One of the most enduring images of traditional Korea are the smooth, gently rounded lines of the hanbok, which both obscures and allures. On the holidays, the nation’s train stations and bus terminals are awash in the bright colors of the hanbok as Koreans don the traditional garb to celebrate.
Of course, the popularity of the hanbok as everyday dress has decreased with the adoption of Western-style dress with Korea’s modernization. It hasn’t disappeared, however --- the so-called modernized hanbok adopts traditional clothing to the modern lifestyle, while fusion fashion blends East and West to create a new fashion language. As is the case with many aspects of Korean traditional culture, Korea’s greater confidence in accordance with its growing economic, political and cultural clout has led to renewed interest in the hanbok as a symbol of the nation.