Stray Kids' Felix was announced on June 17 as the official Hallyu (Korean Wave) artist for South Korea's 2026 Hanbok Wave project, according to the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, in partnership with the Korea Craft and Design Foundation.
Now in its seventh year, the Hanbok Wave initiative is a government-backed cultural ambassador role designed to promote traditional Korean hanbok (clothing) to global audiences.
Felix has one of the largest global fanbases in K-pop, with a social media presence that reaches across continents. The Thai-born idol is part of Stray Kids, which continues to rank among the top groups on the global K-pop charts.
Stray Kids fans have celebrated the announcement across social media, congratulating Felix on the appointment. The group debuted in 2018, and Felix is now 24 years old.
The Korean government has pursued a strategy of using K-pop's global reach to promote traditional Korean culture abroad. Felix's selection as ambassador positions him to introduce hanbok to international audiences.
