Goyang City Selects Kim Hyeongjun as 2024 Master Craftsman in Ceramics Craftsmanship

Korean Goblin Branded as 'DOGABI'... Introducing Korean Traditional Crafts to the World

Lee Dong-hwan, Mayor of Goyang Special City (left), is presenting the Goyang Special City Master Craftsman plaque to ceramic artist Kim Hyung-jun.

Goyang Special City, Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Lee Dong-hwan) announced on the 22nd that it selected Kim Hyung-jun (CEO of Tohwarang) as the '5th Master Craftsman of Goyang Special City' in the field of ceramics for 2024 and held an award ceremony on the 21st.

CEO Kim Hyung-jun opened his workshop (Tohwarang) in Goyang in 2004 and has been engaged in ceramic crafts for over 20 years. He has contributed to the development of the local craft culture industry with achievements such as ▲ being selected as the 'Gyeonggi Representative Workshop in Ceramics' in the 2018 Gyeonggi Craft Revitalization Project ▲ holding joint patents and publishing papers in 2020 ▲ registering two designs in 2021 ▲ participating in domestic and international fairs, and winning numerous awards including the Korea Craft Competition. For these contributions, he was honored with the title of 2024 Goyang Special City Master Craftsman.

Kim Hyung-jun, who began his career in ceramics as a high school student, completed a master's degree in ceramic arts and initially created works centered on people. Since 2019, he has created various works such as incense burners, oil lamps, and vases themed on 'Korean Dokkaebi' (Korean goblins), branding them as 'DOGABI' and exporting them to the United States, Taiwan, and France, thereby promoting Korean Dokkaebi and ceramic culture worldwide.

Master Kim Hyung-jun said, "Dokkaebi are attractive because their forms are not fixed, allowing infinite creativity," adding, "Due to the character's high versatility, I plan to continue researching and developing the Dokkaebi series."

In addition, since 2023, CEO Kim Hyung-jun has independently established and operated a Korean traditional ceramic experience program for foreigners at his workshop, and he is also dedicated to nurturing future talents by lecturing at universities and public institutions and serving as a startup mentor.

Master Kim Hyung-jun added, "I intend to contribute to presenting new possibilities and expansion of ceramic crafts with original ceramic products inspired by Korean tradition, so that Korean traditional crafts gain global recognition and the cultural status of Goyang City and Gyeonggi Province is further elevated."

Lee Dong-hwan, Mayor of Goyang Special City, said, "The Master Craftsman of Goyang City is an outstanding artist selected through strict evaluation criteria, including the highest level of skilled techniques, contribution to the development of Goyang's craft industry, and community service," and added, "I hope they take pride in inheriting traditional crafts and creating future value in crafts to promote the excellence of Goyang Special City's culture."