'Tanggeonjang' Kim Gongchun, Honorary Holder, Passes Away Due to Old Age

A Craftsman Meticulously Creating Tanggeon Strand by Strand
Consistently Contributing to Tradition by Submitting Works to the Jeonseung Craft Exhibition

Kim Gong-chun, Honorary Holder of the National Intangible Cultural Property No. 67 ‘Tanggeonjang,’ passed away on the 3rd due to old age at the age of 102.

Tanggeon (宕巾) is a hat that the Joseon yangban (aristocrats) frequently used to indicate their social status. It is worn after tying the topknot and gathering the hair with a manggeon (網巾) before putting on a gat (traditional Korean hat). It protects the hair and keeps the gat from becoming disheveled.

Tanggeonjang refers to an artisan who delicately weaves the tanggeon hairpiece strand by strand with skilled hands. Although the origin of its production is uncertain, it flourished in Jeju from the mid-Joseon period. It is said that horsehair was abundant there, making it an early means of livelihood.

The late master’s hometown was also Jeju. At the age of seven in 1925, he learned the technique of weaving horsehair from his aunt, Kim Su-yoon. By around the age of thirteen, he had reached a level where he could sell his work. He had keen eyesight and could weave one piece every three days. After making about ten pieces, he sold them at the five-day markets held near Gwandukjeong or Hwabuk in Jeju.

In the 1970s, when the Saemaul factory was established in the Hwabuk area, he produced tourist souvenirs with local women. Applying horsehair craft techniques used for tanggeon, chongmo hats, and manggeon, they developed women’s hats, brooches, and more.

He was recognized for his tanggeon skills by winning awards such as the 1975 Yuk Young-soo National Craft Competition and was officially designated as a Tanggeonjang holder in 1980. Even afterward, he consistently submitted works to traditional craft exhibitions and master craftsman exhibitions, becoming an honorary Tanggeonjang holder in 2009. His daughter, Kim Hye-jung, who inherited the skills, became a Tanggeonjang holder in 2009.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.