After six generations, traditional Korean shoemaker keeps family practice alive

Traditional Korean shoemaking master Hwang Duk-sung preserves the art of making Kkotsin, traditional silk shoes adorned with symbolic embroidery.

Hwang Duck-sung works on a traditional Korean shoe at his workshop located in Macheon-dong, Gangdong District, eastern Seoul. He has been making traditional Korean shoes for six generations. [PARK SANG-MOON]

[ZOOM KOREA]

Kkotsin, which roughly translates to flower shoes, is the most well-known among traditional Korean footwear. The silk shoes are adorned with embroideries of 10 traditional symbols of longevity such as the sun, the moon and deer as well as apricot flowers and peony blossoms. Their beauty lies in their slightly curved, upturned tips, just like the curves found on the roofs of hanok, or traditional Korean houses.

Each shoe is identical, with no distinctions between the left and the right — but they conform to the shape of the wearer's feet.

The official name of traditional Korean shoes is hwahye. Hwa are high shoes covering the ankles, and hye are low-cut shoes that do not cover the ankles. Hwa and hye were used separately in the past, but now the two are combined as one word to refer to all sorts of footwear.

Hwang works on a traditional shoe. [PARK SANG-MOON]

Hwahyejang, or gatbachi, are shoemaking masters are people who produce hwahye.

Hwang Duck-sung, 45, has been making traditional Korean shoes for six generations. He follows his father Hae-bong. Jong-su, Duck-sung's great-great-great-grandfather, initiated the family business, making and providing leather shoes to King Cheoljong, the 25th ruler of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910).

Duck-sung’s great-grandfather, Han-gap, was the last shoemaking master of the Joseon Dynasty, crafting red shoes that Emperor Gojong wore on special occasions.

Hae-bong was dedicated to reproducing traditional Korean shoes, which were on the verge of disappearing. That was a difficult task, as the Joseon Dynasty saw more than 20 types of footwear, and only documents recorded their existence. Nevertheless, he restored the blue and red shoes that were worn by kings and queens of the Joseon Dynasty alongside experts in traditional garments.

Duck-sung, who had grown up watching his father work on the forgotten royal shoes, decided to commit himself to the family business, which he thought was valuable and meaningful. Even when he was a teenager, he was proud of his father.

Depending on the type of kkotsin, it takes between three and seven days to make a pair of hwahye. Even an experienced master undergoes about 70 procedures to complete a pair of shoes. Since each procedure is carried out manually, thousands of touches are needed.

Reproductions of kkotsin for little babies usually worn to celebrate their 100th day since birth or their first birthday. [PARK SANG-MOON]

Reproduced version of the blue traditional Korean shoes that were once worn by crown princess of Korea Yi Bang-ja (1901-1989) [PARK SANG-MOON]

Reproductions of red traditional Korean shoes worn by the kings and crown princes of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) [PARK SANG-MOON]

To produce traditional shoes, baekbi needs to be made first. Cotton, hemp, and ramie cloths are layered together using rice as an adhesive. When rice hardens, it becomes strong and sturdy, maintaining the shape of the shoes.

When baekbi is done, it is put out to dry in the sun for days. Then the sinul, or outer rims of the shoes, are created. Baekbi is lined with sinul, and then a length of silk is attached. To prevent sinul from hardening, shoemaking masters store it in a jar lined with a wet towel.

When the sinul are finished, the next step is making the bottom of the shoes with cowhide. The leather bottom and sinul are sewn together using a boar bristle. The bristle flexible yet does not deform silk. This is the most important part of the procedure because the tip of the shoe needs to aid the wearer's balance. When the shoes are done, singol, or wooden shoe molds, are put inside to keep their shapes.

Kkotsin were only allowed to yangban, or the ruling class, during the Joseon Dynasty, but traditional shoes were in high demand after the hierarchical system collapsed as commoners clambered to experience the fit for themselves. But the glory didn’t last that long. Once people began wearing Western styles of clothing, and especially with the mass production of rubber shoes in the 1920, traditional shoes again fell out of fashion. The mass production of rubber shoes in the 1920s also played a part in the fall of traditional shoes. Shoemaking masters made a living by making kkotsin to be worn by toddlers on their first birthdays.

Hwang cuts out baekbi, a lining attached to the outer rims, to make a traditional shoe. [PARK SANG-MOON]

Tools used by Hwang Duk-sung to make traditional Korean shoes [PARK SANG-MOON]

There is still little demand for kkotsin, but they have become affordable now that they are produced in large quantities at factories. But Duck-sung believes somebody needs to make traditional shoes the way his ancestors did. Just as his father did, Duck-sung believes that making traditional shoes and preserving Korea's history is his calling.

Life is never easy for people like Duck-sung who stick to tradition while living in a fast-paced society. But when he talks about his job, his eyes are calm and content.

BY PARK SANG-MOON [park.sangmun@joongang.co.kr]