The “Children’s Paper Folding Master Training Class,” part of the “K-Paper Folding Festival” held in Tokyo, Japan, from May 31 to June 2. (Image provided by the Paper Culture Foundation)
Tokyo, June 1 (Korea Bizwire) – In a bustling classroom at the Tokyo Korean School in Shinjuku on Sunday, more than 100 participants—ranging from local residents to educators and Korean expatriates—gathered for a spirited seminar on Korean paper folding, known as Jong ie jupgi.
The event was part of the 2nd K-Paper Folding Festival, commemorating the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between South Korea and Japan.
Jointly hosted by the Paper Culture Foundation and the World Jong ie jupgi Association alongside the Tokyo Korean School, the seminar offered attendees a rare opportunity to earn a paper folding instructor certificate while reconnecting with a tradition that predates Japan’s better-known origami.
Many expressed surprise and pride upon learning that Korea’s paper folding tradition stretches back to the Three Kingdoms era, with records suggesting that a Goguryeo monk named Damjing introduced paper culture to Japan centuries ago.
Among the participants was Yoo Bang-kang, a third-generation Korean resident in Japan, whose father had volunteered to fight in the Korean War. Now 64, Yoo plans to teach his grandson Korean paper folding techniques, reversing the generational flow of cultural exchange. “It feels like I’ve returned to my school days,” he said, after spending a sleepless night completing folding assignments.
The two-day seminar was divided into seven groups led by master instructors from Korea, each guiding attendees through the intricacies of folding traditional Korean shapes, including the hanbok (traditional dress).
Participants chanted “Joi, Joi, Joi!”—a play on the Korean word for paper (derived from dak tree fiber) and the English word joy—to set the tone.
Students participating in the “Children’s Paper Folding Master Training Class” at the Tokyo Korean School smile as they showcase their paper folding creations alongside their instructors on June 1. (Image provided by the Paper Culture Foundation)
The event also nurtured cultural pride and pedagogical enthusiasm. One Korean-language teacher, Lee Eun-sook, said she plans to integrate paper folding into her classes: “It’s exciting to challenge the narrative that origami is solely Japanese.” Another teacher, Hoshino Saki, expressed hope that such cultural exchanges could deepen Korea-Japan friendship.
Children’s workshops ran concurrently, training 20 aspiring “junior paper folding masters.” Initially tense, the students quickly warmed to the fun, hands-on learning. Fourth-grader Baek Ah-rin declared she wanted to surpass origami and create her own designs, while second-grader Lee Ri-ae said she was eager to teach her younger sibling.
The volunteer instructors included 16 master paper artists and directors of regional Korean paper culture centers, many of whom took time off from their regular jobs to contribute to the program.
Among them was Shin Seung-hee, head of the Busan Yeonje center, who reflected on her 12th overseas mission: “I used to come with a heart for exchange, but now I focus on teaching. The rewards of giving are greater than I imagined.”
Noh Young-hye, head of the Paper Culture Foundation, emphasized the symbolic weight of this return to Japan, calling it a cultural homecoming. “Decades of war and colonization nearly erased Korea’s paper traditions. That’s why this revival—especially in the birthplace of origami—is so meaningful.”
Following the inaugural event in 2015, this year’s expanded festival marks a deepening commitment to reviving Jong ie jupgi as both an educational and cultural bridge between Korea and Japan. Organizers hope it becomes a recurring celebration of shared heritage—and a testament to the soft power of folded paper.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
