JEONG - The Spirit of Korean Craft and Design

Jeong is a Korean word with no direct English equivalent — a deep affection and sense of attachment that builds slowly, through care, familiarity, and shared use. Author Hyo Jung Lee takes that idea as her lens for the first book to survey the full breadth of Korean craft and design for an international audience.

Across 175 objects — moon jars, woven baskets, delicate textiles, lacquerware, and cutting-edge furniture among them — the book treats centuries-old folk craft and contemporary design as a continuum, not separate worlds. Essays from design director Teo Yang, curator Beth McKillop, and Arumjigi Foundation chair J Kathryn Hong round it out. Printed on tactile craft paper and stitch-bound in the traditional Korean style, the book is itself a considered object.