An Opportunity to Reveal Superb Korean Ceramic Technology to the Whole World 

Korean ceramic technology has now an opportunity to be shown to the whole world. 

“Jeueomjip (ceramic castle),” which was created as part of the Third World Ceramic Biennale that started in April, is ready to set a Guiness World Record. 

Kim Deok-Eun, chief of Korea Record Institute, said “Jeueomjip’ is the largest of all the ceramic castles ever built, implying the possibility of being a challenger to the “Big Stuff” division in the category of “Amazing Feats” of the Guiness World Record.” 

As a phonetic pronunciation of “Jeomjip” that refers to the “ceramic house,” “Jeueomjip” was created by the artist Kim Ku-Hahn (58), who, making use of 80 tons of earth, made this two-floor house (the first floor covers a surface of around 16.67 square meter and the second floor 10square meter) by applying the “surejil” technique for making earthenware pots and the “mangsaengi” technique for the ceiling. It is a house baked as its whole in the 7m-high kiln made exclusively for that purpose. 

“Jeueomjip” is equipped with the entrance, stone windows, the traditional floor heating system, stairs, and a balcony and the inside as well as outside walls are decorated with ten longevity symbols inlaid. Its superb artistic value attracted many spectators’ attention during the whole period of the Biennale. 

“Jeueomjip” has many unique reasons to catch the attention to as it has been created in a unique fashion. The baking technology employed in making this house is the one and the only one in the world for which, after a month of rough baking and ten days of main baking, the temperature in the kiln, which goes up to 1300c, is kept consistently with a tolerance of 20c with 22 burners that are organically controlled. 

The wall is covered with a 15~20cm-thick charcoal-like carbon layer, which emits ample far-infrared rays, blocks electromagnetic waves and heat from the outside, accumulates anions, absorbs various odors and harmful air pollutants, and stabilizes the humidity level inside of the house, cool and fresh in the summer, warm and comfortable in the winter. 

Nam Ki-Myeong, Secretary-General of the World Ceramic Expo Foundation, insisted on the fact that “Jeueomjip” is made in an entirely new ceramic technology. He said that the house is a “manifestation of the excellence of Korean ceramic technology and its potential for an infinite development,” explaining the meaning of the Guiness World Record challenge. 

“Jeueomjip,” made with earth collected only in Korea and in a traditional Korean kiln, means the great resurrection of the ceramic technology, only existing in Korea and China during the 17th century. Various experiments and researches on different ways to build houses using the technology employed in making “Jeueomjip” are underway, which, Nam explains, may contribute to the construction of environment-friendly and healthy houses without using any harmful substance such as cement or Styrofoam.