South Korean actress Kim Tae-ri, dressed in traditional Korean hanbok, will grace a billboard in New York’s Times Square on Christmas Eve as part of the hanbok promotion project led by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism and the Korea Craft & Design Foundation.
According to the Culture Ministry on Dec. 18, a video featuring Kim Tae-ri wearing hanbok will be displayed on the Times Square billboard on Dec. 24.
The ministry has been leading the K-Wave Collaborative Content Planning and Development in Hanbok (Hanbok Wave) since 2020 to extend the global influence of the Korean Wave by incorporating traditional culture. Actress Suzy participated as a model last year, and former figure skater Kim Yu-na took part the year before.
This year, four domestic hanbok brands, selected through an open competition, have created designs that blend traditional elegance with modern aesthetics.
In addition to being displayed on Times Square, the photos will also be featured in Marie Claire Korea’s January 2025 issue, set to be released on Dec. 21. The photos will be turned into a video to be shown on large billboards at Citadium Caumartin in Paris from Dec. 23 to 29, and on the K-Culture Screen at the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History from Dec. 23 to 31. The designed hanbok pieces will be showcased at the Enchanting Lines, Dignified Texture exhibition at Culture Station Seoul 284, formerly Seoul Station, from Jan. 15 to Feb. 11 next year.
Lee Jeong-woo, director of the Culture and Arts Policy Office at the MCST, said, “Korea’s traditional culture, including hanbok, is expanding its reach alongside contemporary popular culture,” adding, “This project is expected to play a significant role in introducing the unique charm and beauty of hanbok to the world.”
