| Heo Ho Myeongju Art Village Promotion Committee Chairperson

Heo Ho (68, photo), the chairman of the Sangju Hamchang Art Village Promotion Committee, who has succeeded the fifth generation of Hamchang Myeongju, was selected as the ‘Best Craftsman in the Textile Processing Field of Gyeongsangbuk-do Province’ by Gyeongbuk Province in 2013. He learned the silk weaving techniques of his ancestors and has been producing traditional cloth silk.

The silk scarves he made with Hamchang silk’s unique farming technique were recognized for their value by winning all five entries in the 2008 contest, including the Korea Crafts and Crafts Art Competitions.

In the ‘Heo Silk Textile’ factory run by Chairman Heo, old looms are on display.

He knows Myeongju better than anyone else and helped organize the ‘Myeongju Art Village’.

Chairman Huh said, “I had been thinking about ending the silk business 10 years ago because of economic difficulties.” Coincidentally, I felt a greater sense of joy and achievement while working with the artists of the Myongju Art Village, which began to form two years ago.”

Even 30 years ago, there were over 300 silk farmhouses in this area. As time passed, the silk industry declined, and now there are only about 10 farms left, but each farmhouse has grown in size.

Experts related to silk have been created, and the system has been improved to match the mass production of silk. It is a town that has developed its own competitiveness.

In Myeongju Art Village, ‘Hamchang Art Road’ was completed through the cooperation of artists and residents, and residents and residents.

The number of tourists visiting the village is increasing this year. There are many foreign guests.

Chairman Huh explained, “Since the tour started in June of this year, group reservations have been lined up.”

He hoped that the art village would become a happy village for the residents without being too greedy for tourism. “It is good that many tourists come quickly and become famous as a national attraction, but I hope that this village will become a ‘village with the scent of people’ so that residents can enjoy the environment itself,” he said. “I will move forward slowly.”