Our Story
“WE AIM TO PROVIDE A WINDOW INTO THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF KOREAN CULTURE, CUSTOMS, ART & DESIGN, THROUGH OUR RANGE OF UNIQUELY DESIGNED, QUALITY PRODUCTS.”
OUR STORY
“THERE’S A LONG ROAD AHEAD! WE’RE SURE THAT IT WON’T BE EASY, BUT WE ARE 100% IN! NOT JUST TO PROVIDE GREAT QUALITY PRODUCTS, BUT TO PROVIDE A GREAT BUYER EXPERIENCE, TOO!”
| WHERE WE BEGAN | WHERE WE ARE NOW | WHERE WE WILL GO |
|---|---|---|
| It all began with 100 T-Shirts sold at a local expat market in Changwon City, South Korea. The shirts simply said ‘Changwon,’ and had the City’s logo. They sold out! Why? Because they were totally unique and referenced South Korea. Expats bought them as souvenirs or gifts. Korean’s bought them, too! The shirts held a story for each buyer… that’s where it all started for us. | We’ve set our direction, identified our niche and built our business model. The brand has been developed, and our first line of products rolled out. We’ve reached the finish line, yet just starting the race. It’s time for feedback! We’re eager to hear what people think of our brand and product lines. There’re so many new ideas and designs in the pipeline. Let’s see what you think of what we have, first. | We’ve set our direction, identified our niche and built our business model. The brand has been developed, and our first line of products rolled out. We’ve reached the finish line, yet just starting the race. It’s time for feedback! We’re eager to hear what people think of our brand and product lines. There’re so many new ideas and designs in the pipeline. Let’s see what you think of what we have, first. |
OUR BRAND
OUR BRAND NAME ‘JONTONG INK’ TRANSLATES TO ‘TRADITIONAL INK.’ OUR BRAND COLOR REPRESENTS THE INK USED WITH TRADITIONAL KOREAN ‘DOJANG’ SIGNATURE STAMPS.
OUR LOGO (TAEGUK)
Our logo represents the ‘Taeguk.’ This is the central symbol of the Korean flag. The Taeguk is commonly associated with Korean tradition and a symbol for balance in the universe. The top half (usually red), represents positive cosmic forces. The bottom half (usually blue) represents opposing negative cosmic forces.
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OUR STAMP (DOJANG)
Our stamp or ‘Dojang’ acts as a secondary logo. It has become as much, if not a bigger part of our branding than the primary logo, the Taeguk. We sketched it, then had it hand-carved. It has Korean symbols split in to 4 syllables. They read left to right, starting from the first line.
TRANSLATION
전통 – Jontong – Traditional
잉크 – Inkur – Ink
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THE DOJANG
SOME CALL IT A SIGNATURE STAMP, SOME A NAME SEAL, SOME A NAME CHOP. THEY ARE VERY IMPORTANT IN KOREA, AND LET’S FACE IT…THEY LOOK AMAZING!
A Dojang (도장) is a stamp seal or impression which is used instead of a signature on personal documents, office paperwork, contracts, art, or any item requiring acknowledgement or authorship. In the western world it was traditionally known by traders as a ‘chop mark’ or simply a ‘chop’. Most Koreans, government agencies and commercial corporations have their own seal. While signing is also accepted, many Koreans think it is more formal to use a seal in public documents
The seal was first introduced to Korea in approximately the 2nd century BC. The remaining oldest record of its usage in Korea is that kings of Buyeo used a royal seal Oksae (옥새) which bore the inscription of Seal of the King of Ye (예왕지인). The use of seals became popular during the Three Kingdoms of Korea period.
The Dojang (도장) handle is typically made of wood or sometimes of metals, stone, bamboo, plastic, or ivory. The diameter can vary and the tip shape is usually circular or square. The material used for the handle dictates the stamp’s cost. Intricate designs carved into the sides of the handle can also raise it’s value. It’s usually used with red ink or cinnabar paste and comes with a lid (or cap) and a small leather carry case.
Each Dojang (도장) is totally unique in its design. People can create their own stamp design, but it is more common to choose from a variety of different templates. The templates are comprised of Korean symbols that read left to right, or Chinese symbols that read top to bottom. The chosen template is then slightly adjusted, to make it unique from others. This design is carved into the tip of the handle, either by hand or machine. If by machine, a computer generated graphic image is first created. The computer is connected to a carving machine, which automatically carves the handle as according to the design. Even with machine carved stamps, final adjustments are made by hand.
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