Ulsan to Introduce Koreas Pottery Tradition to World
By Do Je-hae
Staff Reporter
The southern industrial city of Ulsan will hold an international exposition in October to introduce Korea's age-old legacy of ``onggi," or traditional Korean earthenware pottery, according to the city administration Thursday.
Domestic and overseas excitement is mounting for the 2009 Onggi Expo Ulsan, as it is the very first large-scale global event to take place there and the world's first expo specifically designed to disseminate the prehistoric form of Korean ceramics that still enjoys popularity and respect in modern Korea.
``We are hoping to attract around 1.26 million visitors during the festival, which will be held from Oct. 9 to Nov. 8. About 80,000 are expected to be overseas tourists from 40 countries, especially from Japan, China and Russia," an organizer said.
The 2009 Onggi Expo will showcase the ceramic culture of Korea and other countries, and provide pottery sessions for participants.
Ulsan has launched active promotion for the event, the latest being the opening of an onggi museum at Incheon International Airport Thursday. It also runs a multilingual Web site at www.onggiexpo.com.
Ulsan is the country's largest distributor of onggi products made by professional potters. The nearby county of Ulju houses an onggi village and has held onggi festivals since 2000.
Onggi literally means earthenware utensils, used for a variety of purposes, but primarily for the storage of staple items in Korean diet, such as kimchi and pickled vegetables, bean and pepper pastes, and soy sauce.
Made from clay and fired into shape in a Korean-style oven, onggi products are distinguished for technique and speed inherent to Korean onggi makers.
Ulsan is trying to re-brand itself as a city of culture and tradition through making the upcoming event a great success.
In 1997, Ulsan became a metropolitan city, joining the ranks of other large Korean cities like Busan, Daegu and Daejeon in commanding a provincial governing status. The heightened form of local autonomy was largely due to Ulsan's growing population and economy as the country's industrial capital.
As the corporate base of the multinational Hyundai Group, Ulsan is Korea's undisputed center of automobile and shipbuilding industries. It houses the country's largest shipyard, automobile assembly plant and one of the world's largest oil refineries.