[One Day Ten Thousand Steps One Day One Thousand Characters] "Searching for Fountain Pens at Flea Markets Turns Out to Be a Bonus for Health"

Park Jongjin, Director of the Fountain Pen Research Institute, Writes by Hand Daily and Walks 10,000 Steps
Weekdays as an Office Worker, Weekends Repair Fountain Pens for Free
Frequently Searched for Rare Fountain Pens in Childhood
Organizes Thoughts and Releases Emotions Through Writing
Learning Brush Calligraphy and Exploring Eastern and Western Writing Instruments

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] "There is no writing instrument as enjoyable as a fountain pen. The sharp yet smooth touch of the nib felt at the fingertips, the 'swish swash' sound every time I write a character, the scent and color of the ink, and the texture of the paper?each time, the feeling is different."

In the printing alley of Euljiro 3-ga, Seoul, tucked away in an old building without any signboard, lies the Fountain Pen Research Institute. Among hundreds of fountain pens and nibs, ink bottles and books scattered around, and stacks of paper, there is a small space barely enough for two people to sit?this is the workshop of Director Park Jong-jin (52, pictured). On weekdays, he works as an ordinary office worker, but on weekends, he is the undisputed top 'fountain pen expert' in Korea, offering free repairs for broken cherished fountain pens brought by enthusiasts from all over the country. Fascinated by fountain pens since childhood, he has collected all kinds of them, studied them independently by disassembling and reassembling each pen. He experimented with different inks, even making his own, and whenever he heard rumors of good fountain pens at low prices or rare models, he would drop everything to find them. He has also published two books containing information and stories about fountain pens titled and .

On the 26th of last month, Director Park Jong-jin is displaying his collection of fountain pens, various writing instruments, and handwritten notebooks at the 'Fountain Pen Research Institute' located in Euljiro 3-ga, Seoul. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

His fountain pen club 'PENHOOD,' which he has been running for nearly 20 years, has steadily grown to over 46,000 members of various ages and genders. Director Park explained, "Although smartphone use has become routine and everything is rapidly digitalized, there is still ongoing interest in writing and transcription, which allow one to calm the mind and focus alone." He added, "Recently, riding the wave of social network services (SNS), many young people, especially women, have been drawn to the charm of beautiful handwriting and have entered the world of fountain pens." However, he believes that handwriting is merely a tool to express individuality, and there is no superiority or inferiority in whether one writes well or not.

Park’s day begins with early morning transcription. He carefully writes down memorable passages from books he read the previous day using a fountain pen on a notebook. On this day, he showed a page copied from the he is currently reading. Sometimes he writes a diary or jots down thoughts he wants to develop into articles later. He said, "Writing with a fountain pen early in the morning helps organize various thoughts calmly. It is said that memory declines with age, but training in writing is the safest way to maintain cognitive ability." When feeling down, he writes honestly about unpleasant situations or feelings as if confiding in a close friend, which helps lighten his mood and shake off the gloom. Park advised, "Many think fountain pens are an expensive and costly hobby, but in fact, inexpensive fountain pens rarely break and are easy to use without burden. I recommend starting transcription with a 30,000 KRW range 'Lamy Safari' or even cheaper fountain pens readily available in the market."

Director Park Jong-jin of the Fountain Pen Research Institute is transcribing a memorable passage from a book he often reads onto a notebook using a fountain pen. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

For the past two years, he has been learning brush calligraphy once a week from a famous calligrapher. He started with the goal of fully mastering the world of Eastern and Western writing instruments, but his impression was, "The brush is such a perfect tool that it is very difficult to handle." Park said, "If a Montblanc fountain pen expert should not only study Montblanc but also delve into other brands like Parker or Waterman, then to truly understand fountain pens, one should also know ballpoint pens, pencils, and even quill pens used before fountain pens." In that context, he has been learning about brushes, inkstones, and ink, and practicing various calligraphy styles with a brush. After starting, he found Western fountain pens comparatively much easier than Eastern brush calligraphy." At the entrance of his workshop hung various calligraphy brushes made of different hairs, from a large bear hair brush made by a designated intangible cultural asset brush maker to brushes made of sheep wool, weasel hair, and synthetic fibers.

Although he loses track of time when sitting at his desk writing or repairing fountain pens in his small room, Park is also an avid walker who easily walks 10,000 steps daily. Even on January 25, when Seoul was hit by severe cold waves, his smartphone app recorded 8,400 steps. Park said, "Probably since my youth, when I roamed alleys looking for fountain pens and searched libraries and old bookstores for vintage fountain pen materials." He added, "Even now, I commute by subway daily and enjoy walking around nearby Gwangjang Market or Namdaemun Market, stopping by stationery import sections whenever I have time." He recommended the 'Sinseoldong Flea Market (Seoul Folk Market),' held every Sunday, as one of his 10,000-step walking courses and proudly showed a large inkstone he 'scored' there. He said he bought the inkstone, presumed to have been produced in Korea during the late Joseon period, from an antique shop for several hundred thousand won in cash and quickly took it home.

Park said, "To live healthily, you must not lie down or be idle too much." He added proudly, "If you immerse yourself in what you love (fountain pens) and walk diligently, you won’t have time to be bored or gain belly fat." However, since closely examining fountain pens tires his eyes easily, he tries to keep a distance from television and goes to bed earlier than others to wake up early. He laughed, "Because I save money on other expenses for my hobby and completely avoid alcohol and smoking, I naturally manage my health well."