Korea preliminarily names two stone craftsmen, two knot artisans as heritage holders
In short
The National Heritage Administration said on Oct. 7 it plans to recognize Yoon Man-geol and Lim Dong-jo as holders of the Seokjang (stone structures) intangible heritage and Park Seon-kyung and Lim Geum-hee as holders of the Maedeupjang (knotting) heritage. The stone artisans have each worked more than 50 years, and the knot artisans inherited techniques from earlier holders. Kim Soo-young, a Yoo-gijang (brassware) holder since 2008, is to be named an honorary holder; final confirmation will follow a 30-day comment period and committee review.
Why it matters
The designations would add state recognition to traditional crafts used in restoring Korea’s stone monuments and making knotwork. The preliminary notice shows the process for passing intangible heritage status to a new generation of artisans. Final approval is still pending, so the outcome is not yet certain.
Key facts
- The National Heritage Administration announced on Oct. 7 it plans to recognize two new holders of Seokjang (stone structures) and two new holders of Maedeupjang (knotting). [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The Seokjang candidates are Yoon Man-geol and Lim Dong-jo, and the Maedeupjang candidates are Park Seon-kyung and Lim Geum-hee. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Yonhap reported the candidates’ ages as 72, 71, 62 and 65, respectively. [ 2 ]
- Yoon Man-geol has worked in stone for more than 50 years and participated in restoration of the Wolseong moat and stone bridges in Gyeongju. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Lim Dong-jo has led stone structure restoration at Changgyeonggung and Gyeongbokgung palaces, including Gwanghwamun’s stone base and platform. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Park Seon-kyung has about 40 years in knotting and continues a family line of Maedeupjang holders. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Lim Geum-hee learned court knots from Jo Il-soon in the late 1980s and helped reproduce traditional techniques. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Kim Soo-young, a Yoo-gijang (brassware) holder since 2008, is proposed as an honorary holder. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- The National Heritage Administration announced preliminary recognition of two new Seokjang holders and two new Maedeupjang holders on Oct. 7. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The proposed Seokjang holders are Yoon Man-geol and Lim Dong-jo; the proposed Maedeupjang holders are Park Seon-kyung and Lim Geum-hee. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Kim Soo-young is to be recognized as an honorary holder of Yoo-gijang. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The final decision will follow a 30-day comment period and deliberation by the National Heritage Committee, according to the National Heritage Administration. [ 2 ]
Still unclear
- The exact date when the final recognition will be confirmed is not stated. Yonhap reports a 30-day comment period and committee deliberation but gives no date for the final decision.
- Whether all five proposed designations will be finalized is not guaranteed. The announcements describe the designations as preliminary notices, not final decisions.
- Park Seon-kyung’s family and training relationships are described differently across outlets. Yonhap says she continues a family line of holders; Asia Economy says she entered as a disciple of the late Choi Eun-soon and conducted transmission education with honorary holder Jeong Bong-seop. The documents do not resolve the exact relationships.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Asia Economy first reports the National Heritage Administration’s preliminary recognition of four artisans and one honorary holder. [ 1 ]
- Yonhap reports the same designations with detailed career backgrounds and the 30-day review process. [ 2 ]
- Newsis publishes photo captions of the five proposed designees. [ 3 ]