Actor Park Bo-gum tapped to promote hanbok abroad

Actor Park Bo-gum waves during a press conference for the Netflix series "When Life Gives You Tangerines" in Seoul, March 5. Yonhap

This photo from the "2024 Hanbok Wave" photobook features actor Kim Tae-ri in hanbok. Courtesy of Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

Actor Park Bo-gum, who is enjoying global popularity for his role in the Netflix series "When Life Gives You Tangerines," has been appointed to promote "hanbok," traditional Korean clothing, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Tuesday.

“The interest in hanbok is rising around the world,” the ministry said in a statement. “Through collaborations with top Korean entertainers and artists who can showcase hanbok's traditional beauty and modern sensibility, we hope to make Korea’s traditional costume and hanbok-themed content more accessible and attractive.”

Park first gained recognition for his role in the 2015 series "Reply 1988" and soon rose to international fame with "Love in the Moonlight" in 2016.

The “2025 Hanbok Wave” initiative is part of an ongoing project that began in 2020. Since 2021, the ministry, together with the Korea Craft and Design Foundation, has appointed celebrity ambassadors annually. Past ambassadors include actor Kim Tae-ri in 2024, actor and singer Suzy in 2023, figure skater Kim Yuna in 2022 and K-pop groups Brave Girls and DKB in 2021.

The project also aims to support local hanbok designers and manufacturers.

The government will select four Korean hanbok makers to create designs inspired by Park. Once completed, the ministry will fund promotional campaigns, which will be featured on electronic billboards in Seoul and major cities abroad. Previous campaigns were held in cities such as New York, Paris and Milan.

The government will also push for Park’s hanbok-themed photos to appear in leading fashion magazines as part of efforts to elevate hanbok's global profile.