Actor draws backlash for wearing yukata at K-culture event in Seoul

Hollywood actor Ansel Elgort, 32, has stirred controversy after appearing in a yukata — a Japanese traditional garment — at a cultural arts event in Seoul.

Elgort attended the "CJ Night in Celebration of Frieze Seoul" event Wednesday at Leeum Museum of Art in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul.

The event was organized by CJ Group to mark the opening of the international art fair Frieze Seoul 2026, bringing together figures from the domestic and international arts and culture world to showcase Korean culture, including K-food and Korean distilled spirits.

Despite the event's purpose, Elgort arrived in the Japanese traditional garment, and once images circulated, criticism mounted that his attire was inappropriate for the occasion.

Seo Kyung-deok, a professor at Sungshin Women's University known for his work promoting Korean culture abroad, publicly criticized Elgort's choice of clothing on his SNS account Friday.

"Elgort showing up in a yukata was an extremely rude thing to do," Seo said, adding that it made him question whether Elgort had the qualities befitting a global star.

Seo also said the organizers had informed attendees that the dress code was "cocktail attire," and that Elgort had disregarded those instructions.

Cocktail attire generally refers to semi-formal dress — less formal than a business suit but still polished.

"No matter that he is married to a Japanese woman, knowing when and where to dress appropriately is basic etiquette," Seo said. "I hope this kind of thing does not happen again at events meant to promote Korean culture."

Elgort is an American actor who gained recognition in South Korea for his roles in "Baby Driver" (2017) and "West Side Story" (2021). He played American journalist Jake Adelstein in the HBO crime drama series "Tokyo Vice," set in Tokyo, which ran from 2022 to 2024. He has deep ties to Japan — he is married to a Japanese woman and welcomed his first child this year.