When you visit South Korea, one of the most popluar places to visit is Insadong. Insadong is a large area, but it is most famous for Insadong Street, which is full of stores selling hanji (traditional paper), pottery, traditional teas, folk art, and of course hanbok (traditional clothing). I've mentioned hanbok before, but this is a very big part of Korean culture so let's learn a little more about it.
Hanbok literally means "Korean clothing," and it is not just a remnant of the past. Hanbok was the main style of clothing for about 1,600 years in Korea. It can be traced back all the way to the Three Kingdoms period, which is a very important part of Korean history. There are distinct styles for both men and women, but each is only two pieces worn over undergarments. For the women, it consists of a short jacket called jeogori and a long billowing skirt called a chima. For the men, there is a slightly longer jeogori and loose pants called baji. They were made for ease of motion and are very comfortable! This style has been relatively unchanged over the years. In present day South Korea, the hanbok is typically worn for special occasions like weddings, festivals, celebrations like the New Year and ancestral rites.
