Travel back in time in a “hanbok”! Seoul photo studio offers full makeup and hairstyling in one go!

Text and photos byPaine the Little One

I’ve traveled to Korea many times, and as a solo backpacker who loves exploring all over the place, although I claim to have nearly covered the entire country, I’ve worn a hanbok very few times—and even when I did, it wasn’t formal or authentic enough. This time, I had the chance to experience hanbok photography at Myeongdong’s historic photo studio, where everything from makeup to hairstyles was taken care of. I personally found it super fun and really memorable. But there were some downsides—there were just so many customers that each person got limited time with the photographer. Also, you don’t get to choose which photos are printed in the end; the photographer just picks the two best ones. Of course, taste varies, and some people might not like the selected shots.

The location of the Gugwan Hanbok Photo Studio’s Myeongdong branch is quite close to the embassy money exchange. The big sign is very easy to spot.

The sign says the cheapest price is 29,000 KRW, but that’s just for wearing the hanbok and taking photos—no makeup or hairstyle included. I think it’s better to go for the makeup and hairstyle package; the difference in overall feel is really noticeable.

Aside from professional photography, they also have a self-photo zone and provide free selfie sticks for guests to take their own pictures.

There were quite a lot of customers today, and they came from all over the world (Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, Southeast Asia?), and even some Koreans (I saw two couples and a group of girl friends)!

The shop has Chinese-speaking staff, so as soon as you walk in, someone will explain all the pricing in Chinese. And yes, you do need to make a reservation in advance to get your photos taken. Reservation phone: 02-318-8288 (this is a Korean number—call when you’re in Korea; there will be Chinese-speaking staff available).

Today, Xiao Le and I chose the most basic “Happy” package for 60,000 KRW, which includes one set of clothes and a small photo album at the end. Actually, I’d recommend the 90,000 KRW option—it’s only 30,000 KRW more, but you get to change into a second outfit, plus another small album and two mini photos. That’s a much better deal, though it does take more time. Our session today took about two hours.

Most importantly,remember to book through HanCasa, because you can get an “80% cash price discount.”They also throw in a free mini photo if you book that way. Once you’ve made a reservation, just show up with the printed voucher from HanCasa—you don’t have to pay them in advance. For us today, 60,000 KRW with 20% off became 48,000 KRW, plus we got a free mini photo!

It’s even more cost-effective if you’re going as a group of friends or a couple!

One thing to note—if you go with the 60,000 KRW package I initially picked, it does include makeup and a basic hairstyle, but the hanbok is a regular commoner’s outfit. Honestly, I didn’t think the commoner’s clothing looked that great!

I personally recommend the “Geisha” or “Royal Court” packages. We went with “Geisha” and “Royal Court” today, which required an additional 5,000 KRW each. For hairstyles, if you don’t pay extra, you’ll just get a basic hair accessory and head wrap. I still think if you’re going for a full set, you might as well go all the way, so we paid the extra 5,000 KRW for the more complete hairstyle options.

60,000 x 0.8 + 5,000 for Royal Court outfit + 5,000 for hairstyle/makeup = 58,000 KRW per person. In the end, you get a photo album (with two photos) and the mini photo.

Family photo sessions are available too.

This photo album is so pretty—it includes three different outfits.

After we’d all made our choices, a staff member explained how the process would go. We put our bags and jackets in lockers first.

When we entered the makeup room, wow—there were so many people!

For clothes, you choose them yourself, and they come in different sizes, so you can find one that fits well. The selection of hanboks here is relatively large. Xiao Le said he’s been to Insa-dong before, where it’s cheaper but you only get to wear a hanbok and there are fewer outfit options. I think the hanboks here are fairly nice—not low-quality fabric (though the commoner clothes are really plain; I’d still suggest upgrading those).

There are tons of outfit and hair accessory options, so check out the detailed catalog on their website.
http://cn.konest.com/contents/beauty_detail.html?id=8301

The kids look absolutely adorable too.

Personally, what I was most excited about was the makeup!! Hahaha~~~

Both Xiao Le and I had makeup artists who spoke Chinese, though mine was a bit cooler and didn’t talk much. I think Xiao Le’s makeup artist was friendlier and chatted with her.

A lot of people seem curious about the makeup, so I’ll share a bit about my experience. I was really looking forward to it because, you know, Korean girls’ makeup always looks amazing.

But in reality, if you already know how to do your own makeup, the service mostly just enhances your foundation (covering blemishes), darkens your brows, adds eyeliner, doesn’t reshape your brows (or maybe mine were already good enough), adds a little blush, and uses a super light lipstick—I swear any lipstick I own is redder than theirs (lol).

Your overall look will appear more made-up, but if you already had makeup on when you arrived, the difference won’t be huge. If you’re hoping for a dramatic transformation, I’d suggest going without makeup—but make sure to apply primer, as that might give a more noticeable effect. Otherwise, they’ll just enhance whatever makeup you’re already wearing. But if you’re worried about using other people’s makeup products, bringing your own foundation or tools should be fine too.

I kept trying to sneak a peek at what brand of cosmetics he was using, but I found out they were just some pretty ordinary ones. Oh, right, he does help apply false eyelashes, so don’t bring your own fake lashes!

The model in the photos is my friend Xiaole, not me～～ Her makeup artist was really good and even curled her bangs for her. His hair accessories are super pretty—long hair is better for styling.

The photographer also speaks Chinese and will help adjust all kinds of posing.

There are also many different backgrounds to choose from. You can tell the photographer what kind of vibe you want. Originally, our background was this very classic, somewhat desolate style—I thought it felt a bit gloomy—so I asked to switch to a more cheerful one.

Big tip: Be proactive and ask the photographer to change the background. The first one really was too desolate (earth tones)!

After taking the professional photos, we went on to take some selfies!

They provide selfie sticks here!

But the selfie area is pretty popular, haha!! Lots of people. But it comes in waves—if you wait until others finish and leave, it’s all yours.

The selfie area has a jail cell, haha.

You can have a lot of fun in the selfie area～～～

By the way, we ended up staying in the selfie area for over 30 minutes. Because picking and printing the photos takes about half an hour, so everyone can take their time playing around.

Finally got the finished photos after thirty minutes!!!!!!

Mine’s the one above, in the palace costume; Xiaole’s is the one below, in the geisha costume. Pretty big difference, right～～～ Which one do you like more? I thought this Korean hanbok experience was pretty nice, and the photos turned out great (even though you can’t choose the photos).

Gu Guan Hanbok Photography ??(Zhe Jian Tong??)
Korean Travel – Han Chao Network for details (8–9% discount coupon)
Address: ?聘夜寄萝 ?? ?迟8?? 30 2F(Naver Map/Daum Map)
Phone: 02-318-8288 (must make a reservation in advance; there are Chinese-speaking staff)
Business Hours: 09:00–22:00
Latitude/Longitude:37.561353, 126.983342
Map Source:Han Chao Chinese Version Korean Map(authorized use)
How to get there: First alley to the right in front of Exit 5 of Myeongdong Subway Station, then take the first right at the crossroads.

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