▲ This photo of the sleeve of the "1906 Revised Daehan Empire Ceremonial Uniform for Civil Officials" is provided by the Korea Heritage Service. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE)(Yonhap)

 

SEOUL, Aug. 13 (Yonhap) -- A ceremonial robe offering a glimpse into the clothing system of the Korean Empire and the evolution of modern Korean dress is set to be designated as a national registered cultural heritage, the Cultural Heritage Administration said Thursday.

 

The agency said it has given preliminary notice of its plan to register the "1906 Revised Ceremonial Robe for Civil Officials of the Korean Empire," currently held by the Korea Custom Tailors Association, as a national registered cultural heritage.

 

A ceremonial robe was worn for important state occasions.

 

In 1900, the Korean Empire introduced regulations for Western-style ceremonial robes for civil officials as part of efforts to enter the international diplomatic arena, replacing traditional official attire with Western-style clothing.

 

The robe announced for registration is the only surviving example of a ceremonial robe made under the system revised in 1906.

 

It consists of a jacket and trousers worn by "chik-im-gwan," or high-ranking officials appointed under the government system reorganized during the Gabo Reform period, and is believed to have been made between 1906 and 1910.

 

The robe is made primarily of black wool, with blue wool used at the sleeve ends. It is particularly notable for hibiscus patterns embroidered with gold-colored thread. Its accompanying ornaments and metal decorations have also remained intact.

 

The ceremonial robe is considered an important resource for research into modern Korean dress culture.

 

A Cultural Heritage Administration official described it as "an artifact that reflects the identity of a modern state by incorporating national symbols of the Korean Empire, such as the hibiscus pattern, while adopting a Western-style ceremonial dress system."

 

The agency will review opinions from various sectors during a 30-day public notice period before making a final decision on registration following deliberations by the National Heritage Committee.

 

Meanwhile, the agency has finalized the registration of "Anatomy," a Korean-language medical textbook published in 1906 at Jejungwon, a modern Western-style medical institution, as a national registered cultural heritage.

 

"Anatomy" illustrates how modern Western medicine took root in Korea and is also considered valuable for Korean linguistics research, as it explains unfamiliar medical terms in Korean.

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