Updated at 2022-02-28
Records show that the Korean peninsula has been making pottery since the Neolithic era. The Goryeo celadon-making technique developed during the Goryeo dynasty. Early forms and glaze colors were deeply influenced by Chinese kilns, such as the Song dynasty’s Ru, Ding, Cizhou, and Yaozhou kilns. All of them inspired Goryeo celadon to a certain extent. Goryeo celadon integrates Chinese porcelain styles, and its artistic value reached its heyday between the 12th and 13th centuries. It gradually developed more original forms and decorations, such as pure celadon, beautiful glazes, and inlaid celadon, which became characteristic of Goryeo inlaid celadon. When wares were brought to China, they were acclaimed as “Goryeo secret color” and “first under heaven.”
National flag: Taegukgi
National day: Oct. 3
Language: Korean
Capital: Seoul
Area: 100,413 square kilometers
Population: Approx. 51,700,000 people
Currency: Won (₩)
Government: Constitutional republic