South Korea Promotes Traditional Crafts Globally Through Public Procurement Service

Mrs. Kim Hye-kyung, wife of President Lee Jae-myung, attended the opening ceremony of a traditional crafts exhibition organized by the Public Procurement Service. The event on the 13th took place at Culture Station Seoul 284, a prominent multi-arts venue in central Seoul.

The exhibition, titled Korean Essence (한국본색), aims to showcase the excellence of products that apply traditional culture to modern goods. The display features 213 items, including hanbok and minhwa, as well as everyday items like a mother-of-pearl tumbler and a set of utensils.

Attendees at the ceremony included Kim Jin-pyo, a former speaker of the National Assembly; Kim Gyo-heung, chair of the National Assembly’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee; and Kang Seong-min, deputy administrator of the Public Procurement Service.

In a speech, Mrs. Kim highlighted the global appeal of K-culture, noting that interest in Korea’s traditional culture is rising. She also referenced remarks about the National Museum’s merchandise, saying it has become highly popular among fans of Korean culture.

She described the opening as a welcome opportunity to experience and purchase products that reflect Korea’s heritage, expressing hope that the event would become an important catalyst for growing consumer demand for traditional culture and for motivating artisans to produce even better goods.

After the ceremony, Mrs. Kim toured the exhibits. She praised Oh Hyung-shin’s ceramic work “Magpie Tiger,” saying the piece presents a tiger—often depicted as ferocious in Minhwa—in a friendlier, more approachable light.

Mrs. Kim also showed interest in Kim Kyung-hee’s “Ten Immortals” (십장생도). A nearby attendee quipped that such a piece should be displayed at Cheong Wa Dae, Korea’s Blue House, and Mrs. Kim replied that the Blue House already has a Ten Immortals screen, but that this work is more three-dimensional.

Context for international readers: Culture Station Seoul 284 is a repurposed railway complex in Seoul that now houses exhibitions and creative programs. The Public Procurement Service oversees government purchasing and is using cultural exhibitions to promote traditional crafts and design, linking public procurement with Korea’s cultural and design industries. For U.S. readers, the event signals Korea’s ongoing strategy to commercialize heritage crafts for global markets, suggesting potential opportunities for American retailers, museums, and creators interested in Korean design, production, and cultural exchange.