Interview
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To make a sheet of hanji, materials must be manipulated by hand one thousand times. When he was young, the man who is now a Hanji Master and President of Wonju Hanji, Jang Eung-ryeol was not interested in taking over the family business of making hanji that his grandfather had established. Despite the daily grind of hard work, the business did not bring fortune. Thus, he obtained certification as an electrical engineer and found a job in Saudi Arabia in 1983 with the thought of breaking off the family business that his grandfather and father had pursued at his generation.
He said, “I returned from Saudi Arabia in 1985 when I heard that my father passed away of pancreatic cancer. My father had said that it was his wish to hand over the family business to me. I heard that he held my photo firmly to his heart at the last moment.”
After thinking over the matter, he decided to fulfill his father’s last wish. He spent all he had earned in the Middle Eastern country to rebuild the family business.
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A new item of Wonju Hanji, the colored hanji, was a smash hit. Most hanji made at that time was colored white or yellowish white. But our ancestors used hanji of various dyed with natural materials. He started making hanji with an array of colors, i.e. yellow, red, blue and black, with this fact in mind. At present, his factory produces hanji in more than 250 colors.
He also strived to preserve the traditional method of making hanji. For example “oebaltugi,” the key to shaping hanji, was acquired after a long process of practice. His hand movements in the process of spreading out the paper evenly are simply magical.
“Compared to the Japanese traditional paper washi or the Chinese shuan paper, Korean hanji proves to be excellent in quality. The Rashmivimla-vishuddhiprabhasa-dharani-sutra or Mugujeonggwang Daedarani Gyeong, which dates back 13 centuries is still in good condition. Are there any other examples of paper product that has lasted for more than a thousand years?”
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As a result of sticking to the basics, the quality of the products made at his factory is recognized both in Korea and abroad. The Wonju Hanji Culture Festival, launched in 1998, was a great stepping stone for ‘Wonju Hanji.’ Foreigners watched the process of making sheets of hanji from the fiber extracted from mulberry bark with eyes of wonder. Some of them took samples back to their home countries to introduce and promote hanji. A French person proposed that a hanji store be opened on Champs-Elysees Avenue in Paris.
His son and daughter, who are still students, say that they are willing to take over the family business. He expressed his wish to establish a hanji research institute and museum so as to develop and promote our traditional hanji. The traditional hanji, which maintains its excellent qualities for more than a thousand years, seems more brilliant thanks to Jang’s efforts.
- Curriculum vitae [ Jang Eung-ryeol ]
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- Representative, Wonju Hanji
- Selected by the Government as an advanced forester in 2000.
