Jeonju hanbok rental for matching sister looks: Gwijok Uisangsil

What kind of shop is Gwijok Uisangsil Jeonju Hanok Village Branch?

Gwijok Uisangsil Hanbok Jeonju Hanok Village Branch is a costume rental shop inside Jeonju Hanok Village where you can choose everything from traditional hanbok to 1920s Gyeongseong-era outfits. Before this recent holiday, my sister and I took our first ever trip to Jeonju together, and after a lot of back and forth about what kind of memory would stick with us the longest, we decided to try on hanbok together in Jeonju Hanok Village. That's how we ended up visiting Gwijok Uisangsil for the first time to wear hanbok together, and I wanted to write an honest review of the visit.

Costume types and sizes you can rent

Gwijok Uisangsil in Jeonju Hanok Village has a huge range of costumes ready to go by type — not just traditional hanbok and elaborate hanbok, but 1920s Gyeongseong-era outfits, old-school uniforms, warrior costumes, royal robes, Eou-dong outfits, court eunuch costumes, magistrate costumes, and more, so you could pick whatever you wanted. Let me show you the Gyeongseong-era costumes first! They come in sizes from infant all the way to adult S–2XL, so it seemed like a great option for the whole family to wear together and make memories.

Beyond the Gyeongseong-era costumes themselves, there were also tons of props, so wearing one of these outfits really did feel like playing princess.

Fitting rooms, hair area and how you choose a costume

The area where you pick out and change into your costume at Gwijok Uisangsil was really clean and tidy. Behind it there was also a space to get your hair done — after changing, the staff style your hair neatly, so even if you're all thumbs with hair, you'll still end up looking great. The best part for me was that the Gyeongseong-era costumes are organized in albums by type, which made choosing so much easier for someone as indecisive as me.

The in-store photo spot for snaps

There's also a spot in the shop set up for pretty snapshots, so whether you come in Gyeongseong-era costumes with your whole family, as a couple, with friends, or like me with a sister or brother, it seemed like a nice place to grab some casual photos or add on a snapshot session.

Sister hanbok: matching the skirt colors first

My sister and I decided to go with hanbok (traditional Korean dress). There were so many kinds that choosing was really hard. Seeing how much we were struggling, the owner kindly suggested we just pick the skirts, and she'd match the jeogori (jacket) on top for us — so my sister and I ended up matching our skirt colors.

A staff member came in and kindly helped us put on our hanbok, and also did our hair fast while we sat down. For short bobs they do a half-up style, and for long hair you pick from three hairstyle photos, and the staff member styled it beautifully with really skilled hands. It didn't stop there — they also carefully checked bags, shoes, and other props to match the hanbok, and made sure we had everything with us when we left after the rental. I was so grateful.

Old-school school uniforms are available too

There were so many kinds of hanbok, and on one side there were also old-school uniforms. The variety of costumes and sizes available for rental was really impressive, and I understood immediately why all my friends in Jeonju recommend this place and why it's so popular. The owner and staff were all so kind, and beyond the old-school uniforms, there was such a wide range of matching props, all handled with so much care… no wonder it's popular. ❤️

The finished half-up hairstyle

Here's my finished hair. I kept the half-up style all day, minus the flower they had pinned in it that day, and friends I met up with in Jeonju told me it suited me so well that I should wear it like this more often. Right after it was done, I actually worried, 'Won't this look off on me?' since I don't really wear half-up styles in daily life, but it suited me way better than I expected — I might just try it again sometime!

Where to leave your clothes and bag

After renting your hanbok and logging your time at Gwijok Uisangsil, there are personal lockers right at the entrance where you can store the clothes, bag, shoes, and other belongings you came in with. Since they're individual lockers, it felt much more secure against theft or loss, so I could relax while we were out and about.

I was so excited in my hanbok that I took all kinds of mirror photos. By the time I was done, my sister was ready too, so we headed off to Gyeonggijeon Shrine.

Gyeonggijeon closing time and admission in hanbok

Gyeonggijeon Shrine closes at 18:00 (admission ₩30,000). After 18:00 they strictly won't let you in, so make sure to time your visit — we deliberately went in around 17:00 to catch the emptiest window and get our photos taken quickly. Admission used to be free if you were wearing hanbok, but now you have to pay admission even in hanbok, so definitely keep that in mind if you're planning a visit!

Sitting at Gyeonggijeon in my hanbok and flower shoes, I found myself imagining — if a young lady from the Joseon dynasty had a smartphone and could use social media, would this be exactly what it felt like?

Gyeonggijeon and hanbok really are a combination where the photos just can't come out looking bad — it's such a great way to make memories. It was a bit tricky avoiding backlit shots since we visited later in the afternoon, but my sister has a talent for photography, so we still managed to get some pretty shots. If you're looking for a place in Hanok Village with a wide range of costumes and sizes to rent, I'd recommend visiting Gwijok Uisangsil Hanbok Jeonju Hanok Village Branch :)