Jeong Ji-yoon's 'Chakokchakok' Wins Presidential Award at the Crafts Exhibition

The Prime Minister's Award goes to In Hyun-sik's 'Heukto Face-to-Face Tea Set'

Jiyoon Jeong's 'Cha(Green Tea)Gok(Grain)Cha(Green Tea)Gok(Grain)'

The National Intangible Heritage Center and the Korea Crafts Cooperative Federation are holding the "52nd Korea Crafts Competition" at the Changwon Convention Center in Gyeongnam until the 27th. This event discovers and nurtures creative crafts based on tradition. It has been held annually since 1971.

This year, 2,012 works were submitted across six categories: wood and lacquerware, ceramics, metal, textiles, and paper. The Presidential Award was given to Ji-yoon Jeong's work "Cha(Gok)Cha(Gok)" (Tea(Grain)Tea(Grain)). It is a piece that combines tea sets including teacups and soju cups with liquor sets. The design is modern yet simple, enhanced with the mysterious blue hue of celadon. It was praised for embodying both Korean sensibility and contemporary aesthetics. The Intangible Heritage Center introduced it as "arranging the 'bok (福)' character doors, which are geometric and sculpturally beautiful, in aligned rows to emphasize a simple yet decorative effect."

Mr. In Hyun-sik's 'Heukto Face-to-Face Tea Set'

The Prime Minister's Award went to Hyun-sik In's "Black Soil Facing Tea Set," which uniquely crafted the texture of the surface and effectively highlighted the texture given by the dark red clay. The Cultural Heritage Administration Commissioner’s Award was given to four works: Yuk-nam Kim's "Journey Along the Waterway," Sang-gil Lee's "Filling the Heart," Ki-bong Jeong's "Celadon Riverside Scenery," and Hyun-young Jo's "Time of Ink."

The awarded works, along with past winners, will be exhibited until the 27th. Visitors can also purchase various craft artists' products directly at the event venue.