok ceremony or a change into hanbok for greeting relatives, and a baby's first birthday party is a classic occasion.
There is also a modern revival. Everyday hanbok, known as saenghwal hanbok (생활한복), adapts traditional lines into practical clothing for daily wear. Rental shops near palaces let visitors try hanbok for a few hours, and the major royal palaces in Seoul have offered free admission to visitors wearing hanbok, which has made a walk around Gyeongbokgung in hanbok a popular experience. Check the palace's current rules before you go, since admission policies can change.
A few tips if you try hanbok
If you rent or buy hanbok, ask someone to show you how to tie the goreum; it takes a little practice to get the loop right. Choose a chima length that lets you walk comfortably, and remember that the high band is meant to sit above the chest, not at the waist. Above all, wear it with confidence. Koreans generally welcome visitors who enjoy hanbok respectfully.
If you would like a hanbok character of your own, create your reading on the main page. The character is drawn in the colors of the element your first suggested name is chosen to strengthen, in the style you pick.