This week on Jeju: A to Z, Todd Thacker takes a brief look at the craft of making traditional hats, or “gat” (갓) in Korean, which until the 1960s was fast being forgotten. Jeju has its own exhibition hall dedicated to educating future generations about this art.


If you’re a fan of Korean historical dramas on TV, then you’ll be familiar with the wide-brimmed, black cylindrical hats worn by many of the male protagonists.

The “gat” is made of thin, interwoven strips of bamboo, silk, and horsehair. It was symbolic of one’s social status, limited to middle or upper class married men, right through to the end of the Joseon Dynasty.

[Slug CG] Gyorae-ri, Jocheon-eup, Jeju City

Thanks to local artisan Jang Soon-ja (장순자), Jeju has its own exhibition hall in Gyorae village, which is dedicated to the ancient craft.

Jang, who was designated an honorary master of gat making in 2009, donated the land for the Gat Exhibition Hall. It was built in cooperation with the Cultural Heritage Administration and Jeju Special Self-Governing Province.

[Slug CG] Open 10AM-5PM (closed Sunday and Monday), free admission

This is a comprehensive and informative educational resource for young and old. Displays walk visitors through the process of how these intricate, hand-made items are constructed.

[Slug CG] Single ‘gat’ can take many months of work

Making a single gat can take months of painstaking work -- the brim alone can be made up of 360 finely cut and woven bamboo threads. Visitors to the hall can watch a video of a master craftsman at work, and then try it themselves in an experience room workshop.

[Slug CG] Todd Thacker

In the first part of the 20th century, the gat was in danger of being lost forever, rejected and banned during the social and political upheaval of that time.

Thanks to government recognition in 1964 and the dedication of people like Master Jang, this artistic skill and legacy has another chance to be a treasured, lasting cultural heritage.

Todd Thacker KCTV