Gwanbok

Gwanbok
Heuk dallyeongpo in the late 18th century
Korean name
Hangul	관복
Hanja	官服 or 冠服
Revised Romanization	gwanbok
McCune–Reischauer	kwanbok

Gwanbok (Korean pronunciation: [goanbok]) is a Sino-Korean term derived from the terms guanfu (Chinese: 冠服; lit. 'guan and clothing'; Korean: 관복; Hanja: 冠服; RR: gwanbok; lit. gwan and clothing) and guanfu (Chinese: 官服; pinyin: guānfú; lit. 'official's clothing'; Korean: 관복; Hanja: 官服; RR: gwanbok). The term gwanbok (관복; 冠服) is a collective term which refers to historical official attire,^[1] which was bestowed by the government court, including Chinese courts of various dynasties.^[2][3] The guanfu (冠服) system was a court attire system in China which also formed part of the Hanfu (simplified Chinese: 汉服; traditional Chinese: 漢服; pinyin: Hànfú; lit. 'Han Chinese clothing') system. This system was them spread to neighbouring countries and was adopted in Korea since ancient times in different periods through the ritual practice of bestowal of clothing.^[3] Acknowledgement through bestowed robes and crowns (冠服) from the Emperor of China, who held hegemony over East Asia, would give support to Korean Kings and successors, as being the authentic rulers of their country as well as confirmed the political status of the Korean kingdom in the rest of the Sinosphere.^[3] The gwanbok system in Korea was different for each kingdom and changed throughout different periods. For example, initially given by the Chinese court in ritual practice, successive gwanbok were more often than not locally manufactured in Korea with different colours and adopted into hanbok. The gwanbok, which was used as the uniform of court officials (including civil court officials),^[4] formed part of the gwanbok system and was used like the suit is nowadays.