Luxurious Embroidery on Wedding Attire... First Public Display of 'Hwalot' Sponsored by BTS RM

LACMA in the US Completes Preservation of Bow Garment
Unveiled at Special Exhibition of Joseon Royal Women's Wedding Attire

The Joseon Dynasty wedding garment 'Hwalot,' restored with the sponsorship of RM, the leader of the idol group BTS, will be unveiled for the first time in Korea.

The National Palace Museum announced that the special exhibition "Hwalot Mankae (滿開) - Joseon Royal Women's Wedding Attire" will open on the 15th in the 2nd-floor special exhibition hall.

On the morning of the 13th, the Joseon royal women's wedding garment 'Hwalbok,' which will be exhibited at the 'Hwalot in Full Bloom' special exhibition, was unveiled to the press at the National Palace Museum in Jongno-gu, Seoul.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

This special exhibition will display a total of over 110 related artifacts, including 9 Hwalot garments worn by royal women such as princesses, ongju (daughters of the king born to concubines), and the wives of princes known as gunbuin. Hwalot is a long outer garment that continues the unique traditional costume recorded as Hongjangsam in early Joseon national records, worn over several undergarments such as skirts and jeogori, and is the representative wedding attire of Joseon royal women.

Joseon Royal Women's Wedding Attire Restored through RM's Sponsorship

BTS RM.
[Photo by BigHit Music]

The preservation work for this Hwalot was made possible after RM donated 100 million KRW in October 2021 to the Overseas Cultural Heritage Foundation for the conservation and restoration of overseas cultural heritage, which became the primary funding source. After the foundation brought the Hwalot from LACMA at the end of September last year, nearly a year of preservation work was carried out.

Through infrared photography, damaged or soiled areas of the garment were identified, cleaned, reinforced, and then processes such as smoothing out wrinkles were performed.

The Hwalot, a long outer garment that was the wedding attire of Joseon royal women, continues the tradition of unique costume and is recorded in early Joseon national records under the name 'Hongjangsam (紅長衫).' The garment was elaborately crafted, embroidered with colorful patterns, dyed with daehong (大紅), a flower pigment that produces the deepest red color, and even adorned with gold leaf.

Leader of BTS, RM, supported the preservation and restoration work of a Joseon Dynasty archery garment held at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) in the United States. The archery garment refers to a wedding dress worn by royal women such as princesses or royal daughters during the Joseon Dynasty.
[Photo by National Palace Museum]

Due to features such as gold leaf and embroidery, Hwalot was often worn not only by the royal family but also in civilian weddings. It is estimated that about 30 pieces remain in Korea and about 10 pieces overseas.

The museum stated, "Before sending the Hwalot back to the United States, it is even more meaningful to present it to domestic audiences as part of the museum's special exhibition, leaving a significant connection."

Meanwhile, RM also donated another 100 million KRW to the foundation last September, asking to promote the beauty of Korean paintings worldwide. The foundation is reportedly preparing a catalog of Korean paintings to introduce overseas based on RM's additional donation.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.