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K-CULTURAL HERITAGE

Everlasting Legacies of Korea

  • 2004.2.13
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    ☆Cheongjajang is a person or skill that makes celadon. The celadon production process is very complex and requires sincerity and precision, and most of them go through similar processes such as soil mulch removing, figuration, sculpture, decoration, bisque firing, glaze, and roast twice. It takes between 24 and 25 steps in 60 to 70 days to become a complete product.

    And in order to reproduce the mysterious color of celadon, the three elements of fire, clay, and glaze must be harmonized, and there are a lot of difficulties in production because they cause changes in the action of fire and weather conditions in the kiln.

    Lee Yong-hui is a native of Gangjin, born and raised in Sadang-ri, Daegu-myeon, Gangjin-gun, the center of Goryeo celadon production, and is a craftsman who reproduces Goryeo celadon technology by honing its functions in the atmosphere of making pottery of history and tradition. He participated in the protection and management of the gist area since 1964, and since 1977 when he participated in the project under the guidance of early definition, he has served as the R&D director of Gangjin Cheongja Reproduction Office since 1985 and contributed to enhancing the status of Gangjin Cheongja.

    In addition, it has been recognized for its ability to win prizes in numerous craft competitions, and has trained a lot of human resources, and has also conducted research on the development of celadon wrappers and research on the characteristics of celadon glaze.

    Gangjin is responsible for fostering the culture and tourism industry in the region by operating the Cheongja Recycling Office, which is an important business, and Lee Yong-hee has not only individual skills but also competence as a conductor of celadon production produced by specialization and division of labor.
  • 2019.2.14
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    ☆The Seoul Intangible Cultural Heritage No. 51 Traditional Military Martial Arts was a martial art that was practiced mainly in the Hunryeondogam, Eoyeongcheong, and Geumwiyeong during after the Japanese Invasion of Korea until the end of the Joseon Dynasty. It was designated as a representative martial art of Seoul on February 14, 2019.

    Traditional military martial arts were designated as intangible cultural assets and selected to preserve and inherit sports as they were deemed to be well worth preserving in that it was a representative intangible heritage in Seoul, as efforts were urgently needed to prevent disconnection by promoting the restored martial arts and these martial arts in modern times.

    However, the current level of martial arts reproduction does not fully guarantee the status of traditional military martial arts, so it is designated only as a sport without recognizing the holder or organization.
  • 1966.2.15
    designated date
    ☆A traditional performance of song and dance by women, Ganggangsullae was first performed by local women around the coastal areas of Jeollanam-do on moonlit nights around the Chuseok (Harvest Moon Festival) on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month.

    Some believe that the dance was first danced as part of a military tactic designed by Korea’s great naval hero, Admiral Yi Sun-sin (1545-1598), to surprise the Japanese naval forces invading the southwestern coast of the Korean Peninsula during the late 16th century and mislead them into believing that he had strong enough forces to repel them.

    Meanwhile, some argue that it can be traced as far back as prehistoric times when early settlers on the Korean Peninsula had already established a tradition of singing and dancing on moonlit nights.

    Whichever version is the more correct explanation, the dance continued to develop and become more sophisticated, and eventually became associated with other folk games such as “bracken picking,” “herring tying,” “tile treading,” “tail picking,” “straw mat rolling,” “gatekeeping”, and “needle threading,” as well as “tortoise play,” in which one dancer moves to the center of a circle with others following her.

    The dance consists of a range of exciting movements and formations and is preserved in Haenam and Jindo on the southwestern coast of Korea.
  • 1966.2.15
    designated date
    Eunsan Byeolsinje is a shamanic rite held to honor the guardian deity of Eunsan Village at the village shrine in Eunsan-myeon, Buyeo-gun.

    The rite is connected with a legend about a severe epidemic that led to the loss of many lives and with the strange dream of an elderly village leader. In his dream he met a Baekje general who had been killed during a battle fought to protect Baekje and was asked to bury the general and his men in a sunny place in exchange for a ‘magical intervention’ to repel the epidemic. Upon awakening from the dream, he visited the place mentioned by the general in the dream and found many bones scattered there. The village people collected and buried them in an auspicious site and performed an exorcism to console their spirits. The burial was followed by the end of the epidemic which, in turn, led the villagers to hold rites to honor their heroic deaths.

    The tradition gradually developed into the festival event of Eunsan Byeolsinje, which was initially held for about fifteen days between January and February once every three years.

    As the date of the rite approaches, the village elders select those who will officiate over the event and assign military titles such as General, Colonel, Lieutenant, and Private to the designated officiants. In addition, the chief officiant is requested to use the utmost care in preparing the sacrificial offerings and to preserve the ritual venue from any signs of impurity or evil by, for example, covering the well to be used in the rite with a straw mat, and by encircling the venue with an “evil-repelling rope” and scattering yellow and black grains of sand around it. The villagers then cut down trees to support the village guardian poles and make paper flowers to offer to the village guardian, and hold pieces of white paper in their mouths as they move to the shrine as a symbolic action to repel evil spirits.

    The main part of the rite usually starts in the evening and ends at dawn with the process of erecting the village guardian pole and praying for the safety and prosperity of the village.☆
  • 2010.2.16
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    ☆Daemokjang refers to a carpenter who has traditional Korean wooden architecture, especially traditional woodworking techniques. Their range of activities extends from maintenance, restoration and reconstruction of Hanok(house) or historical wooden buildings such as palaces and temples.

    Daemokjang is responsible for the overall process of planning, designing, and constructing buildings, as well as managing and supervising other carpenters. The wooden structures completed by Daemokjang are all elegant, concise, and simple, which is a unique characteristic of traditional Korean architecture.

    Traditional Korean construction processes require a aesthetic sense to select, cut, and shape wood to be used as building materials, along with the technical ability to design buildings according to their size, location, and use, and to create so-called 'thousand-year joint' without using nails.

    Park Yeong-gon (55, Daemokjang No. 718), a master craftsman of cultural heritage, is designated as an intangible cultural asset and also called Dopyeonsu.

    Dopyeonsu refers to a master craftsman's craftsmanship that includes the basic framework of a building, trims timber, and supervises the overall construction, and includes the scenery of life, the fascination of space, and the spirituality of culture.
  • 2010.2.16
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    ☆Najeonchil-gi is a craft made from conch, abalone, shellfish, etc. on a lacquer surface, and is a representative artifact of Korean people with a well-coordinated lacquer, which boasts a colorful natural color and a subtle gloss. (Najeon=mother-of-pearl, chilgi=lacquerware)

    Gwangju is known as "a three-black town" due to its high production of lacquer, ink and charcoal, and lacquerware and tools have been found in the historic site No. 375 of Sinchang-dong, proving the long history of lacquer crafts.

    Kim Ki-bok is a master of the art of making najeon(lacquer making) and aesthetic value. Born in Tongyeong, he has continued to play najeon for more than 50 years since the 16th century. He entered the Najeonchilgi Technical School in Tongyeong and received the skills and moved to Gwangju at the age of 19. In particular, he is good at 'dry' technique, which is a technique for drying lacquer.
  • 1972.2.18
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    ☆In Suyeong-gu, Busan, a local government called 'Nongcheong' was established to promote production by enhancing the skills and cooperation of farmers. As the farming practices and the following farming practices disappeared due to rapid urbanization, the farmers played nongak(music of farming), sang nongyo(folksongs of farming), and played the farming process.

    In Suyeong Nongcheong Nori, two men and women sing full songs one by one when the farmers gathered by the collective signal, arranged in the order of farming implements, farmers, and wives, and the whole group dances to the Nongak rhythm and enters an amusement park symbolized as a workplace. After planting rice in the order of spading, pulling out of seedling, rice planting, and threshing in accordance with the farming process, male farmers play rice paddies, divide them into east and west, and play cow fights, and leave after a long time.

    In urbanized Suyeong, the reproduction and theatricalization of the work centered on agricultural songs sung by agricultural officials is not only meaningful in that it inherits the folk songs of the Busan area, but also in that it inherits the spiritual legacy of the ancestors' cooperation, unity, and hard work.
  • 2000.2.18
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    ☆There are many traditional hunting methods, but there are records that hawk hunting - tame hawks and catch pheasants or rabbits - has been practiced in ancient Egypt and Persia for a long time. This hunting method was so popular in India that it was believed to originate in India, and was popular in China during the Yuan Dynasty.

    The hawking paintings of ancient tombs in Goguryeo, "The Chronicles of the Three States" and "The Heritage of the Three States" show that hawking has been prevalent in Korea since a long time ago.

    In Kando and North Korea, excellent hawks called Haedongcheong were produced and exported to China and Japan. Falcon hunting was especially popular among the aristocracy, and during the Goryeo Dynasty, the government office called Eungbang in charge of breeding and hunting hawks was established. Eungbang installed during the reign of King Chungnyeol of the Goryeo Dynasty continued until the Joseon Dynasty, but there was a lot of controversy over whether to exist or not due to the heavy burden on the people. The practice of hawking was widely spread to the private sector, and was practiced almost nationwide under Japanese colonial rule.

    Park Yong-soon, who had been following his father since he was young, was used to hawking. By the fifth grade of elementary school, he had already started hawking. Park Yong-soon's method of hawking and hunting has continued during his military service by raising and training hawks as a zookeeper.
  • 2000.2.18
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    ☆Yoon Ja-deok from Seocheon is a member of Papyeong Yun family. She has lived in Daejeon since she was married to Eunjin Song family' 12th eldest son of Song Byeong-ha (1642-1697), the second grandson of Song Jun-gil of Dongchundang at her age of 25.

    As the eldest daughter-in-law, she received various food skills from her mother-in-law, including ancestral rites at her family. The cookbooks of the manuscripts handed down to the family include the recipes of various home-brewed liquors including Songsun-ju.

    Songsunju uses 1 yeast and 3 sacks of rice for crude liquor; and 1 mal(Korean unit of measure) of glutinous rice and 500g of pine bud for finishing.

    Process: Steam the white rice flour first. Add the yeast and water to the dough to be thickened in a pot. Age for 10 days in a room of 20 to 25°C to make an understatement. The main liquor is made of glutinous rice to cool it down, then mix the aged rice with water and knead it. Slightly blanch the pine buds in boiling water to drain the water, lay them under a jar, and put the liquor in a room of 20 to 25°C for 15 days to mature.
  • 2004.2.20
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    Hwahyejang refers to a craftsman skilled in the art of making traditional Korean shoes. It is a compound word consisting of “hwajang,” a person who made hwa (long-necked shoes), and “hyejang,” a person who made hye, or shoes that did not cover the ankles.

    According to Gyeongguk daejeon (National Code) published in the Joseon Dynasty, the demand for shoes was so high that there were 16 hwajang and 14 hyejang affiliated with the central government office. This record also shows the separation of the two specialties.

    Hye are made by pasting several layers of cotton or ramie cloth onto the cotton lining and covering them with silk to make the outer rim. This is then sewn onto the sole made of leather. It is important to maintain balance to prevent the tip of the shoes from twisting. The shoes were finished off by shaping them with wooden lasts.

    Since traditional shoes were mostly made of leather, their manufacture involved numerous different processes and consequently called for a high level of skill. Many records from the Joseon Dynasty mention shoe craftsmen and shoe-related matters, giving us an idea of life at that time. For this reason, the art of shoe making is historically important and worthy of academic study.☆
  • 1978.2.23
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    Jangdojang refers to the skill of making decorative daggers, or to an artisan with such a skill. Since the Goryeo Period (877 – 1394), people, men and women alike, carried jangdo (ornamental knife) to protect themselves or as an accessory. Following the Japanese invasion of Korea (1592 – 1598) women of noble families regarded jangdo as an essential item to be carried by them to protect themselves. Toward the late Joseon Period (1392 –1910), jangdo became a luxury accessory.

    Jangdo was made of gold, silver or white jade. Scholars liked to carry jangdo displaying their favorite phrase inscribed with a heated iron. Jangdo were mainly made in Seoul, Ulsan, Yeongju, and Namwon. Those made in Gwangyang, Jeollanam-do are known for their uniquely Korean gracefulness. Jangdo made of diverse materials display also the diverse handicraft techniques of the Joseon Period.☆
  • 1978.2.23
    designated date
    Talchum (Mask Dance) is a stage play in which one person or people wearing a mask takes the role of a person, animal or a supernatural being (god), delivering a message through dialogues or dances. Talchum was performed throughout the country until the early Joseon Period. After the Sandae (a type of mask dance) came no longer to be performed in the Royal Palace in 1634 (the 12th year of King Injong’s reign), it was still enjoyed as a pastime by ordinary people.

    Eunyul Talchum was performed for 2-3 days on Dano (May 5 in the lunar calendar), Buddha’s birthday (April 8), and on Baekjung (July 15). It is said that people who fled to islands during war 200-300 years before wore masks on their return home as they felt ashamed, and that was the origin of Eunyul Talchum. Eunyul Talchum is composed of six acts, Lion Dance, Sangjwa Dance, Mokjung Dance, Old Monk Dance, and Dance of the Old Couple. Prior to the performance, the troupe held a sacrificial rite in a forest and marched to the site of the performance, entertaining people along the road. There are a total of 28 characters appearing on the performance. The play included satires about nobles harassing commoners, depraved monks, and male chauvinism in the custom of allowing a man to take plural wives.

    Eunyul Talchum displays a relationship with Bongsan Talchum (Mask Dance of Bongsan) and Haeju Talchum (Mask Dance of Haeju), both of which stem from Hwanghaedo Talchum (Mask Dance of Hwanghae-do).☆
  • 2007.2.23
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    ☆Pyeongchang Hwangbyeongsan Hunting Folk is a folklore based on winter community hunting, which can only be seen in highland areas over 700 meters above sea level and mountainous areas with a snowfall of more than 1 meter. It retains the same hunting folk style including food, clothing, community faith, and hunting practices, especially a hunting folk group that reproduces traditional mountain hunting culture in Gangwon Province such as hunting methods, hunting tools, and hunting festivals.
  • 2007.2.23
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    ☆Sokcho Domun Nongyo is a farming song that is inherited from Domun Village, an agricultural village formed along the Ssangcheon Stream. In particular, it is well preserved by villagers even in the midst of the disappearance of many agricultural songs during the modernization process, so it has a large designated value for systematic preservation and transmission of traditional culture.
  • 1971.2.24
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    Akgijang refers to the skill of making instruments used to play the country’s traditional music or to an artisan with such a skill. It is presumed on the basis of murals dating from the Goguryeo Period displaying wind, string, and percussion instruments that such artisans existed during the Three Kingdoms Period (57 BC – 668 AD). During the Joseon Period (1392 – 1910), musical instruments required by the government were made at an independent institution named Akgijoseongcheong (the Office of Production of Musical Instruments) within the Royal Court.

    The number of types of the country’s traditional musical instruments comes to 60 – 70. Gayageum (twelve-stringed zither) and geomungo (six-stringed zither) are the leading ones, followed by ajaeng (seven-stringed zither), daejaeng (fifteen-stringed zither), and hogeum (two-stringed fiddle). Wagonghu (harp), sugonghu (vertical harp), dangbipa (four-stringed Chinese mandolin), hyangbipa (Korean mandolin), yanggeum (dulcimer), geumgwasul are produced, but rarely used.

    Generally, the sounding board of a string instrument is made of Paulownia wood. The bottom board is made of chestnut and pine wood. The wood of the jujube tree, ebony, and Chinese juniper tree is used to make pieces decorating instruments. Paulownia, in addition to being rot resistant, has good resonance properties and does not crack during drying.

    Akgijang is protected through designation as important intangible cultural heritage. Buk (drum) making skills were integrated into Akgijang in March 1995.☆