“K-Origami, a new core axis of the Korean Wave that transcends borders and languages”

“Origami (Jong ie jupgi), which contains the skills and emotions of our people, is a creative and peaceful cultural content that unites people around the world beyond borders, languages, and generations. With the passion that revived the dying origami culture 39 years ago, we will now develop K-origami as a common asset of humanity and a core axis of the new Korean Wave.”

The voice of Noh Young-hye, chairman of the Paper Culture Foundation and the World Origami Federation, who has devoted her entire life to the restoration and modernization of Korean traditional origami and paper culture by advocating the 'K-Origami Re-creation Movement' in 1987, was full of confidence.

Ahead of the 'Origami/Paper Culture Convention' event where the Paper Culture Foundation shares its vision with leaders from across the country and abroad to celebrate 'Paper Culture Day' on November 11, we met with Chairman Roh and heard about the achievements so far and future tasks.

Chairman Noh is confident that the value of K-origami, which fosters the natural emotions of humans and the analog sense of fingertips, will shine in an era dominated by artificial intelligence (AI) and digital. However, disseminating paper culture was not easy from the beginning.

This is because Korean traditional origami was in danger of being cut off during the Japanese colonial period and the Korean War.

First, Chairman Noh published a systematic 'origami instruction book' and introduced a qualification system for the first time in Korea, raising origami from a simple play to a convergence educational content that combines art, mathematics, science, and character education.

He said, "Just 40 years ago, there were many people who dismissed origami as a children's pastime," and added, "Therefore, we verified academically and educationally that the left and right brains are stimulated simultaneously in the process of folding paper, and that creativity develops along with emotional stability."

To date, the foundation has trained more than 350,000 origami expert instructors at home and abroad. In addition, 212 educational centers and branches were established in 55 cities in 25 countries around the world, and a strong private cultural diplomacy network was established by disseminating K-origami mainly through overseas Korean communities and Korean schools.

Chairman Noh has taken the lead not only in disseminating origami but also in preserving and globalizing 'traditional Korean paper', the basis of our paper. As a director of the Hanji Saving Foundation, I have made various efforts to have Hanji listed as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Recently, the evaluation body under the Intergovernmental Committee of the UNESCO Convention on the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage recommended registration of 'traditional knowledge, technology, and cultural practices of Hanji production.'

Chairman Noh welcomed, “It is very encouraging as there has never been a case where UNESCO made a recommendation for listing and then withdrew it, so there is a high possibility that it will be finally registered.”

He emphasized, “Our people have been living with hanji to the extent that it is said that they were born on paper, live on paper, and then return to paper.” He also emphasized, “The thousand-year-old hanji, the world’s best and toughest paper, is the crystallization of our cultural identity.”

He expected that the listing of Korean paper as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage following China's paper and Japanese washi paper would be a historical moment that completely proves the history and excellence of Korean paper culture to the world. He predicted, "When the creative art of K-origami is added to the excellent foundation of Hanji, the quality of our culture will be further enhanced."

The Paper Culture Foundation does not stop at simply teaching folding techniques, but has continued to promote peace movements through culture, such as the '80 Million Cone Folding Movement for the Peaceful Unification of the Korean Peninsula and World Peace'.

Chairman Noh emphasized the peaceful symbolism of K-origami, saying, “The wish for peace while folding the traditional cone, which symbolizes the harmony of heaven, earth, and people, is the most noble power of paper culture.”

Beyond the 39th anniversary of the K-origami reinvention movement, he also revealed new aspirations for the future.

“Our future goal is to maintain the value of analog paper culture while becoming more approachable to the next generation of teenagers and people around the world through convergence with metaverse or digital platforms. Like K-pop and K-food, ‘K-Origami’ will spread widely in schools and homes around the world as a proper noun, creating a future where people around the world communicate and share peace through Korean paper culture.”