Seodaemun-gu opens hanbok experience center 'HANPOK' on Monday
'Adding experience programs' tops foreign visitors' wish list at 28%, prompting the new offering
Visitors can wear hanbok, take photos by the falls — guidance available in four languages
Visitors to Hongje Waterfall in Seoul's Seodaemun-gu can now don traditional Korean hanbok while taking in the scenery, after the site surpassed 5 million cumulative visitors.
Seodaemun-gu launched a hanbok experience center called HANPOK on Monday inside the Hongje Waterfall Culture Complex at 262-24 Yeonhui-ro.
Hongje Waterfall, which opened in April 2023, crossed the 5 million cumulative visitor mark in October. The site has drawn a steady stream of foreign tourists — an estimated 30 percent of all card payments at Cafe Pokpo, the on-site café, are attributed to foreign visitors.
A visitor survey at Hongje Waterfall found that "adding experience programs" was the top request among foreign respondents, cited by 28 percent. The results confirmed strong demand for content that lets visitors engage directly with Korean culture, beyond simply admiring the waterfall.
The district responded by creating a hanbok experience center that pairs the waterfall's natural scenery with traditional Korean culture. The aim is to expand the offering from passive sightseeing into an immersive, stay-and-participate experience.
The name HANPOK combines "HAN" from hanbok and "POK" from pokpo, the Korean word for waterfall. It also evokes the idea that a moment spent in hanbok against the backdrop of Hongje Waterfall becomes a picture-perfect scene — "han pok" meaning "one painting" in Korean.
Visitors can choose from a selection of hanbok and accessories, put them on, and then stroll around the waterfall and Cafe Pokpo. They can take commemorative photos with the falls as a backdrop or enjoy a drink at the café while dressed in hanbok.
Rental of hanbok and accessories costs 12,000 won ($9) for 90 minutes and includes a beverage from Cafe Pokpo. A traditional craft DIY workshop is also planned for the second floor of the Hongje Waterfall Culture Complex, giving visitors a hands-on experience of Korean traditional culture beyond simply wearing the garments.
The district also considered the needs of foreign tourists. Instructions and cautions are provided in four languages — Korean, English, Chinese and Vietnamese — and a staff member with English interpretation skills will be on site.
Hanbok rental applications are accepted three times a day. Intake windows are 9:30–10 a.m., 1:30–2 p.m. and 4–4:30 p.m. Return times are set based on each visitor's rental start time.
The district will manage laundering and repairs of the hanbok and accessories, as well as visitor flow and return procedures, to ensure a comfortable and safe experience.
The opening of the hanbok experience center marks a step toward transforming Hongje Waterfall from a scenic attraction into a destination where visitors can also engage with traditional Korean culture. The district plans to continue linking the waterfall's natural landscape with cultural programming to broaden the overall visitor experience.
"We want to add the joy of experiencing traditional Korean culture firsthand to Hongje Waterfall, which has already welcomed 5 million visitors," Seodaemun-gu District Mayor Park Un-gi said. "We will develop Hongje Waterfall into Seodaemun's signature cultural tourism destination — one that people from around the world will linger in and return to."
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