Ask young Taiwanese women what they plan to wear to a party or formal occasion these days and many of them might well say a hanbok -- the elaborate traditional Korean gown.
"I wore a Korean dress to several events on campus. I felt pretty and elegant in it," said student Lee Huei-ru, 21, who bought a pink floor-length hanbok embroidered with floral patterns for NT$4,980 (US$147) on the Internet last month.
Lee is already planning to add another of the gowns to her wardrobe.
"I'd love to have a silk one with hand embroidery that will cost some NT$50,000. I'll just have to save enough money," she said.
Hanboks are the latest in a wave of South Korean products to gain popularity here. Observers say the surge of interest in South Korean culture, especially television serials and music groups, has served as the driving force for Ha Han Feng or "the Korean Wave" in Taiwan.
The Korean fever has helped boost the popularity of other South Korean-made items including cellphones, home appliances and paraphernalia on South Korean stars such as posters, mugs and T-shirts.
The trend among Taiwanese youths has extended to Korean food, with many now frequenting Korean style food chains that serve hot pots, and even plastic surgery.
"More and more clients showed me photos of famous Korean stars and asked for the same perfect looks," said Wang Du-hsin, a Taipei cosmetic surgeon with two decades of experience.
The popularity of South Korean television programs climaxed with the historical drama Dae Jang Geum, set in the Chosun Dynasty about 500 years ago.
On one day in August this year more than 1.1 million people tuned into the tale of Korea's first female royal physician Seo Jang-Geum, aired on a local cable TV station, an AC Nielsen survey showed.
The smash hit has also helped expand the business of Cindy Lin, 25, owner of an online shop selling traditional Chinese attire. Seeing potential in the hanbok market, she started importing the colorful dresses from Seoul in May.
"Some even asked for the same type of apron worn by Lee Young Ae," Lin said, referring to the actress who played the heroine in the show.
Airlines and tour operators too are among the beneficiaries of the craze, with many Taiwanese trying to visit sites where the history plays and modern romance comedies were filmed.
The trend is also partially responsible for the September signing of an agreement to resume air links between the two countries after a 12-year break, transportation authorities said.
South Korea switched recognition from Taiwan to China in 1992 and Taipei cut bilateral aviation ties shortly thereafter in retaliation.
Last year, however, nearly 195,000 Taiwanese travelled to South Korea, a 42 percent increase from 2002, according to the Taipei Office of the Korea National Tourism Organization.
Office director Kong Hee Sun said popular South Korean shows had helped lure more Taiwanese tourists to his country.
"Shopping used to be the main attraction for Taiwanese visitors but now many are flocking to filming locations of hit TV series," he said.
CARGO LOSS: About 50 containers at the stern of the ‘Ever Lunar’ cargo ship went overboard, prompting the temporary closure of the port and disrupting operations Evergreen Marine Corp, Taiwan’s largest container shipper, yesterday said that all crew members aboard the Ever Lunar (長月) were safe after dozens of containers fell overboard off the coast of Peru the previous day. The incident occurred at 9:40am on Friday as the Ever Lunar was anchored and waiting to enter the Port of Callao when it suddenly experienced severe rolling, Evergreen said in a statement. The rolling, which caused the containers to fall, might have been caused by factors including a tsunami triggered by an earthquake in Russia, poor winter sea conditions in South America or a sudden influx of waves,
The Ministry of Culture yesterday officially launched the “We TAIWAN” cultural program on Osaka’s Nakanoshima sandbank, with the program’s mascot receiving overwhelming popularity. The cultural program, which runs from Aug. 2 to 20, was designed to partner with and capitalize on the 2025 World Expo that is being held in Osaka, Japan, from April 13 to Oct. 13, the ministry said. On the first day of the cultural program, its mascot, a green creature named “a-We,” proved to be extremely popular, as its merch was immediately in high demand. Long lines formed yesterday for the opening
The Taipei Summer Festival is to begin tomorrow at Dadaocheng Wharf (大稻埕), featuring four themed firework shows and five live music performances throughout the month, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said today. The festival in the city’s Datong District (大同) is to run until Aug. 30, holding firework displays on Wednesdays and the final Saturday of the event. The first show is scheduled for tomorrow, followed by Aug. 13, 20 and 30. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Disney Pixar's movie Toy Story, the festival has partnered with Walt Disney Co (Taiwan) to host a special themed area on
BE CAREFUL: The virus rarely causes severe illness or death, but newborns, older people and those with medical conditions are at risk of more severe illness As more than 7,000 cases of chikungunya fever have been reported in China’s Guangdong Province this year, including 2,892 new cases last week, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday said it is monitoring the situation and considering raising the travel notice level, which might be announced today. The CDC issued a level 1 travel notice, or “watch,” for Guangdong Province on July 22, citing an outbreak in Foshan, a manufacturing hub in the south of the province, that was reported early last month. Between July 27 and Saturday, the province reported 2,892 new cases of chikungunya, reaching a total of 7,716
RSS