Rolls of silk in deep blue, pale jade and translucent pink covered one corner of Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) on Friday, as merchants unspooled the fabric across their tables and walked visitors through the differences in weight and weave. A few steps away hung cropped tweed jackets, button-front skirts, jeans, mini bags and jewelry, all of them drawing inspiration from hanbok, or traditional Korean clothing. None of the items seemed designed for the weddings and holiday gatherings closely associated with wearing hanbok in the modern era. The 2026 Hanbok Expo opened Thursday at DDP Art Hall in central Seoul for a four-day run through Sunday. Organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Craft and Design Foundation, the ninth edition has drawn 149 hanbok businesses and institutions. The timing is deliberate. "Hanbok saenghwal," meaning "hanbok lifestyle," was designated a National Intangible Heritage in July 2022, and a campaign backed by the ministry is now working toward a UNESCO's Intangible Heritage listing by 2030. A booth near the exit collects visitor sig