'Wednesday' stars bring Korean twist to Gothic style in Seoul

Jenna Ortega, right, and Emma Myers hold Korean ramie fans during a photo shoot in Seoul. Captured from Netflix Korea's Instagram account

Earlier this week, the production team of "Wednesday," the Netflix drama series, visited Korea to promote its second season, released on Aug. 6.

The drama follows Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega), an unusual girl attending the eerie Nevermore Academy, where she gets embroiled in solving a string of mysterious murders.

"Wednesday" became Netflix’s most-watched English-language drama after its 2022 premiere, racking up over 1.7 billion viewing hours worldwide.

In Seoul, actors Ortega and Emma Myers (who plays Wednesday’s roommate, Enid Sinclair) and director Tim Burton participated in a special photo shoot, combining the series’ gothic aesthetics with traditional Korean flair. The shoot, held at the Seoul Furniture Museum, showcased elements of traditional Korean culture, from crafts to costumes.

The red and black flower-shaped fans held by Myers and Ortega were created by Merdefils, the atelier of textile artist Park Jung-yeon. Her work was recently featured at the Hanbok Expo, an annual exhibition dedicated to hanbok (traditional Korean clothing) and related crafts. More of her designs can be found on Instagram at @merdefils.

Emma Myers holds a tiger figurine designed by Shin Dong-jun. Captured from Netflix Korea's Instagram account

This image may remind some viewers of the "derpy" blue tiger from the recent animated sensation "Kpop Demon Hunters."

The black-and-white tiger figurine held by Myers was made by ceramic artist Shin Dong-jun and draws inspiration from "hojakdo," a common motif in Korean folk paintings, featuring tigers and magpies. His creations are showcased on Instagram @wooilyotoujunn.

Jenna Ortega holds a paper umbrella made by Yoon Gyu-sang, an intangible cultural heritage artisan. Captured from Netflix Korea's Instagram account

In another photo, Ortega’s black leather dress forms a stark contrast with the white paper umbrella she holds. The umbrella was crafted by Yun Gyu-sang, Korea’s last remaining master of traditional paper umbrella making and an officially recognized intangible cultural heritage holder of North Jeolla Province.

Paper umbrellas were widely used in Korea during the 1940s and '50s as status symbols, before being replaced by more durable vinyl alternatives in the 1960s.

From left, director Tim Burton, actors Jenna Ortega and Emma Myers hold traditional masks. Captured from Netflix Korea's Instagram account

The black-and-white "malttugi" masks Burton, Ortega and Myers held in the shoot were created by Mark Choi, a mask artist based in both Seoul and Japan.

Traditionally carved from wood or made from paper, malttugi are worn for the Bongsan mask dance, which is designated as Korea’s national intangible cultural heritage.

Choi’s version is unique for its use of textiles. He runs Studio Mark Choi and shares his work on Instagram at @mark_choi_studio.

Thing, a disembodied hand from the Netflix series "Wednesday," wears a jade ring and jokduri, a traditional coronet worn by brides / Captured from Netflix Korea's Instagram account

In the drama, Thing — a disembodied, animate hand — serves as Wednesday’s companion and protector.

For the Seoul photo shoot, Thing is adorned with a jade ring and a jokduri, a coronet traditionally worn by brides. Jade was among the most prized materials in Korean history, reserved for royalty and aristocrats. The jokduri symbolized the wearer's high social status, and is believed to have originated in the 13th century, when the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392) was under the control of the Mongol Empire.