GURI-CITY

Yoon Deok-jin (currently residing in Gyomun-dong, Guri City) is the holder of “Druk Maewoogi” who was designated as Important Intangible Cultural Property No. 63 on May 1, 1991. The origin of drum in Korea is not clear, but it was used as Jamyeonggo of Princess Nakrang and Prince Hodong and the Yeonggo of Buyeo. It is disappeared in the wall paintings of No. 3 Ancient Tomb in Anak, Goguryeo, with the accurate record in Joseon Dynasty. Including the historic era, it has been handed down for its presence. 'Filling up the drum' means that the resonance body with the fur on it that it is the purely expression of Korean words. The drum making process is classified into two types of 「fur handling work and drum body making work」. The fur is dipped in lime and rinsed off in chicken excrete and dry it to use, and the best fur is the skin of cow with 3-5 years of age. The drum body has whole drum and piece meal drum with the certain size and angle to bend in its usage. The types of drum that Yoon produces are 17 types with sound drum (pansori, gosu drum), stripe drum (farm music), shaman drum, temple drum - yonggo, inner drum (used in shrines), sitting drum, nogo drum (six drums in one) and other traditional drums. With yonggo (diameter of 1.5m) used in 1986 Asian Games, 1988 Seoul Olympics for oening and closing ceremonies and the two events had 1,174 drums. Yoon’s work products include the Munmingo in front of the Blue House (150x160cm), and the drum making occupation has been handed down for the fourth generation.

Dodang Exorcism of Galmae-dong that has been containing the original form of Dodang Exorcism in Gyeonggi-do is held once in two years for the grandfather and grandmother gods from 500~600 years ago in seven villages in Galmae-dong of Guri City. On February 1 of lunar calendar, people who are innocent to hold the position of Dangju, Suksu, Doga, Hwaju and others to govern the village exorcism are selected to prepare for the ceremony, and around March 1 of lunar calendar, the day is set to hold the exorcism. This event has important implication as the village festival function to pray for well-being and enrichment of the village. Currently, there are documents regarding the Dodang Exorcism to have accurate history of the exorcism, and it proves the village exorcism with the long tradition. For this Dodang Exorcism of Galmae-dong, there was a study in 1996 with the findings listed on 『Galmae-dong Dodang Exorcism』 (Galmae-dong Dodang Exorcism Joint Survey Team, Guri City of Gyeonggi-do, 1996). In the meantime, on September 11, 1998, Shaman Dangju Cho Soon-ja and Jabbi Dangju Heo Yong-up were designated as the holders of skilled and art works as Gyeonggi-do-designated intangible cultural property No.15 for Dodang Exorcism of Galmae-dong with the additional designation of Dang Jip.

Born in Kanagawa-ken, Japan in 1931, Shin Sang-soon graduated primary school in Japan and returned to Korea. She graduated Gyeongnam Masan Girl’s High School in 1951, and the master of embroidery in Masan at the time, Kim Nan-cho, taught her with the embroidery technique and she began to have the deep interest in traditional embroidery. From 1960, she worked on collecting many relics related to the embroidery and reproducing them, and in 1978, she toured several countries in Asia for embroidery culture with the sponsorship of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Culture and Education, and she worked on the lectures on the beauty and excellence of the Korea’s embroidery as well as exhibition efforts. For her work products, there are 「Hwajodo Folding Painting」, 「Simjangsaeng Folding Painting」, 「Baekdongjado Folding Painting」 and others, and since she established “Hwarin Gallery” in 1971, she has been concentrating in teaching her students and researches. Shin Sang-soon with the outstanding production functions of folk goods learned from home is currently residing in Acheon-dong, Guri City, and operates the embroidery workshop in Dongbinggo-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. In addition, a business establishment is operated in Seoul Hilton Hotel.

Displaying outstanding talent in stone craft work from the young days, he won the nationwide skill competition for two consecutive years in 1976 and 1977 for gold medals, and in 1989, he was selected as the famous master of stone craft works in Korea (No. 18) and displayed the skills in stone craft works with the outstanding results in various art exhibitions and Buddhist art exhibitions. By learning from masters of Lee Se-wook and Kim Jin-young, many works in Buddhist art field were produced and was designated as Gyeonggi-do-designated intangible cultural property (No. 42) on February 7, 2005. In 2002, he contributed in restoration of Milyang Sotae-ri Stone Pagoda (Treasury No. 312), in 2004, he contributed in repairing of Geumdunsa Temple Stone Pagoda (Treasury No. 945) and other restoration and repairing works of cultural property, and he is currently living in Inchang-ri, Guri City. (Stone craft art workshop is in Naecho-myeon, Pocheon-si)