Collaboration

Daily Life Embraces
Korean Tradition

A Popular TV Show¡¯s Road Trip to Denmark Demonstrates
the Potential of Korean Traditional Culture

Five Korean Wave stars visited Denmark, one of the countries that recovered the fastest from the COVID-19 pandemic. Wearing Hanbok (Korean traditional clothing), they traveled throughout the country when, suddenly, their jade green car with unhak (clouds and cranes) patterns stopped at a public square, where they took out a table and opened a small market. This small market, otherwise known as a ¡°Korean Culture Shop,¡± sold National Museum Foundation of Korea merchandise that reinterpreted elements of traditional Korean culture with a modern twist.

Generating Natural Interest
in Korean Tradition

While explaining their motivations for creating the show, the producers said, ¡°We wanted to give the world a positive image of Korea during a time when K-content is gaining attention more than ever. Korea¡¯s MZ generation consume items that have meaning, and we thought it best to introduce hip traditional items that they would appreciate.¡± That, in a nutshell, is why the producers put together the Korean Culture Shop.

The merchandise sold at the shop included products designed with a Korean identity, high-quality Korean-made products, and practical products, something that young consumers today place importance on when shopping. The merchandise included products that were renowned for having completely sold out, and other popular items bought up in droves by Korea¡¯s MZ generation. The show¡¯s producers expected that goods young Koreans felt were hip would be hip in other countries, too. In short, the merchandise carefully selected by the producers was to Danish consumers through the Korean Culture Shop.

Denmark is considered leading proponent when it comes to design, so there were concerns that Danish people may not pay much attention to merchandise embodying the traditions of another culture. However, these concerns turned out to be unnecessary as the Korean Culture Shop attracted long lines of Danes each time it opened. While there¡¯s little doubt that the consumers were attracted by the rising status of the Korean Wave and the worldwide fame of the five Korean Wave stars, it was also safe to say that they were attracted by the merchandise, which combined tradition and modernity in quintessential ways.

Gat-themed glasses strap was very popular among Danish consumers because sunglasses are a must in the country¡¯s sunny weather. Moreover, young people with an affinity for gadgets really liked the Goryeo Celadon cordless iPhone case. The mother-of-pearl tumbler, the cup with royal robe patterns, and the portable mother-of-pearl cordless recharger were also popular.

When locals showed an interest in the wearable merchandise either being worn by the Korean Wave stars or on display, the stars would explain the merchandise¡¯s motif or what Korean tradition it was based on.

Actor Ji Hyun-woo saw for himself the happiness on the faces of visitors who viewed the traditional patterns of Korean products and received knotted bracelets at promotional giveaways. ¡°Despite not perfectly understanding each other, there was a fearlessness (on both sides) and we experienced through shared mutual feelings small-scale cultural exchanges along with the power of communication,¡± he said.

As he sold Korea¡¯s traditional products through ¡°Dopojarak: Story of Homme the K-Wanderer¡± Kim Jong Kook said: ¡°In my view, it wasn¡¯t just selling products but rather sharing good memories and remembrances of ¡®Korea.¡¯ That¡¯s why I would be satisfied if Danish people who bought the items looked at them and ¡®remembered¡¯ Korea and took on board even just a little about Korean culture.¡±

Spreading Culture through Merchandise

Among the MZ generation, National Museum Foundation of Korea merchandise is very popular because they are both practical and reinterpret traditional culture with a modern twist. Thanks to this popularity, there is now a new trend among young people of enjoying traditional products. For example, RM of BTS revealed on a TV show that he owns a figure of a Pensive Bodhisattva, which led to skyrocketing popularity of the figure among the MZ generation. Whenever new merchandise is introduced, they become the talks of the town in online communities.

¡°Dopojarak: Story of Homme the K-Wanderer¡± showed that there are even greater possibilities for this merchandise just waiting to be tapped into. The show demonstrated that the trend of enjoying tradition through merchandise is not limited to just Korea. Moreover, the program showed people experiencing the traditional culture of another country in a natural way, proving that, in the future, merchandise can become a medium to spread traditional culture.

The show¡¯s producers said, ¡°When you hear a song you like, it reminds you of the time you heard it. Similarly, it would be great if a small item can become the medium in which people can remember Korea in a positive light. If that can happen, it can be a small yet reliable way of promoting Korea.¡±

Hopefully, merchandise will make it easy for people to experience a lot of traditions of the past. Through merchandise, non-Koreans can naturally experience Korean traditional culture, which will hopefully generate natural interest.