The year 1988 holds a lot of importance in Korea. In 1988, Seoul hosted the Summer Olympics, becoming the second Asian host nation and the first mainland Asian nation to host the event! This was especially important because it put Korea, in particular the capital of Seoul, on the map for the first time. The year 1988 has been a recurring source of inspiration for our designs at KORE, with the most recent release being the Klassic 1988 design. With the release of our Klassic 1988 design, we hope to share the roots of Korea’s prosperity with today’s generation.

Korea had previously undergone many hardships as a result of World War II and the Korean War. Many Koreans were left impoverished, with their property destroyed as a result of the  conflict. This was especially difficult as the society primarily relied on agriculture, so it was difficult for families to provide for themselves, let alone make a living by selling their crops. 

Want to learn more about Korea’s rise leading up to the 1988 Summer Olympics? Check out our blog:

The Miracle on the Han River and the 1988 Summer Olympics 

However, over the course of a few decades, Korea was able to come together and transition from an agricultural society to an industrial economy. Thanks to government projects such as President Park Chung-Hee’s Five Year Plan, Korea entered a rapid period of growth and modernization that would later lead to long-term economic success and policy reform. This culminated in the 1988 Summer Olympics, which allowed the world to see how Korea accomplished its transition into a flourishing country in such a short period of time.

This historic change later became known as “The Miracle on the Han River.”  By 1995, Korea had become the eleventh largest economy worldwide, when only fifty years earlier, the country was one of the poorest countries in the world.

We recently released the Klassic 1988 design as our latest way of honoring this historic year. It comes in a crewneck in the colorways Maroon, Navy, and White; a hoodie in the colorways Pink and Black; and a trucker hat in the colorways Grey, Navy, Black, and Turquoise. Be sure to cop yours today.