The Korean Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Sports has announced that Stray Kids’ Felix will join the global ‘Hanbok Wave’ campaign, now in its seventh year, as the face of the initiative for 2026.

The ‘Hanbok Wave’ aims to promote the hanbok, Korea’s traditional attire, by encouraging hanbok businesses to design modern interpretations of the clothing for celebrities to wear worldwide. These are showcased during fashion events, and the resulting images will be displayed on electronic billboards across various countries such as New York, Paris and Milan.

Previous ‘Hallyu’ celebrities associated with the campaign include actor Park Bogum (When Life Gives You Tangerines), singer-actress Suzy (Genie, Make A Wish and former member of the JYP girl group miss A), actress Kim Taeri (The Handmaiden), and former figure skating champion Kim Yuna (two-time Olympian, two-time World Champion, and six-time South Korean National Champion). Felix, member of internationally successful group Stray Kids, is a perfect fit for the ‘Hallyu’ focus of this star-studded roster, while also demonstrating a shift away from the screen and towards music in accordance with recent market growth as he becomes the first non-actor to be selected since 2022. 

According to KOCCA, K-pop revenue and exports rose 15.8 percent in 2025 and 32.4 percent from a year earlier, demonstrating the prominence of K-pop in the global market. Stray Kids, currently holding the record for the highest-grossing world tour by a K-pop act across North America, South America, and Europe with their <dominATE> World Tour, sit at the forefront, with Felix standing out for his virality online and global campaigns with various brands from Louis Vuitton to Gongcha. Felix sits as the first and fastest 4th generation K-pop idol to hit 33 million followers on Instagram, the number rising by hundreds of thousands each month, exemplifying his international fame as an individual. His appointment indicates the Korean Ministry’s recognition of this data and predictions of further growth in the industry.

The selection of celebrities for the campaign indicates two separate intentions. The first is to promote Korean culture broadly, using the hanbok as its representative symbol, through the lens of entertainment – one of Korea's largest global exports. The second is to modernise the hanbok itself, pushing designers to reinterpret the garment for a contemporary audience. Felix fits both aims at once – his fanbase is global but also predominantly Gen Z, the exact demographic the campaign is trying to reach. Stray Kids have already worked modernised hanbok looks into music videos such as "Thunderous" (2021) and "DIVINE" (2025), as well as award show performances, with a strong reception from that same fanbase. Felix's involvement looks set to continue that pattern rather than start a new one.

There's also something fitting in the choice itself. Felix was born and raised in Australia before debuting in Korea, and his identity has often been discussed in terms of that cross-cultural background. Fronting a campaign built around modernising and globalising a traditional Korean symbol through a member who embodies that exactly – Korean heritage filtered through an international upbringing – gives the selection a layer of meaning beyond the numbers.

"With the global expansion of Korean content, international interest in our traditional attire is hotter than ever," said Jung Hyangmi, a senior policy official at the culture ministry. "This project will serve as a catalyst to solidify the hanbok as a highly desirable, wearable piece of content for fans worldwide."

Designers from small to mid-sized hanbok companies have been invited to submit their designs with Felix in mind, and five firms will be chosen. Each will then present 10 custom creations, and further selection will determine those used for the campaign and displayed on billboards worldwide. As of now, the Ministry of Culture has listed Seoul, New York, Paris, and Milan as locations chosen for the displays, but “others” are to be revealed.