Centuries-Old Sijo Poetry Inspires New Hangeul Design Collection
Lifestyle platform 29CM has teamed up with cultural institutions and 21 brands to reinterpret an 18th-century sijo anthology as contemporary home goods, textiles and stationery for the centennial of Hangeul Day’s designation.
A landmark collection of Korean verse compiled nearly three centuries ago is being reinterpreted through contemporary design as South Korea marks 100 years since Hangeul Day was designated.
Fashion and lifestyle platform 29CM, which is operated by Musinsa, announced Thursday that it has joined the National Hangeul Museum and the Sejong Culture and Tourism Foundation to launch a collection of Hangeul-themed cultural products. The project will also be presented through pop-up exhibitions in Seoul.
The collaboration takes its inspiration from Cheonggu Yeongeon, a 1728 anthology of sijo held by the National Hangeul Museum and designated as a national treasure. Sijo is a classical Korean verse form that was traditionally sung as lyrics. By drawing on individual poems from the anthology, the initiative connects the literary heritage of the Korean language with products designed for everyday use.
The project is organized under the theme “Beside Every Heart, Hangeul.” Its central idea is that the Korean alphabet has served across generations as a means of recording and communicating people’s thoughts and emotions.
Twenty-one brands participated in the collaboration. Thirteen are sold through 29CM, including Koyu, Gori Studio, OIMU, FF Collective, TWB and KioskKiosk. The remaining eight were selected through the 2026 Hangeul Cultural Products and Content Development Project.
Each participating brand chose one sijo from Cheonggu Yeongeon and translated its language and emotional tone into a distinct design. The resulting range spans tableware, textiles, stationery and other home and lifestyle goods, offering consumers a practical point of contact with Korean literary history.
An exhibition at Cociety in Seoul’s Seongsu-dong district is scheduled to run from Oct. 29 through Nov. 1. It will be arranged in three themed sections that lead visitors from the original sijo lyrics to hands-on activities involving Hangeul and then to the finished collaborative products.
A related pop-up is planned at 29 Home, the platform’s lifestyle select shop near Seoul Forest, from Oct. 29 to Nov. 4. The products will also be sold online.
29CM said it plans to support the collection across development, distribution and sales. The company described the collaboration as an opportunity to present the value and visual appeal of Hangeul from a fresh perspective while expanding cultural themes into products, content and offline experiences.
The initiative places a work dating to the Joseon era in a modern commercial and exhibition setting. It also highlights how Hangeul’s cultural role extends beyond written communication, providing material for contemporary creators working across design, retail and public programming.