Narrator: There are only about 20 master potters left
in South Korea who make this traditional clay pot.
At 58, Jin-gyu Heo is the youngest of them.
Narrator: This is onggi, and people have been using it
for thousands of years to store
and ferment staple Korean foods like kimchi.
But it takes weeks to finish a single pot,
and they can cost up to $800.
So fewer people are buying them,
instead opting for cheaper, mass-produced plastic
and glass containers.
Even Jin-gyu's father,
who practiced the craft for decades, lost hope.
Narrator: We visited Jin-gyu's workshop
in Ulsan, South Korea,
to learn how this craft that has lasted
for millennia is still standing.
Onggi is made from iron-rich mud that Jin-gyu gets
from nearby fields.
It has to sit and dry for a year
before he starts working with it.
Narrator: The clay has to have the right consistency —
not too fine and a little coarse.
Jin-gyu uses this machine to form the coils.
In the past, he used to mold the clay with his hands
and feet, a long and exhausting process.
But a knee injury forced him to stop.
Narrator: First he puts down a fine powder of clay
to prevent the pot from sticking to the wheel.
He pounds the clay with this wooden tool
called the bangmangyi,
making sure to remove all of the air bubbles.
He presses a cloth to even out the clay
and uses the bangmangyi again.
Next, he carves out a perfect circle as a base
for the vessel.
Jin-gyu starts building the walls of the pot
using this ancient coiling technique called taryeom.
Each step builds on the next.
Jin-gyu visualizes the onggi long before he sees it
in clay form.
Narrator: After 42 years,
making onggi has become second nature.
Narrator: Jin-gyu is aware of every detail.
Even the speed of the wheel is critical.
Narrator: Like many onggi potters,
he makes his own tools that are custom-fit to his hands.
He uses a paddle called a surae
and this stamp-like tool called a dogye to shape the pot.
He listens carefully to determine the right thickness.
Narrator: The paddle also removes any trapped air
and helps condense the clay.
And he feels the clay as he works.
If it's too wet, he waits for it to dry.
Otherwise the piece can collapse.
Narrator: At various stages, a blowtorch blasts heat
to help dry the clay.
The top coil is the thickest.
The extra clay forms the neck of the pot.
He applies a wet strip of leather to soften the clay
and shape the rim,
then scrapes the walls to make them thinner.
Next he designs the pot.
For this onggi, Jin-gyu opts for lines and a wavy pattern.
They use a cloth sling
to carefully transfer the pot off the wheel.
Jin-gyu will dry it under the sun
for no more than six hours.
Any longer can crack or warp the clay.
The onggi will finish drying in the shade for up to 20 days.
Archeological records show that onggi
has been around since 5000 BC.
It kept foods cool in the summer months
and helped prevent them from freezing in the winter.
Koreans found that onggi was ideal for fermentation
because of its microporous surface
that allows the food to breathe.
But all this changed in the 20th century
with the arrival of industrialization and refrigeration.
In the following years, other materials like plastic
and glass further decreased the need
for traditional clay pots.
But for Jin-gyu, onggi is about preserving history.
It took him 10 years to learn the craft.
And he says that commitment is what pushes many people away.
Narrator: Despite that, he established his own workshop
more than 20 years ago and teaches the craft
all over the world.
After the onggi is dry, it's time for glazing.
He sieves the glaze to remove any rocks and debris,
then blends the mixture before dipping the dry pots.
The glaze is made of red clay, tree ashes,
and composted leaves, also known as leaf mold.
Narrator: Later in the firing process,
this glaze will form tiny holes
that make onggi breathable,
also giving each piece a unique coloring, depending
on the ratio of the mix.
The glazed onggi must then dry another 10 days
before the next step: firing.
Jin-gyu's father built this kiln over 30 years ago.
It took him more than three months.
Jin-gyu starts by removing the bricks
that cover the opening.
When the kiln is unused,
the mouth of each chamber is covered to keep the cold out.
Traditional wood-burning kilns like this
can reach over 80 feet in length.
They include multiple rooms and can fire 1,000 pots
in one go.
Jin-gyu first builds a small bonfire
to remove any humidity in the kiln.
Firing glazed onggi requires temperatures
of over 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
But they must build the heat slowly.
Narrator: He and his staff monitor the kiln
for five days straight,
keeping watch so the fires don't extinguish.
Despite their efforts, only half of the pieces survive.
Depending on where they're placed,
they could be fired too much, or not enough.
It takes five more days for the pieces
to completely cool down.
And the onggi are finally finished
after a month of shaping, drying, glazing, and firing.
Prices at Jin-gyu's workshop range from $80 to over $800.
And he's always reinventing his business.
He experiments with smaller, thinner onggi
that are still strong and durable,
hoping to break assumptions
that these jars are heavy and crude.
Jin-gyu is determined to break another misconception,
that onggi belongs to the past.
By continuing the craft,
he hopes that others will carry on the tradition.