[※ Editor's note = In an era when K-culture is attracting global attention, there are people who quietly continue the tradition of our culture. Like 'hipsters' who pursue their own individuality and values rather than trends, they are people who have walked the same path and preserved Korea's unique culture and traditions. Yonhap News highlights once a week the vivid lives of people who recreate traditions and local values across the country, from masters and master craftsmen to young inheritors with a new sense.]
(Jeju = Yonhap News) Reporter Park Ji-ho = "If we fired common pottery that sparkles with glaze, people wouldn't have gone to Icheon or Yeoju, Gyeonggi-do, or even come all the way to Jeju. Since no glaze is used at all, the 'tear' marks created naturally as oak ash settles in a 1,200-degree kiln become a unique decoration in themselves. I call the harmony contained in this ink-colored surface 'night scenery.'"
Behind ‘Damhwaheon (談話軒)’, a complex cultural space in Jurre Village, Haean-dong, Jeju City, the first village below the north side of Hallasan Mountain.
The flames of the firewood kiln, which had been exceeding 1,200 degrees for three days and two nights, stopped, and the craftsman began removing firebricks one by one from the entrance of the kiln, which was still warm.
As the walls of the kiln, which had never been revealed to the outside world, were gradually torn down, pottery with a deep ink color was revealed in the dark crater.
Even though not a single drop of glaze (lye), which creates a glossy film on ceramics, was used, the surface of the bowl was embroidered with mysterious, irregular patterns as the ash flying from the crater met iron in the soil and naturally became vitrified.
On the last day of October, we watched the pottery made by Kang Seung-cheol (54, CEO of Dam Hwaheon, director of Jeju Onggisum Museum), a master ceramic craftsman from Jeju Island who has restored and modernly reinterpreted Jeju's unique traditional 'Sum Onggi' production process, as they withstood the fire and came into this world.
◇ Matte aesthetics resembling ‘exposed concrete’… Sophistication found in the essence of soil
When we think of pottery, we often think of a shiny brown jar on a crock pot, but the Jeju pottery created by Master Kang has a calm, matte surface texture that barely reflects light.
This is because, unlike the land-based pottery production method, no glaze is used at all, and the 'non-glazed burning' method is used, which is fired only with the power of flame and Jeju's volcanic clay, which has an iron content of 5-7%.
Just as the exposed concrete method, which exposes the material's natural properties without adding finishing materials, has become a symbol of sophistication in modern architecture, the bare face of Jeju pottery, stripped of the cumbersome decoration of glaze, approaches modern people with the most modern aesthetic.
The work he has been focusing on recently is ‘Ink Moon Jar,’ which is a reinterpretation of the moon jar using Jeju pottery techniques. His moon jar, which was shaped by turning a traditional footstool dug into the floor of the studio and fired black without glaze, exudes the elegance of a modern art object by combining the asymmetrical curves that naturally bend according to the intensity of the flame and the heavy black-brown texture.
The unique beauty of Jeju pottery was recognized first by the domestic and international art world and lifestyle market.
During the Itami Jun Museum's 2024 invitation exhibition commemorating the architectural philosophy of world-renowned architect Itami Jun Museum, Master Kang's work, which symbolized the 'Badangbat', a black stone field that disappeared from the old tower building in line with the topography of the stone field where the museum is located, was permanently housed in the museum's yard.
ISAE, a fashion and lifestyle brand that modernizes Korean aesthetics, was also fascinated by his pottery and has been in a relationship for over 10 years, introducing vases and aroma lamps.
◇ A thousand-year vein that almost broke... Restoration of difficult four major technology and establishment of integrated production system
Although Master Kang's works are being re-examined today as they are recognized for their aesthetic perfection, Jeju pottery once suffered a crisis that threatened to completely end its existence.
In the 1960s and 1970s, the living environment changed rapidly with the spread of water supply and the emergence of plastic containers.
Multeobuk, which was used to draw spring water from a distant spring, lost its use in favor of waterworks that gush out water just by turning a tap, and as people could buy groceries as much as they needed at any time, the demand for crock pots also ceased.
In the past, Jeju pottery was made with a strict division of labor system between 'Jildaejang' who made the bowl, 'Geonaejang' who stretched the clay plate, 'Guldaejang' who built the kiln, and 'Buldaejang' who controlled the flame of the kiln. However, as senior craftsmen, whose livelihoods were threatened amid the demand cliff, passed away one after another, the chain of division of labor was broken, and the technique itself was at risk of disappearing into the back of history.
Master Kang, who majored in ceramic craft in college, has been touring old kiln sites across Jeju Island since the late 1990s and visiting surviving elder masters to record disappearing techniques. In addition, senior collector Lee Ki-jeong explored the stories behind old pottery relics and old photos related to pottery that he had collected throughout his life, and traced the secrets of the craftsmen.
He visited Gangjeong-dong, Seogwipo-si, and Gosan-ri and Yongsu-ri, Hangyeong-myeon, Jeju-si, where high-quality soil was buried, in order to handle the process alone, which in the past was shared by four craftsmen.
In order to evenly filter out the particles of the rough Jeju soil mixed with stones and grass, I used a red pepper grinding machine that was similar to what you would see in a mill. I also acquired a pressurized dehydration filter (filter press) from a factory on the mainland and brought it in through the roof of the studio. The worn-out dried pepper grinding machines, even after they have served their purpose, stand guard in one corner of the museum, as if testifying to his sweat.
◇ The ‘21st century black cave’ evolved at a high temperature of 1,200 degrees… Light and strong living pottery
Master Kang did not confine the difficult restoration technology to the boundaries of tradition.
In the past, Jeju's traditional kilns were divided into 'yellow cave' with high temperature and 'black cave' with low temperature (around 900 degrees). The black pottery fired in the old black cave was low in temperature, leaked water, and broke easily, so it was used only for limited purposes such as a stove or brazier.
Master Kang fired countless kilns at Damhwaheon together with his wife, potter Jeong Mi-seon, his staff member Ayumi, who came to Korea after majoring in aesthetics in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan and has been working with him for over 10 years, and Kang Hyeong-seon, who is in charge of packaging and selling pottery products, and continued research to overcome the physical limitations of black pottery.
As a result, the '21st century black oyster', a high-temperature black pottery technique that completely magnetizes the vessel and gives it a black color by baking it at a high temperature of over 1,200 degrees like a yellow oyster, was completed.
The battle with fire continued until the technique was perfected.
When the export of pine trees, which were the main fuel for kilns, was banned due to the spread of pine wilt disease, they searched for and used oak firewood with long-lasting fire power. As private houses were built around the studio and complaints about smoke continued, they boldly tore down the large kilns and built new, highly efficient small kilns using refractory bricks using the traditional method.
This is the same reason why we always check the weather forecast, select rainy days for at least 2 to 3 days, call 119 in advance, and then light the kiln for two days and nights. A CCTV (closed-circuit) TV is installed on top of the kiln chimney, and the smoke status of the chimney can be checked in real time through a smartphone. Fire is started by pushing oak firewood in little by little.
In order to raise the temperature to the back of the kiln, the traditional 'Changbuljil' method of pushing a twig into a hole in the side of the kiln was added at the last moment. Ayumi created a graph of temperature change data by time period and carefully accumulated it in dozens of notebooks to extract the optimal firing conditions.
By baking it hard at a high temperature, it preserved the fine pores and did not leak water, and was even able to pass the detergent resistance test by not seeping in even when kitchen detergent was used.
Here, the thickness was thinly formed using only hand techniques without using a mold, breaking the prejudice that 'pottery is heavy'.
Mi-seon Jeong created synergy with Master Kang by focusing on modern living crafts that naturally blend into daily life, such as delicate living pottery and emotional accessories.
The Jeju soil that passed through their hands went beyond water bottles and jars and was reborn into sophisticated wine chillers, pasta bowls, teapots, mugs, and vases.
Coffee drippers that utilize the porous breathing structure of pottery are loved by lovers through word of mouth for bringing out the deep aroma of coffee.
All the cups and jugs provided by 'Coffee Temple', a famous coffee shop in Jeju and Gyeongju, are pottery made by Master Craftsman Kang and his wife.
◇ The base of Jeju pottery culture and the starting point of transmission from generation to generation… ‘Damhwaheon’ and ‘Jeju Onggisum Art Museum’
Damhwaheon, opened in 2013 by Master Master Kang and his wife, and Jeju Onggisum Art Museum, which was approved as a first-class private art museum registered in Jeju Island in 2018, have become a base for experiencing the modern value of Jeju pottery with all five senses.
Visitors can admire the works in a well-organized space, drink coffee and tea brewed with an earthenware dripper, and try making dishes by touching Jeju clay. For the past three years, we have been holding a healing class where mothers with disabled children are invited every month to make light and practical earthenware cups. This is a place where pottery, which was considered only a crude folk art object, is being rediscovered as the trendiest and warmest ‘K-living object.’
These honest efforts bore fruit with the grand prize at the 10th Korea Pottery Contest in 2023 (Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Award), selection as Jeju Island Ceramic Craft Master (No. 4), and selection as Korea's Excellent Skilled Technician in 2025.
Recently, there have been a series of requests from overseas, including Australia, to accept Jeju pottery techniques as students, and collaborations with young contemporary artists are also actively taking place.
◇ “It is not enough to just keep Jeju pottery alive… it must be passed on to future generations.”
Master Kang is also focusing on reexamining the relatively unknown history of old pottery in the Jeju City area, including the current Jeju City Hall area and Donam, Nohyeong, and Gwangnyeong-ri. Recently, he led the restoration work on the yellow and black caves in Gwangnyeong-ri, Aewol-eup, Jeju-si, where kilns were popular until the 1960s, and a black pottery exhibition showcasing the results will soon be held.
Master Kang is faced with new worries and expectations these days.
There is some regret that the son, who is majoring in painting in college, is hesitant to take over the family business due to the hard life of a pottery craftsman, but the daughter, who completed her studies in England, has stepped up as a strong supporter, traveling between Seoul and Jeju to promote her parents' Jeju pottery in overseas markets.
Master Kang said, “You can never catch up with the skills of old craftsmen with just one or two firewood kiln firing events a year, and culture survives only when someone develops it to the next level and passes it on to the next generation.” He added, “I hope that institutional support will be provided based on an evaluation of the ability to actually handle clay and fire in the field and the completeness of the work, rather than whether or not formal genealogy or old work methods are adhered to so that the tradition of traditional pottery, which is in danger of being cut off, can continue.”
![[K-Hipster] ‘Jeju Sumonggi’ that shines more than it shines… Kang Seung-cheol, master ceramic craftsman](/api/img?u=https%3A%2F%2Fimg.yna.co.kr%2Fphoto%2Fyna%2FYH%2F2026%2F10%2F31%2FPYH2026103103600005600_P2.jpg&w=1200&q=72&f=webp)
