A friend of mine from Canada visited Seoul last winter and kept pointing at people’s jackets on the subway. “Why does everyone have the same style jacket but in different colors?” she asked. I realized she was looking at gwazam (과잠), and explaining it opened up this entire rabbit hole of Korean university culture that most foreigners have no idea exists.
What Exactly Is a Gwazam?
Gwazam is short for gwajamper (과점퍼), which literally translates to “department jacket.” It’s a varsity-style jacket that Korean university students order as a group, representing their specific department or major. Not the whole university — the department. So the English Literature gwazam at Yonsei University looks completely different from the Business Administration gwazam at the same school.
Each department designs their own. They vote on the color, the material, the back design, the embroidery details, everything. It’s one of the first collective activities that freshmen participate in, and refusing to buy one is technically fine but socially… let’s just say you’d stand out in the worst way during MT (membership training trips) and department events.
The Design Anatomy
A typical gwazam follows the classic American varsity jacket silhouette — snap-button front, ribbed cuffs and hem, and contrasting sleeves. But the details are where it gets interesting:
- Body color: Usually represents the department. Navy, black, burgundy, and forest green are the most common base colors, but some departments go bold — I’ve seen neon orange and bright purple.
- Sleeves: Often white or cream leather (or faux leather), though some departments opt for wool-on-wool for a more understated look.
- Back design: This is the showpiece. The department name in English or Korean, sometimes with a custom logo or mascot. Engineering departments tend to go minimal. Art and design departments go absolutely wild with custom illustrations.
- Left chest: Usually has the university logo or crest embroidered.
- Right chest or arm: The student’s admission year (e.g., “24” for class of 2024) is stitched on, sometimes with their name in English.
The Ordering Process
This is where it gets uniquely Korean. Gwazam orders are organized by the department’s student council (haksaenghoe, 학생회). Typically in the fall semester, the council sends out a survey to all students asking for size preferences and collecting votes on the design. A committee — usually enthusiastic sophomores — handles the design process, negotiates with manufacturers, and manages the group order.
The whole thing operates on a group-buy model. Most departments aim for at least 50-100 orders to get a reasonable per-unit price. Smaller departments sometimes struggle with minimum order quantities and end up paying more per jacket.
Pricing
This varies significantly depending on materials and order volume:
- Basic wool body + faux leather sleeves: 70,000 – 90,000 KRW (≈$50-65 USD)
- Wool body + genuine leather sleeves: 100,000 – 150,000 KRW (≈$70-110 USD)
- Premium versions (heavyweight wool, custom embroidery, genuine leather): 150,000 – 200,000+ KRW (≈$110-150 USD)
Most departments land somewhere in the 80,000-120,000 KRW range. Students usually pay through a group KakaoBank transfer, and the whole process from design finalization to delivery takes about 6-8 weeks.
Major Gwazam Manufacturers
There’s an entire cottage industry built around making these jackets. The biggest names that Korean university students know:
- Sinsa Jacket (신사재킷) — One of the oldest and most established gwazam makers. They’ve been doing this for over a decade and have relationships with student councils across the country.
- Jaket Story (재킷스토리) — Popular for their consistent quality and relatively fast turnaround times.
- Class Mate (클래스메이트) — Known for competitive pricing on large orders.
- Naeildong (내일동) — A newer player that’s gained popularity for more modern, slim-fit silhouettes.
Some departments at prestigious universities like Seoul National University, Korea University, and Yonsei University (the famous SKY schools) have switched to more premium manufacturers or even collaborated with actual fashion brands for limited runs.
The Social Significance
Here’s what outsiders don’t immediately grasp: gwazam isn’t just clothing. It’s a social signal with multiple layers.
First, it signals belonging. Korean university culture places enormous emphasis on your hak-beon (학번) — your student admission number/year. The year stitched on your gwazam sleeve immediately tells everyone whether you’re a senior or a freshman, which determines the entire social dynamic of any interaction. Seniors (seonbae) and juniors (hubae) have specific behavioral expectations toward each other, and the gwazam makes this hierarchy visible at a glance.
Second, it signals your university and major. Korea’s university hierarchy is deeply ingrained in the social fabric, and people absolutely do notice which school’s gwazam you’re wearing on the subway. I know a guy who deliberately wears his Korea University gwazam when he goes to interviews. Is it subtle? No. Does it work? He swears it does.
Third, it’s a bonding mechanism. The process of designing and ordering gwazam together is one of the first group activities for freshmen. It’s an icebreaker, a shared experience, and wearing matching jackets on campus creates an instant visual tribe.
Gwazam Outside the University
Here’s an interesting development I’ve noticed over the past couple of years: gwazam culture is leaking into mainstream fashion. Vintage gwazam jackets from prestigious universities have started showing up at Dongmyo Flea Market and online secondhand platforms like Bunjang (번장) and Danggeun Market (당근마켓). People who never attended those universities are buying and wearing them as fashion pieces.
This has sparked some debate. Some students feel it dilutes the meaning. Others think it’s flattering. A Seoul National University gwazam in good condition can sell for 50,000-80,000 KRW secondhand, which is remarkable considering many of them are years old and well-worn.
The varsity jacket trend in global fashion has also boosted gwazam’s cool factor. When Louis Vuitton and Celine send varsity jackets down the runway at 3,000,000+ KRW, a Korean gwazam at 100,000 KRW suddenly looks like a steal — especially one with authentic provenance and a real story behind it.
Can Foreigners Get One?
Technically, if you’re enrolled in a Korean university — even as an exchange student — you can absolutely participate in your department’s gwazam order. Most departments are happy to include exchange students, and having a gwazam from your semester abroad is honestly one of the coolest souvenirs you could bring home.
If you’re not a student but want the look, your options are:
- Secondhand market: Bunjang and Danggeun Market have listings regularly. Search “과잠” or the specific university name + “과잠.”
- Custom order: Some gwazam manufacturers accept individual orders, but you’ll pay a premium (often 2-3x the group price) and you won’t have any university affiliation on it.
- Fashion brands: Brands like Kirsh, Covernat, and Thisisneverthat sell varsity jackets inspired by gwazam aesthetics without the university branding. Prices range from 130,000 to 250,000 KRW.
The Gwazam Calendar
If you’re interested in catching gwazam season, here’s the rough timeline:
- September-October: Design voting and surveys go out
- November: Orders placed with manufacturers
- December-January: Production and delivery
- March: New semester starts, freshmen wear their gwazam for the first time
March on a Korean university campus is peak gwazam season. Every department is color-coded, groups of students in matching jackets are everywhere, and the whole campus looks like a scene from a coming-of-age drama. If you’re visiting Seoul during this time, swing by any major university campus — Hongdae (Hongik University area), Sinchon (Yonsei/Ewha area), or Daehangno (near SNU) — and you’ll see it in full force.
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Gwazam is one of those cultural phenomena that’s so deeply embedded in Korean university life that Koreans barely think about it — until a foreigner asks about it and they realize how unique it actually is. It’s functional (the jackets are genuinely warm), it’s social (instant community identifier), and it’s increasingly fashionable (the vintage market proves it). For a single piece of clothing, that’s a lot of heavy lifting.
