▲ Nam Young-hyun, CEO of The YoungHyun

How about wearing Korean clothes daily?
An out-of-the-way spot on an alley in Bonggok-dong, Changwon City, South Gyeongsang Province, you can find a studio ‘The YoungHyun’ where casual Korean clothes are designed for daily wear. “Many people in the world seem to know K-Pop nowadays. K-Pop and K-Drama played the pivotal role in spreading the K-Wave while traditional Korean costume also played its part to spread the Korean beauty. Then I thought that the traditional Korean dresses are rather uncomfortable to wear daily so my idea developed into simplifying the design” explains CEO Nam Young-hyun. He started by using practical materials such as cotton and polyester and applied modern patterns according to the trend of each age group from the 20s to 60s. The result was that they were more like casual wear than Korean costumes but the unique taste of its tradition still intact. “I think it was a shift from expensive and uncomfortable to affordable and comfortable. And I gave a greater focus on enlivening the traditional beauty yet prioritizing practicality.”

Thy beginning was small, yet thy end should increase greatly!
You can find various lines of casual Korean clothes, beautifully patterned women’s booths and unique accessories when you step into Nam’s design studio. A choice of each item is displayed in the show window and it is charming enough to catch an eye of passers-by. Recognizing the value of the Nam’s works, the KOTRA (Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency) is channeling the products to the South East Asian countries from next year. “I think I’m already a successful man thanks to the help and support poured in from the people around me. It is my first thing to do to return back what I’ve received from them when the time comes which I believe it certainly will come. And you might laugh if you hear this but I’m ambitious to grow my business like Samsung is THE electronics giant today” determined Nam. – Thy beginning was small, yet thy end should increase greatly! -