82 programs held across Bukchon, Seochon and beyond

A model house exhibition showcasing hanok as a modern living space at a public hanok in Gahoe-dong. [Seoul Metropolitan Government]
A model house exhibition showcasing hanok as a modern living space at a public hanok in Gahoe-dong. [Seoul Metropolitan Government]

This year's Seoul Hanok Week drew about 85,000 visitors, up roughly 15 percent from last year.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Wednesday that the fourth Seoul Hanok Week, held from Oct. 2 to 11 at hanok sites across the city including Bukchon and Seochon, drew about 85,000 participants.

Attendance has grown steadily since the event's early years — from about 35,000 in 2024 to about 74,000 last year and about 85,000 this year.

This year's event was held under the theme "Hanok in Everyday Life." Some 180 participating organizations and individuals — including the Swiss Embassy in Seoul, the Jongno Culture Foundation, resident guides, and craft and music artists — ran 82 programs, 16 more than last year.

Organizers expanded interactive programming beyond simple hanok tours to include exhibitions presenting the traditional structures as modern living spaces, visits to hanok not normally open to the public, and hands-on traditional culture experiences.

An exhibition titled "Seoul Hanok in Everyday Life" — which dressed up six public hanok in Bukchon and Seochon with contemporary furniture and household items — drew more than 17,000 visitors.

A guided tour called "Beyond the Gate: Hanok," organized to mark the 10th anniversary of the Seoul Quality Hanok certification program, required advance reservations and drew about 900 applicants, a competition ratio of roughly four to one.

Performances and traditional culture experiences held at hanok venues also proved popular. About 1,400 people attended nine performances, while 480 applied for two experiential sessions — "Korean Tea We Didn't Know" and "Traditional Liquor Humanities" — producing an average competition ratio of 18 to one.

Six hanok libraries also hosted a "Hanok Bookshelf" feature, introducing more than 20 new titles donated by nine publishers.

Since the city's "Seoul Hanok Declaration" in 2008, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has gradually expanded its hanok preservation and support policy beyond its original focus on Bukchon to cover the entire city. In 2023, it launched the "Seoul Hanok 4.0 Re-creation" initiative to promote the contemporary use and global reach of hanok architecture.

During the event, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon visited five public hanok — the Bukchon Culture Center, the Hanok Support Center, Bukchon Bingwan, Hanok Mirinaezip and Baeryeom House — to view exhibitions and performances.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said it plans to increase the number and hours of programs at future events and expand a network of public hanok hubs that reflect the character of each neighborhood.

"We will expand public hanok hubs that capture the unique character of each part of Seoul, so that more residents can enjoy hanok in their daily lives and visitors from around the world can experience Seoul more deeply," said Myeong No-jun, the city's housing director.


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