Master potter Lee Hak-su of 'goat-soup alley' named national intangible heritage holder

Traditional onggi-making skills passed down through generations receive national recognition

Lee Hak-su, 71, who has spent his career preserving Korea's traditional onggi pottery craft, has been officially recognized as a holder of the national intangible cultural heritage designation for "onggi-jang," or master onggi maker.

According to Boseong-gun on Thursday, Lee is the son of the late Lee Ok-dong, who was himself a nationally recognized onggi-jang holder, and inherited the traditional craft through direct family transmission.

Lee was selected as a transmission scholarship recipient in 1990, completed the program as a certified practitioner in 1994 and went on to serve as a transmission educator from 1995. In 2013, South Jeolla Province recognized him as an intangible cultural heritage holder for onggi-jang, and he has since dedicated himself to preserving and passing on the craft.

Based in Miryeok-myeon — a village known for "yangtang" (goat soup), one of Boseong's signature dishes — Lee has faithfully upheld the techniques and spirit of traditional onggi making while nurturing the next generation of practitioners and broadening the craft's transmission base.

The national intangible cultural heritage designation for onggi-jang covers the traditional techniques used to make unglazed earthenware and glazed stoneware, crafts that developed alongside the everyday life and culture of the Korean people.

The recognition formally acknowledges Lee's mastery of traditional onggi-making techniques and his sustained contributions to keeping the craft alive.

A county official said the designation was expected to raise the profile of Boseong's traditional culture and elevate the standing of the region's intangible heritage.