Korean Silk

Silk is a natural fibre made of silk thread from cocoons.

Korean silk has a long history and is well known across the world for its light weight, durability, beautiful patterns and softness.

Ancient Koreans already produced silk as well as cotton cloth and ramie cloth. It is said that in Ancient Joson (early 30th century BC-108 BC) silk farming was developed very much and that people of Puyo used to put on clothes made of fine silk.

Later, silk was produced in various kinds with different textures, patterns and colours by different processing methods, and was used as high-grade material for clothes because it was finer and more beautiful than other materials.

In the period of Three Kingdoms (a general term of Korea's feudal states Koguryo, Paekje and Silla), silk farming was more briskly conducted across the countries, and the sorts of silk increased to a dozen, their colours and patterns becoming diversified.

Silk fabrics produced in those days were well known to China and Japan for their high quality and beauty.

In the period of Koryo dynasty (918-1392) the silk production technique further developed and its sorts further increased. And the materials were so excellent in quality as to be exported to not only neighbouring countries but also the Middle and Near East, becoming widely known as Koryo Silk.

In the period of feudal Joson dynasty, silk production bases appeared wherever lots of mulberry leaves and good water were available in the country. In particular, silk fabrics from Nyongbyon and Songchon in Phyongan Province, Cholwon in Kangwon Province and Suan in Hwanghae Province were very famous.

Korean silk fabrics were very beautiful in appearance and felt cool in summer and warm in winter. They hardly creased because of their high elasticity and were smooth to the touch. In particular, kum, a sort of silk with patterns weaved exquisitely with silk threads of different colours, has long been regarded as precious as gold. Kum disappeared with the appearance of dan, a new sort of silk, in the period of feudal Joson dynasty.

According to the pages of history there are over 30 kinds of dan including yangdan (damask silk), kongdan (silk satin), hobakdan (taffeta) and sacktongdan (rainbow-striped silk). And other kinds of silk fabrics are widely known at home and abroad.

Korea is steadily increasing silk production to make an active contribution to the improvement of the people's life.