30 Nostalgic Photos That Capture Youth Fashion on the Streets of South Korea in the 1990s

Enter Korean Pop (K-Pop) in the 1990s to put its indelible stamp on K-Fashion and K-Beauty culture. The first K-Pop group, Seo Tae-ji and Boys led this era of Korean fashion with their rap and hip-hop style, a new music trend at the time. Other western music and fashion style mixes such as grunge were adopted by the youth named ‘resistance fashion’.

Not far behind, the makeup industry grew with the emergence of new products such as BB creams, skin lightening lotions, and skin tightening creams. The simple applications and selection diverged from western makeup trends. K-Pop celebrities, the new icons of beauty, influenced the culture of body and skin/appearance consciousness. Full covering foundations, simple eye makeup, and pastel/natural-looking colours has become the makeup style of today. Korean men have also become involved with makeup trends often wearing foundation or BB cream.

Since 2000 to the present, K-Fashion and K-Beauty products and culture continue to have an impact on the global market. Armed with smartphones and internet accessibility, the domestic and global consumer has access to Korean fashion and beauty products that show no signs of retreat in the competitive market.

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26 Interesting Vintage Photos That Show South Korean Weddings in the 1970s and 1980s

Weddings are a universal rite of passage, a process which requires one to separate from the old, pass from the old to the new, and finally, become a part of the new. The rituals and traditions for this process vary from country to country. Some cultures’ wedding ceremonies take place over a period of several days and involve several changes of clothing. The changes of clothing often represent the change in social status of the bride or groom. Sometimes the clothing changes reveal traditions and practices adapted from other cultures via trade, migration, or colonization.

Western fashion has influenced the style of dress of many non-western cultures, in some areas replacing the traditional dress entirely. Wedding celebrations are sometimes the only places where a semblance of a culture’s traditional dress survives. Several countries incorporated the white wedding gown into their wedding traditions during the early and mid twentieth century. One can find a synthesis of western fashion and traditional dress in wedding attire, either through the style of dress, type of fabric, or style of accessories.

Although the white wedding dress tradition of Western culture can be found among the wedding traditions of several places where Europeans and Americans had influence, there has been a rebirth in cultural identity and a resurgence of interest in traditional wedding dress. Contemporary versions of traditional wedding clothes are often in great demand, and worn in addition to or instead of the white wedding dress.

In Korea, weddings have become a prosperous business with a steady clientele. Both cultures view marriage as a necessity to enter into adult society. The marriage ceremony changes reckless youths into responsible adults.

Traditional Korean bridal dress is based on the costume of royal princesses. The red skirt and yellow jacket are worn over full pantaloons and a long slip, and under a red robe with wide rainbow stripe sleeves. The headdress consists of a beaded crown with a dragon head pin in lacquered hair.

The groom wears a royal blue robe of a style worn by officials in dynastic times, with a stiff black hat associated with scholar’s or officials. A western style shirt and tie are worn under the robe.

Traditional Korean weddings and wedding dress fell out of favor during Korea’s rapid industrial growth and emergence onto the world marketplace in the 1970s and 1980s. In their place was a modern, new style wedding with Korean vernacular language, and western style dress. Many ceremonies today feature both traditional and modern forms of dress.

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Rare Photographs of Marilyn Monroe Wooing Soldiers in the Aftermath of the Korean War

Rarely seen photos of Marilyn Monroe wooing the American troops during the Korean War, with the blonde bombshell meeting, greeting and performing for the soldiers who were nearing the end of their time in combat.

The photographs were taken by a professional military photographer as he had close access to Marilyn Monroe at various stages of her trip.

The collection boasts some images of her wearing pants, shirt, and combat boots, other images of her wearing her houndstooth dress from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and another images of her wearing her sparkly cocktail dress as she sings on stage.

Monroe interrupted her honeymoon in Japan with baseball star Joe DiMaggio in 1954 to visit American troops who had been fighting on the front line. The whirlwind tour saw the her perform 10 shows over four days to more than 100,000 soldiers and marines who were celebrating the end of three years of combat.

The visit was the only time the blonde bombshell entertained troops in her career as a singer and movie star.

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Fascinating Color Photos of Marilyn Monroe Singing to the Troops During the First Show of Her Four-Day Tour in Korea

Pictures of Hollywood star Marilyn Monroe singing to an audience of G.I.’s during the first show of her recent four-day tour of Korea on February 22, 1954. She is wearing her much-discussed low-cut purple cocktail dress about which she had told newsmen, “it’s the only one I brought over that is suitable for the show.”

In tough times Hollywood stars have always seemed to rise to the occasion selflessly, going the extra mile, literally, to entertain the troops that are defending our countries freedoms.

Marilyn Monroe was one such performer. Despite Marilyn’s profound fear of live performances she rose above her phobia to provide a few hours of joy to over 100, 000 homesick servicemen in Korea. She delighted the audience with her singing, dancing and charming banter. She was voted the number one pin-up during the Korea war and she honored that title by entertaining troops on the war front and visiting them at bedside in near by hospitals.

It was in February 1954, during her honeymoon to Joe DiMaggio that Marilyn decided to drop in on the soldiers in Korea. It was a trip that she would later recall with enormous fondness, a time when she realized she was truly a star.

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50 Fascinating Color Pics Capture Everyday Life of Seoul in the Late 1940s

Seoul is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. With surrounding Incheon metropolis and Gyeonggi province, Seoul forms the heart of the Seoul Capital Area.

Ranked as an alpha world city, Seoul was the world's 4th largest metropolitan economy after Tokyo, New York City and Los Angeles.

Strategically situated along the Han River, Seoul's history stretches back over two thousand years. It is surrounded by a mountainous and hilly landscape, with Bukhan Mountain located on the northern edge of the city.

As with its long history, the Seoul Capital Area contains five UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Changdeok Palace, Hwaseong Fortress, Jongmyo Shrine, Namhansanseong and the Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty.

These fascinating color photos from NorbFaye that captured everyday life of Seoul in 1948 and 1949.

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This Is What ‘Gangnam Style’ Looked Like in 1904

Long before Psy made a certain district in Seoul famous, two ballers were representing:

(Collection: Willard Dickerman Straight and Early U.S.-Korea Diplomatic Relations, Cornell University Library)

Two middle-aged Korean gentlemen walking down the street. They wear a traditional Korean costume, echogorie and epajie with eturumagie that is tied with two long ekorume on the upper part of the coat. Their epajie are tied with etaenime at the lower ends of trousers. Both of them have echumonie, that contains money, under their waists. Their hat, called a ehukripe or commonly a ekate is made out of horsehair. Their shoes are ekomusine. The sunglasses reflect a modern attire among the upper-class Korean gentry.

Here are some more amazing vintage photographs that capture street scenes of Korea in 1904:

The exact nature of this photograph is unclear. A man beside a statue-like figure standing on an elevated place, probably delivering some messages to Korean civilians, with Korean soldiers looking on.

A rickshaw ('illyokko') is usually a light, two-wheeled hooded vehicle drawn by one or more persons. This picture shows a one-wheeled rickshaw with attendant. The rickshaw may look less luxurious, but possibly more comfortable to sit on than the ordinary palanquin which is hollow inside.

Photograph of Min Yong-hwan's state funeral procession (Dec. 16-18 1905). On this funeral procession, see the web site under 'Letters from Troubled Seoul', under the date Dec. 17, 1905.

Two artisans or farmers are at work to make straw shoes (chipsin). The finished shoes are displayed on the wall.

Korean boys and girls stand at attention to march in the field. They wear mostly white overcoat called eturumagie over the jacket (chogori) and trousers called epajie. Some wear shoes called ekomusine and the others wear shoes (echipsin'), made of plant fibers. Two children carry Korean and American flags.

Korean officials with arms tucked inside the sleeves, obviously on a chilly day. In the background, a woman wears a essugae chimae. The street setting appears to be related to the Royal Palace grounds in Seoul.

After the journey from her house, the bride arrives at her husband's house. The street around the bridegroom's house is crowded with wedding guests and spectators.

(Photos: Willard Dickerman Straight and Early U.S.-Korea Diplomatic Relations, Cornell University Library)

'Slapsie Maxie': The USO Show for the Korean War in 1954

Founded in 1941 by Mary Ingraham in response to a request from President Franklin D. Roosevelt, The United Service Organizations Inc. (USO) is a nonprofit organization that provides live entertainment, such as comedians and musicians, and other programs to members of the United States Armed Forces and their families.

During World War II, the USO became the G.I.'s 'home away from home' and began a tradition of entertaining the troops that continues today. After disbanding in 1947, it was revived in 1950 for the Korean War, after which it also provided peacetime services. During the Vietnam War, USOs were sometimes located in combat zones.

'Slapsie Maxie' was an ex-boxer named Max Rosenbloom, who was a nightclub owner, and comedian. His co-star was Gloria Pall, an aspiring actress who had a moment of notoriety later in 1954 when she starred as 'Voluptua' in a TV show.

These snapshots from m20wc51 are a part of slides taken by U.S. Army photographer Edward Jay, 25th Replacement Co, 25th Inf. Division, US Army in 1954.

Gloria Pall, 'Slapsie Maxie' and other performers, Korea, April 1954

Gloria Pall, 'Slapsie Maxie' and other performers, Korea, April 1954

Gloria Pall and Max Rosenbloom, Korea, April 1954

Performers at the 'Slapsie Maxie' show in Korea, April 1954

Performers at the 'Slapsie Maxie' show in Korea, April 1954

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1990s South Korea Street Style: 18 Forgotten Trends All ’90s Koreans Were Obsessed With

Everything was more simple back then. The country’s reputation wasn’t as popular as these days. Seoul was less sophisticated and there were still many poor areas. People were less materialistic and plastic surgery wasn't as common as these days.

“Korea in the 1970s and ’80s had no fashion industry at all. It hardly had any industries to be honest. Up until the 1990s, I would say that we were barely living in a developed country.” – Woo Youngmi, fashion designer.

The 1990s in Korea was a crazy time. Fashion trends come and go but the style is forever! These ’90s fashion trends in Korea are so bold and trendy, they look like K-Pop Idols’ stage outfits.

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The Amazing Story Behind the Picture of a Soldier Feeding a Tiny Kitten in Korean War, 1952

In the middle of the Korean War, this kitten found herself an orphan. Luckily, she found her way into the hands of Marine Sergeant Frank Praytor. He adopted the two-week-old kitten and gave her the name “Miss Hap” because, he explained, “she was born at the wrong place at the wrong time”. There’s a juxtaposition between the soldier and the human. He’s dressed for war but hasn’t lost the ability to care for another living creature.

(Photo credit: Marine Corps Archives)

It was circulated that her mother was killed by a mortar barrage near Bunker Hill. That was not true. Sergeant Praytor, in a 2009 article in The Graybeards (the official publication of the Korean War Veteran’s Association), stated that Miss Hap’s mother was shot by a Marine up the line because of her yeowling. Since that would have caused negative reactions, Corps publicity told the mortar barrage story instead.

Miss Hap was one of two surviving kittens. Sergeant Praytor took care of her while the other was given to another man – who rolled over in his sleep and accidentally killed it. The photo above was taken by Staff Sergeant Martin Riley. Sergeant Praytor was feeding Miss Hap slightly watered-down canned milk with a medicine dropper. She was later weaned onto meat out of “C” ration cans.

Staff Sergeant Riley’s photograph was circulated and published in more than 1,700 American newspapers in 1953, including The New York Times. After Sergeant Praytor went home, Miss Hap was left behind in Korea. However, she was left in good hands and became a mascot in the Division PIO office. Sergeant Praytor saw her one more time when he returned briefly. Miss Hap’s second guardian was Cpl. Conrad Fisher of Cicero, Illinois who hoped to take her home. On whether or not Cpl Fisher was able to bring Miss Hap home, Sergeant Praytor remarked, “I like to think he did.”

In 2010, Praytor wrote, "Miss Hap was weaned on meat out of C rations and grew into a big girl who thought I was her father. When I left Korea, I left her in the care of another Marine. When I returned in '55, she was alive and well. At 83, I'm still saving orphans. Have two cats, Molly and Max. They never leave the house."

28 Beautiful Pics That Capture Street Scenes of Seoul, South Korea in the Late 1970s

Seoul is the capital and largest metropolis of the Republic of Korea (commonly known as South Korea). It is the world's 16th largest city, and forms the heart of the Seoul Capital Area, which includes the surrounding Incheon metropolis and Gyeonggi province.

Strategically situated on the Han River, Seoul is surrounded by mountains, the tallest being Mt. Bukhan. The Seoul Capital Area houses about half of the country's population.

Take a look at these beautiful pictures from Bob to see what Seoul looked like in around 1978 and 1979.

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