Icheon Master Potter Yongcheol Yoo Selected as ‘2026 Korean Master Craftsman’

A Legacy Spanning Three Generations and Over 40 Years
Advancing, Teaching, and Globalizing Traditional Ceramics

Icheon City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Seong Sooseok) announced on August 25 that Yongcheol Yoo, a ceramist from Nokwon Kiln, has been selected as a ‘2026 Korean Master Craftsman’ in the category of ceramic crafts within the field of arts and crafts.

Yoo Yongcheol, a master of ceramics from Icheon City, has been selected as a Master of Korea. Provided by Icheon City

Master Yoo was previously named the Master Potter of Icheon City in 2016, and has now earned the title of Korean Master Craftsman 10 years later. As a result, the number of potters in Icheon designated as Korean Master Craftsman increased from five to six.

The Korean Master Craftsman title is a system that recognizes individuals in the industrial field who possess the highest level of skilled techniques and contribute to technological advancement as well as to enhancing the status of highly skilled technicians. Candidates are evaluated based on their skill proficiency, contribution to technological progress, and external activities.

Master Yoo began learning pottery in 1981 from his father, Changkon Yoo, and has carried on the family business for three generations, dedicating more than 40 years to the field of ceramics. He has both inherited traditional pottery techniques and built his own creative world of works through consistent research and experimentation.

He studied the heat efficiency of traditional wood-fired kilns at the Department of Ceramic Engineering at the Graduate School of Industrial Technology at Myongji University, and served as an adjunct professor at Myongji University’s Department of Ceramic Art Engineering from 2009 to 2022, making significant efforts to nurture future generations.

He has consecutively received awards at the Korean Traditional Handicraft Competition, the Korean Ceramic Competition, and the Korean Buncheong Competition. At the 47th Korean Traditional Handicraft Competition in 2022, he received the Cultural Heritage Administration Award for his work, ‘Buncheong Inhwa Fish Jar.’

He has also showcased the excellence of Icheon ceramics by participating in exhibitions and demonstrations held in countries such as China, the United States, Japan, and France. In 2019, he delivered a guest lecture at the Academy of Arts & Design of Tsinghua University in Beijing, China, and this year participated in the official program of London Craft Week, jointly hosted by the Korean Cultural Centre UK and Icheon City.

Seong Sooseok, Mayor of Icheon City, stated, "I sincerely congratulate Master Yongcheol Yoo for being selected as a Korean Master Craftsman after dedicating over 40 years to protecting and advancing traditional pottery techniques. I believe that the skills and passion you have accumulated over many years have resulted in this meaningful achievement as Korea’s top skilled craftsman, and it is truly significant."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.