Fancy hats in Netflix Korean Zombie series 'Kingdom'

Kingdom is a 2019 South Korean TV series written by Kim Eun-hee and directed by Kim Seong-hun. It is Netflix's second Korean original series.

Kingdom is set in the real-life Joseon dynasty (also transcribed as Chosŏn or Chosun, Korean: 조선; officially the Kingdom of Great Joseon) which was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and was replaced by the Korean Empire in October 1897. The costume design of this TV series is based on real Joseon fashion during the day.

You will find various hats worn by the actors in Kingdom. Hats in Joseon dynasty normally represented social classes. Here are some of hats worn by men in Joseon period. For hats for women, please refer to this article.

Korean hats
Crowd gathered in front of Gwanghwamun, <L'llustration Journal>, September 1, 1894

Korean traditional hats of Joseon dynasty

'Gat' worn by noblemen

The representative hat of the Joseon Dynasty is 'gat'. (The pronunciation of "gat")

Hats in Joseon
Source: Kingdom (South Korean TV series)

It was made of horsehair, bamboo (?), silk, cow's tail hair, or raw silk.

Black gat (흑립; 黑笠)

A black gat or heungnip was restricted to men who had passed the gwageo examination.

black hat - Korean hats
Black gat displayed on the 2nd Exhibition hall of the National Folk Museum of Korea.

At the 2nd Permanent Exhibition hall of the National Folk Museum of Korea in Gyeonggikdo, you can see a very wide hat.

Korean hats

Korean hats - black gat
Black gats are often seen in Korean historical dramas. Left: Lee Hyeon in 'The Moon Embracing the Sun', an MBC drama. Right: Kim Soo-hyun in 'My Love From the Star', an SBS drama. Source: Official drama web-sites.

White gat (백립; 白笠)

A white gat or baeknip was worn at the time of a national funeral.

white hat - korean hats
Source: National Folk Museum of Korea
Korean hats
Source: Encyclopedia of Korean Culture (

Cinnabar red gat (주립; 朱笠)

It's worn by military officers in Joseon dynasty. The red gat (painted in red lacquer) or joorip is the same as the black gat (painted in black lacquer.)

Korean hats
Red gat. Source: Sungkyunkwan University.
Red hat
Red gat. Source: Joongang Daily.
Red hats in Netflix
Source: Kingdom (South Korean TV series)

'Straw hat' worn by youths

A straw hat or chorip (초립; 草笠) was worn by boys until a coming-of-age ceremony.

Straw hats

A boy wearing a straw hat is found among noblemen wearing 'gat' in a painting by Sin Yun-bok, a 19th-century Korean painter.

Korean hats
'Jusageobae' (Holding a drinking party) by Sin Yun-bok. Owned by the Kangsong Art and Culture Foundation

'Paeraengyi' worn by low-class men

Paeraengyi ('패랭이') was normally used by low-class people.


Haha (Ha Donghoon) and Park Myungsoo wore Paerangyi in a Korean Drama 'Lee San'

When those who wore Paeraengyi met a nobleman wearing a black gat, they had to bow to him.


A jeongjakwan (정자관; 程子冠) is a hat of a Confucian, which is found on the five thousand Won note. Noblemen used a dongpakwan (동파관; 東坡冠), sabangkwan (사방관; 四方冠) in a rectangular shape, or choongjeongkwan (충정관; 冲正冠) besides a jeongjakwan whatever they wanted. A jeongjakwan was worn indoors while a black gat was used when going out.

Master Yi I wearing a jeongjakwan on the 5000-won note.
Hats in Joseon
Portraits of Kim Manjoong wearing (maybe) a choongjeongkwan and Lee Chae wearing dongpakwan. Source: Academy of Korean Studies.
Korean hat for noblemen
Source: Kingdom (South Korean TV series)

Tang-geon (Horsehair skullcap) worn only by government officials

Only government officials were able to wear a horsehair skullcap or tang-geon.

Joseon hats

Gamtoo (Horsehair cap) similar with tang-geon

Gamtoos were normally worn by gentry who were rich.

Joseon hats

Ikseongwan worn by the King and Crown Prince

Kings wore an ikseongwan (익성관; 翼蟬冠) from which a shape of cicada wings are hung. ("Ikseong" means "cicada wings.)

Korean hats
Young Lee Do (Song Joong-gi) and adult Lee Do (Han Suk-kyu) in 'Tree With Deep Roots', a Korean drama (SBS).
Hats for men in Joseon dynasty
Hats for men in Joseon dynasty. 1) Jekwan (제관; 祭冠) worn at rites, 2) Keumkwan worn by officials on New Year's Day, national holidays or grand rituals along with a court suit, 3) Ikseongkwan, 4) Wonyukwan (원유관; 遠遊冠) worn by the king and crown prince. Source: Joongang Daily.


The king's hat should be special due to his social status.  Crown was used by the king and crown prince for ceremonies, weddings, and other big events.

Joseon hats
Crown of kings of Joseon dynasty reproduced by Park Seongho.

Samo (Official Hat)

Since the era of King Sejong, civil and military officials wore an official hat or samo (사모; 紗帽) while they were on duty. Later, common people were able to wear a samo at a wedding ceremony. Today, people who chose a traditional wedding ceremony, a bridegroom wears a samo.

Joseon hats
Samo. Own by the National Folk Museum of Korea.
Korean hats
Source: 'Joseon gunmen', a Korean drama, KBS.
Korean hats - samo
Source: "Kingdom" on Netflix (South Korean TV series)

Jeollip worn by military officers

A jeollip (a solider's felt hat) was worn by military officers.

Joseon hats
Photo: National Folk Museum of Korea
Korean hat in Netflix Kingdom
Source: Kingdom (South Korean TV series)

This hat began to be worn in the northwestern region of Korea and was spread to nationwide after Imjin Waeran (1592–1598) and Second Manchu invasion of Korea (1636) occurred.

* There are also helmets worn in a war.

Yougun (유건; 儒巾) worn by a student of Confucianism

This hat was worn by students of Confucianism at Sungkyunkwan.

Korean hats
Source: Sungkyunkwan Scandal, a Korean drama

Gulgeon (굴건; 屈巾)

It's a hat worn on top of a hempen hood by the chief mourner.

Korean hats
Source: Joongang Daily (

Conical hat

Used primarily as protection from the sun, snow and rain.

Korean hats
The Wayfaring Poet, The Conical Bamboo Hat Kim (1807-1863)

Hat cases

Joseon hat casesHats described above are basic ones for men. They were stored in a hat case to prevent from being damaged.

You can purchase Korean traditional hats from

Korean Traditional Hat God Korean Hat in The Kingdom Movie Is Sold at Amazon

For hats for women in Joseon era, please see the following:

Women’s hats in Joseon Dynasty – Korean traditional clothing

The official production of Kingdom Season 2 started in February 2019:

A Shooting Location of Season 2 of Netflix’s KINGDOM: Mungyeong Saejae

Some reviews on Netflix's Kingdom:

Netflix Korean Zombie series 'Kingdom' - Korean hats
Source: Twitter
Netflix's Kingdom - hats
Source: Twitter
Korean clohting - gaksital or bridal mask in Kingdom on Neflix
A man (zombie) is wearing a mask (not a hat) which is called a gaksital or a bridal mask. Source: Twitter.

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