한국국제교류재단

The HOHODANG showroom, tucked inside an al ley of Cheongdam-dong, an upscale neighborhood in Seoul, is filled with objects tied to life’s most meaningful milestones. Traditional household items — baenaet jeogori (upper garment for newborns), dol banji (first-birthday gold ring), bokjumeoni (fortune pouch), hanbok (traditional garments), yugi (brassware), and hand-carved wooden figurines — are thoughtfully arranged, each wrapped in a bojagi. Together they evoke weddings, pregnancy and childbirth, holidays, and myriad celebrations.

“I believe a bojagi is the perfect way to express the gift giver’s sincerity. Above all, it’s eco-friendly because the recipient can keep reusing it,” Yang says, emphasizing its practicality.

Her interest in bojagi, she explains, is rooted in her upbringing. “Bojagi is part of the foundation of my life. My grandmother and father crafted period costumes for historical K-dramas and films. Our home was filled with leftover fabrics from meticulously researched hanbok, armor, and props. My grandmother and mother would gather the scraps and stitch them into bojagi.”

For bojagi to become part of everyday life, their quality, design, and price all have to align. To keep her products accessible, Yang developed recycled fabric made from discarded plastic to be used in place of costly traditional textiles.

These bojagi were used not only to wrap gifts on holidays and special occasions but also proved handy as lunchbox pouches. Her grandmother would even place spending money for the children in colorful, delicately made bojagi.

“Because our home and workshop were on different floors of the same building, whenever we cooked something special, we always made enough to share with the staff. During holidays, we made rice cakes and dried beef for the neighbors. I was often in charge of wrapping the food, and I would lose track of time experimenting with different wrapping styles,” Yang says.

These early memories shaped Yang’s sensibility. What began with wrapping food grew into a broader passion for traditional culture. She studied Korean dietary culture at university and briefly operated a restaurant, Jeongmiso, as owner-chef. Although she closed it after two years due to physical strain, the experience gave her enough confidence to move on to ceremonial cuisine.

“I mainly received orders for pyebaek and ibaji [food gifts from the bride’s family to the groom’s],” Yang recalls. “But it was difficult to find bojagi suitable for packaging. So I reached out to people who had worked with my family, sourced fabric, and made them myself. The response was good — customers who came for the food often fell for the bojagi.”

Bojagi are pliable enough to wrap objects of almost any shape. Their beauty can be heightened with a range of techniques, including tying, folding, twisting, tucking, and braiding.

Since its establishment in 2011, HOHODANG has become known for its beautiful bojagi wrapping, which soon attracted the attention of major luxury brands, both in- and outside of Korea. After partnering with beauty brand Sulwhasoo, the company went on to collaborate with Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Bottega Veneta on gift and promotional packaging.

“Working with Sulwhasoo for ten years was a turning point for me. It taught me to prioritize creating value that endures,” Yang reflects.

This experience led her to consider how bojagi could be used more easily in daily life.

“Traditional bojagi made from silk or ramie were too costly for everyday use. I wanted everyone to enjoy the beauty of tradition, which led me to explore new materials. Eventually, I found functional fibers that could meet this need.”

To lower costs and increase practicality, Yang turned to recycled plastic fibers. The resulting fabrics earned Global Recycled Standard (GRS) certification in 2021, giving HOHODANG recognition as an eco-friendly company.

“The bojagi products we produce for Hotel Shilla are now made entirely from recycled plastic yarn,” Yang says. “We’re also transitioning most of our own HOHODANG line to recycled materials, except for select pieces made from natural fibers.”

In 2024, Yang introduced a new saekdong basket. Saekdong, multicolored striped fabric, has traditionally been reserved for special occasions. She reinterpreted the decorative saekdong pattern used on the back of the investiture scroll by which King Yeongjo (r. 1724–1776) appointed Queen Jeongsun as his consort.

Having grown from a bojagi packaging specialist into a comprehensive lifestyle brand, HOHODANG has created official commemorative items for major domestic and international events. For the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, it produced embroidered magnets and bojagi bags inspired by the white tiger painted on the ceiling of Yeongchumun, the west gate at Gyeongbok Palace. For the 2021 P4G Summit (Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030) in Seoul, it created bojagi bags featuring motifs from the Petroglyphs of Daegok-ri in Ulju County, located in the southeastern corner of the Korean peninsula, which were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List earlier this year.

“The patterns on our fabrics are mostly adapted from Korean folk paintings. I was so delighted when I saw that adorable tiger appear in Kpop Demon Hunters. It felt as if HOHODANG’s work had been acknowledged, which encouraged me to work even harder,” Yang says.

When her husband, Kim Joon-shik, who had previously worked in international trade, joined the company in 2016, HOHODANG began direct exports to other countries. Today, it has grown into a manufacturing company with factories in Seoul, Daegu, and Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam.

“HOHODANG is the name my mother gave my new family when I married. It means ‘May good things always come your way,’” Yang explains. “She passed away the following year, in 2011, and I felt utterly lost. While preparing for childbirth without her, I found comfort in sewing a baenaet jeogori for my baby. In keeping with my mother’s wishes for us, I want to share the same blessings with everyone who comes to HOHODANG.” Perhaps those blessings come from the warmth and heartfelt care wrapped into every bojagi.

Symbolizing trust and harmony between husband and wife, wooden geese were among the most important articles in a traditional wedding ceremony. At HOHODANG, artisans carefully carve wooden geese from walnut, which are typically wrapped in bojagi made from traditional fabrics such as yangdan (similar to brocade) or nobang (fine silk gauze).