_01.jpg?width=960)
At a glance
| Dates | Expected Oct 2027The third week of October 2027, around Hanbok Day on Thursday 21 October, if the yearly pattern holds; nothing announced as of 18 October 2026. |
|---|---|
| Next edition | 2027: The third week of October 2027, around Hanbok Day on Thursday 21 October, if the yearly pattern holds; nothing announced as of 18 October 2026. |
| Weather | October average 20/11 °C (68/51 °F), 52 mm of rainComfortable: light layers. Monthly averages, not a forecast: Korea Meteorological Administration climate normals, 1991–2020, Seoul station. |
| Admission | Free. Visitors in hanbok also enter Seoul's four main palaces, Jongmyo Shrine and the Joseon royal tombs free all year.Entry to the week's events: Free · Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung, Deoksugung, Jongmyo and the Joseon royal tombs, in hanbok: Free (2026 prices) |
| Venue | National Museum of Korea, Open Yard (commemorative event)서울특별시 용산구 서빙고로 137 |
| Nearest station | Ichon Station (이촌역), Seoul Subway Line 4 and Gyeongui–Jungang Line, Exit 2Follow the Museum Walkway (박물관 나들길) from Exit 2 past the Mirror Pond to the museum's west gate; walking time not published |
| From Seoul | In Seoul · SubwayFull route |
| Organizer | Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (host); Korea Craft & Design Foundation (organizer)문화체육관광부 (주최) · 한국공예·디자인문화진흥원 (주관) |
| Usual timing | The third week of October, around Hanbok Day on 21 October: 16–22 Oct 2023, 14–20 Oct 2024, 21–26 Oct 2025 and 19–25 Oct 2026. Held every year since 2018, judging by the edition count (the 2026 week is the ninth). Browse October festivals. |
| First held | 2018 |
| Last checked | 18 October 2026Checked against 23 sources · See sources |
What it is like
Hanbok Culture Week is the national government's yearly push to get people wearing hanbok, Korea's traditional dress, in everyday life. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism hosts it and the Korea Craft & Design Foundation (KCDF) runs it, in the third week of October around Hanbok Day on 21 October. The 2026 edition, the ninth, runs from Monday 19 to Sunday 25 October. There is no single festival ground: the Korea Tourism Organization counts about 410 participating sites in Korea and abroad, from museums and palaces to hanbok rental shops, with fashion shows, exhibitions, performances, hands-on sessions and academic forums.
For a visitor in Seoul, two things stand out in 2026. The Hanbok Day commemorative event, with performances and a hanbok fashion show, is on Wednesday 21 October from 17:00 to 18:30 in the Open Yard of the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan. Around Gyeongbokgung Palace, the ministry, the National Heritage Service and KCDF start a campaign on 19 October for wearing hanbok properly: booths near Gyeonghoeru pavilion with quizzes and pop-up displays of court dress and costumes from films and dramas, multilingual guidebooks in the rental shops, and a norigae (a tasselled ornament) for visitors whose hanbok is worn correctly, which gives 10 to 20 percent off at 27 partner venues until the end of the year.
The centrepiece moves each year. The commemorative event was held in the yard of the Seoul Museum of Craft Art in 2023 and 2024, and at the Uijeongbu-ji historic site plaza in central Seoul in 2025. Past weeks also brought discounts for people in hanbok at attractions such as Lotte World and Seoul Sky; no 2026 list was found.
Hanbok pays off all year, too. Seoul's four main palaces, Jongmyo Shrine and the Joseon royal tombs have let visitors in hanbok in free since 2013. The guideline asks for a proper top and bottom: a jeogori with a closing collar, plus a skirt or traditional trousers. A royal robe worn on its own, or a jeogori over jeans, does not count.
The honest caveats: most programmes run in Korean, the events are scattered across many sites, and the full programme is published in Korean on KCDF's site. KTO's listing also includes lead-up events held before the week itself.
Highlights
- Hanbok Day commemorative event with performances and a hanbok fashion show: Wednesday 21 October 2026, 17:00–18:30, in the National Museum of Korea's Open Yard
- About 410 participating sites in Korea and abroad in 2026, with fashion shows, exhibitions, performances, hands-on sessions and forums
- Campaign for wearing hanbok correctly around Gyeongbokgung Palace from 19 October, with booths near Gyeonghoeru pavilion and pop-up displays of court dress and film and drama costumes
- A norigae ornament for visitors wearing hanbok properly, giving 10–20% off at 27 partner venues until the end of 2026
- Free entry in hanbok, all year, to Seoul's four main palaces, Jongmyo Shrine and the Joseon royal tombs
- Hansik Festa, a Korean food festival, at the same museum on 23–25 October 2026
Who it suits. Best for travelers who want to wear hanbok in Seoul and get something back for it (free palace entry, campaign discounts) and for anyone interested in Korean dress and design; less suited to visitors expecting one big festival ground, since the week is a scattered programme run mostly in Korean.
Getting there
From Seoul
For the commemorative event at the National Museum of Korea, take Line 4 or the Gyeongui–Jungang Line to Ichon Station, Exit 2. The Mirror Pond is in front of the exit; follow the signposted Museum Walkway (박물관 나들길) to the museum's west gate and the grounds. For the campaign at Gyeongbokgung Palace, take Line 3 to Gyeongbokgung Station.
From Busan
KTX from Busan Station to Seoul Station (about 2 h 30 m; ₩54,400 standard class since the 1 September 2026 fare cut), then Line 4 towards Sadang to Ichon Station, Exit 2.
From Incheon Airport
AREX to Seoul Station, then Line 4 towards Sadang to Ichon Station, Exit 2.
Last leg from Ichon Station
Seoul Subway Line 4 and Gyeongui–Jungang Line, Exit 2. Follow the Museum Walkway (박물관 나들길) from Exit 2 past the Mirror Pond to the museum's west gate; walking time not published
Getting home
The commemorative event ends at 18:30 and the week's listed hours end at 18:00, long before the last subway trains.
How to switch Naver Map and Kakao Map to English
Google Maps shows train, subway and bus routes in Korea but not walking or driving directions yet, so for the walk from the station Naver Map or Kakao Map is more reliable.
Before you go
1330 · Travel hotline
The Korea Tourism Organization’s helpline answers in English, Japanese and Chinese around the clock, and in several other languages from 08:00 to 19:00. Dial 1330 from a Korean phone, or +82-2-1330 from a phone registered abroad.
112 / 119 · Emergencies
112 for police, 119 for fire and ambulance. Both are free from any phone. Police on 112 can add an English or Chinese interpreter to the call.
T-money card
Buy one at a convenience store such as GS25, CU or 7-Eleven and top it up there with cash. It pays for subways and buses in most cities, and for most taxis.
Maps
Use Naver Map or Kakao Map for walking and bus directions; Google Maps does not yet give walking directions in Korea. Both apps can be switched to English. Naver Map: Menu (≡) → Settings → Language (Japanese and Chinese also available). Kakao Map: Menu (≡) → Settings → App settings → Language. If the option is missing, change your phone’s language and reopen the app. Small shop names and some reviews stay in Korean.
Trains and buses
Book trains on Korail’s English site and express buses on Kobus. Holiday weekends sell out first.
Checked 18 October 2026.
Tickets, prices and practical details
| Item | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Entry to the week's events | Free | Free, all ages, per KTO's listing |
| Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung, Deoksugung, Jongmyo and the Joseon royal tombs, in hanbok | Free | Year-round policy since 2013; the hanbok needs a jeogori with a closing collar and a skirt or traditional trousers |
| Partner-venue discount with the campaign norigae | — | 10–20% off at 27 venues until the end of 2026 |
- Booking
- No booking is listed for the commemorative event. Each of the roughly 410 participating sites sets its own rules; the programme is on the official Hanbok Culture Week site (kcdf.or.kr/hanbokcultureweek), in Korean.
- English on site
- Rental shops taking part in the Gyeongbokgung campaign hand out multilingual guidebooks and QR-code guides on hanbok history and how to wear it. No English programme for the week was found.
- Crowds
- No visitor figures are published, and the events are spread over many sites. The National Museum of Korea also hosts the Hansik Festa on 23–25 October 2026, so expect busier grounds those days.
- Best time to go
- Wednesday 21 October (Hanbok Day) for the 17:00 commemorative event; the museum's galleries stay open until 21:00 on Wednesdays, so you can combine the two.
- What to bring
- Hanbok, your own or rented, for the free palace entry and the campaign's norigae; a warm layer for the outdoor evening event in late October.
Editions
| Year | Dates | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | The third week of October 2027, around Hanbok Day on Thursday 21 October, if the yearly pattern holds; nothing announced as of 18 October 2026. | expected | The ministry announced the 2025 week on 16 October 2025, a few days before it began, so expect the 2027 dates in early to mid October 2027. The commemorative venue changes every year. |
| 2026 | 19–25 Oct 2026 | ended | Commemorative event at the National Museum of Korea's Open Yard in Yongsan, Seoul; the correct-wearing campaign is around Gyeongbokgung Palace; other events at about 410 sites in Korea and abroad. |
| 2025 | 21–26 Oct 2025 | ended | More than 360 sites; commemorative event at the Uijeongbu-ji Historic Site Plaza in central Seoul. |
| 2024 | 14–20 Oct 2024 | ended | More than 300 sites, centred on Jongno-gu in Seoul. |
| 2023 | 16–22 Oct 2023 | ended | 173 participating sites nationwide. |
Before or after the festival
Places you can fit in before or after the festival without missing the shuttle or the last train or bus back.
Joseon's main royal palace, which visitors in hanbok enter free; during the week the government's correct-wearing campaign has booths near Gyeonghoeru pavilion with quizzes, costume displays and a norigae for hanbok worn properly. Open 09:00–18:00 in October (last entry 17:00; ₩3,000 without hanbok), so go in the morning and reach the museum in Yongsan by afternoon. Tip: catch the guard-changing at Gwanghwamun at 10:00. Booth hours were not published.
Getting there: Subway: Line 4 from Ichon to Chungmuro, then Line 3 to Gyeongbokgung Station, Exit 5
Korea's national museum, whose free permanent galleries trace Korean history and art from prehistory to the Joseon dynasty. Since 16 March 2026 it opens 09:30–17:30, with late opening to 21:00 on Wednesdays and Saturdays, so Saturday 24 October suits an evening visit. Some Buddhist art, lacquer and calligraphy rooms on the 2nd and 3rd floors are closed for renovation until 28 January 2027. Tip: the celadon and white porcelain rooms on the 3rd floor stay open.
Getting there: Same grounds as the Open Yard; on foot, free
- 2026 Hansik Festa (2026 한식대축제)Before or after
A Korean food festival around the museum's Mirror Pond for the first Hansik Day (24 October), with chef demonstrations, cooking classes, a hansik quiz, performances, restaurant pop-ups and a flea market. It runs Friday 23 to Sunday 25 October, the last three days of the week; daily hours were not published. Tip: the cooking classes took first-come registration through a Naver form from 12 October, so check for places left before you go.
Getting there: Same grounds, around the Mirror Pond in front of Ichon Station Exit 2; on foot
Questions travelers ask
When is Hanbok Culture Week 2026?
19–25 October 2026 (Monday to Sunday), around Hanbok Day on 21 October. The main commemorative event, with performances and a hanbok fashion show, is on Wednesday 21 October, 17:00–18:30, in the Open Yard of the National Museum of Korea in Seoul.
Is Hanbok Culture Week free?
Yes. KTO lists the week as free for all ages. Hanbok rental is paid, but wearing hanbok gets you into Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung, Deoksugung, Jongmyo and the Joseon royal tombs free, all year.
What counts as hanbok for free palace entry?
The palace office's guideline asks for a top and a bottom: a jeogori with a closing collar, plus a skirt or traditional trousers. Modern hanbok is accepted, but a robe on its own, a jeogori over jeans or an over-modified one-piece dress is not. Since July 2019 you may wear hanbok of either gender. Foreign visitors in rented hanbok use the scheme widely.
How do I get to the commemorative event?
Take Line 4 or the Gyeongui–Jungang Line to Ichon Station, Exit 2, and follow the signposted Museum Walkway past the Mirror Pond to the National Museum of Korea. From Incheon Airport, ride AREX to Seoul Station and change to Line 4.
What is the norigae campaign at Gyeongbokgung?
From 19 October 2026 the government runs a campaign for wearing hanbok correctly around Gyeongbokgung Palace. Visitors whose hanbok is worn properly receive a norigae ornament that gives 10–20% off at 27 partner venues until the end of 2026, and there are quiz booths and pop-up costume displays near Gyeonghoeru pavilion.
When is Hanbok Culture Week 2027?
Not announced yet. It is held in the third week of October around Hanbok Day (21 October): 16–22 Oct 2023, 14–20 Oct 2024, 21–26 Oct 2025 and 19–25 Oct 2026. The 2025 week was announced only a few days before it began.
What is the weather like at Hanbok Culture Week in October?
October in Seoul: average high 20 °C (68 °F), low 11 °C (51 °F), 52 mm of rain (Seoul station, KMA 1991–2020 normals). Comfortable: light layers.
Sources and verification
Facts checked
18 October 2026, against the sources listed below.
This page is desk research from the sources below, not a firsthand report of the 2027 edition. Confidence in the current facts: medium.
- KTO TourAPI listing 2026 한복문화주간 (contentId 2740046)kto — 2026 dates 19–25 Oct (7 days), 10:00–18:00, free, venue 국립중앙박물관 열린마당 and address, coordinates; ninth edition, third week of October around Hanbok Day 21 Oct; about 410 sites; host MCST, organizer KCDF, sponsor Arts Council Korea; homepage
- KoreaCharts (KTO data mirror) — 2026 한복문화주간 (contentId 2740046)other — Commemorative event 21 Oct 17:00–18:30 at the Open Yard with performances and a fashion show; symposium 16 Oct 13:00–17:00 at Gangneung Cultural Center; Book Festival 16–18 Oct at Seoul Arts Center; Chuseok campaign 11–12 Sep at Yeollin Songhyeon; all ages; phone 02-522-882
- ktriptips (KTO data mirror) — 한복문화주간 (contentId 2740046)kto — Same programme; detail text mentions about 330 venues and special events in Hong Kong, New York and Berlin
- The Korea Times — Reviving Korea's traditional dress in heart of Seoul (16 Oct 2026)news — Hanbok Culture Week runs through 25 Oct; campaign launched Monday at Gyeongbokgung near Gyeonghoeru by MCST, National Heritage Service and KCDF; norigae for correctly worn hanbok, 10–20% off at 27 partner venues to year end; booths, pop-up exhibitions, multilingual and QR guides
- Yonhap News via Daum — [팩트체크] '궁 무료입장' 기준은 (8 May 2026)news — Free entry in hanbok to the four palaces, Jongmyo and about 40 Joseon royal tombs since 2013; jeogori with closing collar plus skirt or trousers; robes alone, jeogori with jeans not accepted; either gender since July 2019; foreign tourists' rented hanbok
- Seoul Mediahub — 국립중앙박물관 '뮤캉스' (30 Jun 2026)municipal — Ichon Station (Line 4, Gyeongui–Jungang Line) Exit 2 and the 박물관 나들길 walkway to the west gate; address 137 Seobinggo-ro; galleries 09:30–17:30, Wednesdays and Saturdays to 21:00; permanent galleries free
- Seoul Mediahub — 매화정원에서 봄꽃 보고 박물관 관람까지 (1 Apr 2024)municipal — Mirror Pond in front of Ichon Station Exit 2 and the 박물관 나들길 signpost; earlier gallery hours 10:00–18:00, Wednesdays and Saturdays to 21:00; outdoor areas 07:00–22:00
- Nocut News — 한식의 날 and 2026 한식대축제 (7 Oct 2026)news — 2026 Hansik Festa 23–25 Oct at the National Museum of Korea (auditorium and Mirror Pond): chef demonstrations, cooking classes, restaurant pop-ups, flea market
- NewDaily — 오는 21~26일, 전국 각지에서 한복문화 행사 진행 (16 Oct 2025)news — 2025 dates 21–26 Oct, 8th edition, theme, more than 360 sites; 21 Oct event at Uijeongbu-ji plaza with six awards and six brands; Hanbok Shop 20–21 Oct; forum 22 Oct; Lotte World 50% and Seoul Sky 35% off 21–31 Oct; MMCA free 21–26 Oct; five regional centres
- Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism — press release '2025 한복문화주간' (16 Oct 2025)ministry — 2025 week announced by the ministry's Traditional Culture Division on 16 Oct 2025
- Seoul Mediahub — 광화문~세종대로 일대 '한복문화주간' (24 Oct 2025)municipal — 2025 lead-up event 17–18 Oct on Gwanghwamun–Sejong-daero linked to the Jongno Hanbok Festival; official week 21–26 Oct, 10:00–18:00; fashion show at Uijeongbu-ji plaza; hanbok classes at Namsangol Hanok Village
- News Seoul — 문화체육관광부, '2024 한복문화주간' (Oct 2024)news — 2024 dates 14–20 Oct, 7th edition, held every third week of October, theme, more than 300 sites centred on Jongno-gu; 18 Oct event at Seoul Museum of Craft Art with six awards; programme dates; Ho Chi Minh City 26–27 Oct
- Korea JoongAng Daily — Hanbok Culture Week (14 Oct 2024)news — English name Hanbok Culture Week; 2024 coming-of-age ceremony at the National Folk Museum of Korea on 14 Oct
- Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (English) — 2023 Hanbok Culture Week: A Good Day to Wear Hanbokministry — 2023 dates 16–22 Oct, every third week of October; 173 sites; 20 Oct commemorative event in the Seoul Museum of Craft Art courtyard with six commendations and the fashion show The Butterfly Dream
- The Korea Herald — 2026 Jongno Hanbok Festival (Seoul Metropolitan Government)news — Jongno-gu's hanbok contest at Gwanghwamun Square on 11–12 Sep 2026, free to enter
- Gwanghwamun Square official site — directions (English)official — Address 172 Sejong-daero; Line 3 Gyeongbokgung Exit 6; Line 5 Gwanghwamun Exit 7 and passage to Haechi Madang; airport bus 6002
- Seoul Mediahub — barrier-free picnic area at Ichon Hangang Park (26 Jul 2024)municipal — Ichon Station (Line 4 and Gyeongui–Jungang Line) about 10 minutes on foot; barrier-free picnic area with a wooden deck path for wheelchairs and strollers
- Hankyung: 9월 1일부터 서울~부산 KTX 5만4400원…운임 평균 10% 인하 (31 Aug 2026)news — KTX and SRT run as KTX from 1 Sep; former SRT trainsets renamed KTX-Sancheon; Seoul–Busan ₩59,800→₩54,400, Yongsan–Gwangju Songjeong ₩46,800→₩42,000; Suseo seats +30%; booking unified in Korail+
- Busan → Seoul Station train timetable, 16–22 Oct 2026 (third-party mirror of the MOLIT/data.go.kr national timetable feed)other — Last trains 22:00 KTX 82 (arr 00:27) and 22:10 KTX 84 (arr 00:42), about 2 h 30 m; checked for the site's Busan Fireworks Festival record
- National Museum of Korea — permanent exhibition (museum.go.kr)official — Permanent galleries free; rooms 301, 302, 203, 204 closed 6 Jul 2026–28 Jan 2027 and rooms 202-3, 202-4 closed 10 Aug 2026–28 Jan 2027 for renovation; celadon and white porcelain rooms (303, 304) open
- The Fact — 국중박, 3월부터 30분 일찍 문 연다 (3 Feb 2026)news — National Museum of Korea opens 09:30 and closes 17:30 from 16 March 2026
- Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs — 제1회 한식의 날, 국립중앙박물관에서 사흘간 축제 (7 Oct 2026)ministry — Hansik Festa 23–25 Oct 2026 at the National Museum of Korea for the first Hansik Day (24 Oct): ceremony and conference 23 Oct; around the Mirror Pond 23–25 Oct chef demonstrations, talk show, quiz, cooking classes, performances, restaurant pop-ups, flea market; experience programmes by Naver form from 12 Oct, first come; hours not stated
- ktriptips (KTO data mirror) — 경복궁 (contentId 126508)kto — Gyeongbokgung hours: September–October 09:00–18:00, last entry 17:00; closed Tuesdays; adult ₩3,000
What we could not confirm
- The official Hanbok Culture Week site (kcdf.or.kr/hanbokcultureweek) was not opened; the 2026 programme and site count come from KTO's listing and one news report.
- KTO's overview gives about 410 sites for 2026, while its detail text (as mirrored) gives about 330 venues and overseas events in Hong Kong, New York and Berlin, which may be carried over from an earlier year; 2026 overseas sites not confirmed.
- 2026 discounts for hanbok wearers at attractions (Lotte World, Seoul Sky and MMCA in 2025) were not found.
- KTO's phone number 02-522-882 looks incomplete; KCDF's contact number for the week was not verified.
- Walking time from Ichon Station Exit 2 to the Open Yard, parking and a rain plan for the outdoor commemorative event were not published.
- Hours of the Gyeongbokgung campaign booths were not published.
- Japanese and Chinese names were not confirmed on KTO's foreign-language sites.
- National Museum of Korea: the 09:30–17:30 hours from 16 March 2026 come from a news report and the Wednesday and Saturday opening to 21:00 from a June 2026 city article; the museum's own hours page was not opened.
- 2026 Hansik Festa: daily hours and whether the public programmes are free were not published in the ministry's release.
Changes: 2026-10-18 — Added to the site: fact-first record (dates, hours, prices, getting there, sources). · 2026-10-19 — Added a Wikimedia Commons photograph of Hanbok Culture Week 2023 at the Seoul Museum of Craft Art (Korea.net / Korean Culture and Information Service, CC BY-SA 2.0). · 2026-10-21 — Tense: the Japanese FAQ on 2027 no longer describes the running 2026 week as over. · 2026-10-22 — Nearby rewritten as 'Before or after the festival' (shuttle and last-train fit); transport: clock times checked, nothing to change (only programme end times of 18:00 and 18:30 against the last subway); prices: none changed.
