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Hi, I’m SeoulAslanHanbok Culture Week 2026 (Oct 19–25): Free Entry, Discounts
Checked Oct 19, 2026
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Hanbok Culture Week (한복문화주간) runs Mon Oct 19 to Sun Oct 25, 2026, and the main show is Wed Oct 21 (Hanbok Day) from 5:00 to 6:30 pm in the open plaza of the National Museum of Korea. If you put on hanbok this week, Lotte World takes 50% off admission and Seoul Sky 35% off from Oct 19 to 31, and the National Gugak Center halves the price of its Sat Oct 24 concert. The palaces are the best part: Gyeongbokgung and the other palaces let anyone in hanbok enter free all year.
The most beautiful maple I have seen stood inside Gyeongbokgung, and I really dislike crowds, so I usually go a little after the peak. That is also how I would plan this week: the palace is where the week is centered, so pick your day and hour on purpose. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism hosts the week, the Korea Craft & Design Foundation (KCDF) organizes it, and Arts Council Korea sponsors it. I read the official festival site, the ministry's release and the palace authority's own rules for this guide.
Jump to: Hanbok Day show · Palaces · What counts as hanbok · Discounts · Hanbok Pass · Other places · FAQ
What happens at the Hanbok Day show on Oct 21?
The show is at the open plaza (열린마당) of the National Museum of Korea, 137 Seobinggo-ro, Yongsan-gu. The organizer lists it from 5:00 to 6:30 pm in two parts. Part one runs 5:00 to 5:40 pm: opening remarks and the awards for people who have worked on hanbok culture. Part two runs 5:40 to 6:30 pm: a celebration performance, a fashion show called "Hanbok, Embracing Radiance" (빛을 품은 한복), a finale and the close.
Kim Yoon-ah, the singer of the band Jaurim, performs, and the traditional group Yeonhui Connect (연희 커넥트 이을) takes part. Five hanbok brands show new designs, and the awards include the Hanbok Design Project grand prize (Kim So-yeon) and a prize for the organization that has adopted hanbok work uniforms most widely (Korea Industrial Manpower Agency). The organizer's event page lists no sign-up. Questions go to hanbokweek@kcdf.kr.
Can you wear hanbok into the palaces for free?
Yes. The Royal Palaces and Tombs Center lists "a person wearing hanbok" among the free-entry groups, and its guideline says Koreans and foreigners are treated the same. A normal adult ticket at Gyeongbokgung is 3,000 won. In October it is open 9:00 am to 6:00 pm with the last entry at 5:00 pm, and it is closed on Tuesdays, so Tue Oct 20 is out. One exception: the Changdeokgung Secret Garden (Huwon) is not covered by the hanbok rule and needs its own ticket.
No hanbok of your own? Hanboknam, one of the week's 24 partner rental shops, has a branch a minute's walk from Gyeongbokgung Station (Line 3), and Klook sells vouchers for it from US$6.75 for the basic package when I checked on Oct 22, 2026 (book a Hanboknam rental on Klook). Klook's page says the shop is open every day, last rental at 5:00 pm, with free basic hairstyling and lockers, and that an unused voucher can be cancelled. Pick a jeogori with a skirt or pants so you pass the palace rule below, and ask at the counter for the Hanbok Pass charm; the shop hands them out and they are limited.
The week's campaign is at Gyeongbokgung too. From Oct 19 to 25, near Gyeonghoeru pavilion, you can try a hanbok quiz, see court hanbok and hanbok from Korean dramas, and collect leaflets on how to wear it properly. A photo parade with models in traditional hanbok runs near Sujeongjeon and Sajeongjeon halls, and there is a photo spot with the week's mascots. The campaign is skipped on the palace's closed day.
Want the free-entry period for everyone too? The palaces open free to all from Oct 29 to Nov 15; read the Seoul palaces free entry guide for closing days and hours. For palace tickets and events this month, see Seoul Palace Events in October.
What counts as hanbok at the palace gate?
The palace authority accepts both traditional hanbok and everyday hanbok (생활한복). The basic set is a jeogori (the upper garment) with a skirt or pants. The jeogori must keep a wrapped collar; the string tie is optional. Pants should follow the shape of sapok trousers, and any skirt style is fine. The guideline also asks for dress that suits the dignity of the palace and bans excessive exposure.
| Outfit | Free entry? |
|---|---|
| Jeogori with skirt or pants, traditional or everyday style | Yes |
| Hanbok skirt with a wrap-collar jeogori that reaches the waist | Yes |
| Durumagi (long coat) only | No |
| Jeogori over jeans | No |
| Hanbok bottom with a T-shirt | No |
| Hanbok-style one-piece dress with no jeogori | No |
The festival pages do not define hanbok for the theme-park and concert discounts. Use the palace rule as your yardstick: if you would pass at the palace gate, you are in good shape everywhere else.
Which places give a discount for hanbok this week?
| Place | Discount | When | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lotte World Adventure, Seoul | 50% off admission | Oct 19 to 31 | Visitors wearing hanbok |
| Seoul Sky | 35% off admission | Oct 19 to 31 | Visitors wearing hanbok |
| National Gugak Center (국립국악원) | 50% off | Sat Oct 24, 3:00 to 4:20 pm, Umyeondang hall | Come in hanbok; applies to you only. A seat 30,000 won, B seat 20,000 won |
| Eunpyeong Hanok Museum and others | Free entry | Oct 19 to 31 | Visitors wearing hanbok |
| National Museum of Korea MU:DS shop | 10% off | Oct 19 to 25 | Show the Hanbok Pass charm; books excluded |
The Gugak Center sells tickets online until 6:00 pm the day before, and by phone or at the desk until the same time. Day-of tickets are sold at the hall only if seats remain. Other culture venues in the program include the Seoul Museum of History shop (up to 30% off), the Yanggu Porcelain Museum and the Gu House art museum in Yangpyeong (20% off for adults, free for ages 4 to 18). The official site also says details can change, so check each venue before you go.
How does the Hanbok Pass work?
Rent a qualifying hanbok at one of the 24 partner rental shops, all in Jongno-gu around Gyeongbokgung (on Sajik-ro, Jahamun-ro, Bukchon-ro and Insadong-gil), and you receive a pass charm (a norigae). Quantities are limited and the goods run out. Show it at a partner place, once per person at each venue, and tell the staff you are using the Hanbok Pass first. Discounts run 10 to 20% at 27 partner businesses, mostly cafes, restaurants, shops and one hair salon. Some end on Oct 25 and some run to Dec 31.
Is anything else on this week?
Yes. At Namsangol Hanok Village in Jung-gu, a young scholar's school entrance ceremony (어린 선비 입학례) runs Oct 20 and 21. Daejeon has an exhibition called "Hanbok, Crossing the Line" through Oct 25, Busan has hanbok archive programs from Oct 20 to 25, and Jeonju has a hanbok festival. Korean cultural centers and an embassy overseas, in Canada, Osaka, Denmark, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Austria, run their own hanbok events on their own dates.
FAQ
When is Hanbok Day in Korea?
Oct 21 every year. The week that contains it is Hanbok Culture Week, which is Oct 19 to 25 in 2026.
Do I need to sign up for the Oct 21 show?
The organizer's event page lists no registration. It is an open-plaza event at the National Museum of Korea, from 5:00 to 6:30 pm.
Is a modern or fusion hanbok accepted at the palaces?
It is accepted if it has a wrap-collar jeogori plus a skirt or pants. A one-piece dress without a jeogori, or a hanbok bottom with a T-shirt, is not accepted.
What is the weather for the week?
The Korea Meteorological Administration forecasts of Oct 19 say Oct 21 is mostly cloudy and clears from midday, with light early rain possible (under 5 mm in the Seoul area). Oct 23 is 4 to 19°C and Oct 24 is 9 to 22°C with sun.
What is the Hanbok Pass for?
It is a charm you get after renting at a partner shop. It opens 10 to 20% discounts at 27 partner businesses.
More Seoul guides
Sources
- Hanbok Culture Week official site (Korean), KCDF: home · Oct 21 event page · Hanbok Pass and discounts · partner list · 24 rental shops
- Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism press release of Oct 19, 2026 (Korean): 2026 Hanbok Culture Week · Korea Policy Briefing of Oct 16, 2026 (Korean): proper hanbok campaign and Hanbok Pass · Korea Times, Oct 16, 2026: campaign at Gyeongbokgung
- Royal Palaces and Tombs Center (Korean): hanbok free-entry guideline · Gyeongbokgung fees · hours and closed days
- National Gugak Center (Korean): 2026 Saturday Masterpiece, Oct 24
- Korea Meteorological Administration (Korean): short-term and Seoul mid-term forecast, issued Oct 19, 2026
- Photos: Korea Tourism Organization photo gallery, Korea Open Government License Type 1 (IR Studio) · poster and campaign photo: Hanbok Culture Week official site (KCDF), public-sector material, credited
— SeoulAslan
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