By Do Je-hae
Staff Reporter
Ulsan has been seeking a cultural renaissance through its preparations for the forthcoming 2009 Onggi Expo Ulsan, a global exhibition on Korea's splendid legacy of ``onggi," or traditional Korean earthenware pottery.
An admirer of onggi as one of the nation's most treasured cultural assets, Ulsan Mayor Bak Maeng-woo has been eager to disseminate the merits of the prehistoric form of Korean ceramics at home and abroad.
``I am simply in awe of the longevity of onggi's legacy. An art form rooted in the Stone Age, it still enjoys regular presence in modern Korea," Bak said in a recent interview with The Korea Times.
While Ulsan has been the country's undisputed industrial Mecca since the 1960s, its status as the largest distributor of onggi products is still unknown to many Koreans.
Organizers for the expo are expecting over 1.25 million visitors to the southeastern coastal city from Oct. 9 through Nov. 8. Around 80,000 are expected to be overseas tourists from 40 countries, particularly from Japan, China and Southeast Asia.
The case for onggi's global merit are found in its friendliness to nature, multi-faceted functions and its effectiveness in preserving fermented dishes. It is one of Korea's ``100 cultural symbols."
``Mankind has developed various utensils using glass, plastic, stainless steel as civilizations have evolved, but onggi has a distinct stature as one of the oldest type of ceramics to date," Bak said.
``At a time when environmental issues are the center of global attention, onggi is relevant not just to Korea, but to the world."
Made from clay and fired in a Korean-style oven, onggi literally means earthenware utensils. They are used for a variety of purposes, but primarily for the storage of staple items in the Korean diet, such as kimchi and pickled vegetables, bean and pepper pastes and soy sauce.
``We believe onggi has a bright future, particularly in light of its environment-friendly manufacturing and its widely recognized effectiveness in preserving foods like kimchi, our culinary trademark. As the creator of global foods like kimchi, we have a responsibility to develop techniques in storing them, through utilizing onggi," he said.
Overseas experts have lauded the inherent technique of onggi potters.
Ulsan is actively promoting the event, the latest initiative being the opening of an onggi museum at Incheon International Airport. It also runs a multilingual Web site at www.onggiexpo.com. It has been working with the ministries of culture and foreign affairs to promote the festival abroad.
``What we are trying to do through this festival is to share traditional Korean culture as embodied in onggi with the world and introduce its future-oriented prospects. We believe that it will make great contributions toward improving Korea's image as a land of distinguished culture."
The expo will showcase the ceramic culture of Korea and other countries, and provide pottery sessions for participants, among a host of other activities.