Designer Geum Key-sook gives a lecture on hanbok, the traditional Korean dress, during CICI's Korea CQ Forum on Tuesday at the Embassy of Oman in Seoul. Courtesy of CICI

By Dong Sun-hwa

Hanbok, the traditional Korean dress, has been in vogue recently largely thanks to Jungkook ― lead vocalist of K-pop titan BTS. The singer has been sporting a modernized and trendy hanbok wherever he goes, inducing international fans' interest in the outfit.

Corea Image Communication Institution (CICI), a global cultural promotion advocacy, also invited one of the best people to reveal the A to Z of hanbok for its monthly forum on Tuesday at the Embassy of Oman in downtown Seoul. It was Geum Key-sook, who designed the hanbok-themed snowflake-patterned costumes for the placard-bearers at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics opening ceremony.

"The aesthetics of the hanbok can be found in its lines, shape, silhouette, styling, colors, patterns and accessories," Geum said.

What's more fascinating is its flexibility, according to Geum. "Hanbok can use either primary or neutral colors, emphasize emptiness or fullness," she said. "It can be covering or revealing. All these hinge on people and situations."

Comparing and contrasting the hanbok of the past and present, Geum added: "But people should be careful when using the term 'modernized hanbok,' since it could be misunderstood that the modern-style hanbok is an enhanced version. The better term might be 'daily hanbok.'"

Omani Ambassador Mohamed Alharthy delivers a speech on his country during CICI's Korea CQ Forum on Tuesday at the Embassy of Oman in Seoul. Courtesy of CICI

Omani Ambassador Mohamed Alharthy delivered a speech on his country as well, highlighting the Oman people's hospitality.

Opinion leaders including Jordan Ambassador Adel Mohammed Adaileh, Morocco Ambassador Chafik Rachadi, Russian Ambassador Andrey Kulik, Tunisia Ambassador Nabih El Abed and Qatar Ambassador Mohammed Ahmad Al-Hayki also attended the event.

From front row left are Geum Key-sook, co-director of Yoogeum Museum of Roof-End Tile; Azza Alharthy, spouse of the Oman ambassador; Oman Ambassador Mohamed Alharthy; CICI President Choi Jung-wha; and Jordan Ambassador Adel Mohammed Adaileh. From second row left are Malika El Abed, spouse of the Tunisia ambassador; Leila Rachadi, spouse of the Morocco ambassador; Morocco Ambassador Chafik Rachadi, Marina Suanova, spouse of the Russian ambassador; Russian Ambassador Andrey Kulik; President of The Korea Times Lee Byeong-eon; Tunisia Ambassador Nabih El Abed; and Cs President Didier Beltoise. Third row center is Qatar Ambassador Mohammed Ahmad Al-Hayki and International Vaccine Institute (IVI) deputy director general Francois Belin, right. On the right staircase, on the first row right is Mukund Santhanam, spouse of the Indian Ambassador, and on the left staircase, on the second row left is Enzychem Vice Chair Kim Hye-kyung, and on the third row right is BIO Plastic Surgery director James Park. Courtesy of CICI