STORY OF A ‘HOMI’ TOOL MASTER

[Anchor Lead]

Recently, a traditional Korean farming tool called "homi" has grabbed huge public attention in the U.S., riding on its popularity among gardeners. Next, we bring you the story of a blacksmith, who has been producing homi in the traditional method for over five decades.

[Pkg]

A lump of red-hot iron is beaten with a hammer over and over. The metal is reborn into a sharp sickle through the long process of being heated, cooled and beaten over 300 times. Park Kyung-hwan runs a forge in Chuncheon, Gangwon-do Province.

[Soundbite] PARK KYUNG-HWAN(BLACKSMITH) : "I found that I hate being interfered with. I thought that this job would allow me to work without others' meddling in my affairs. I could endure manual, physical labor. But I didn't want to undergo mental labor."

Having taken over the business from his father, Park has been working as a blacksmith for 57 years. With his excellent skills recognized, he was selected as a certified technician by the Labor Ministry in 2005. Being a man of honor, he has never done anything against his conscience. Despite Chinese products dominating the market, he has never sold products manufactured by others than himself.

[Soundbite] PARK SEONG-KYUNG(PARK KYUNG-HWAN'S SON) : "My father takes great pride in his job. While watching him, I was thinking I want to be a person like my father."

Park hopes that the traditional blacksmith's techniques will be passed down and preserved. He advises that basics are important in life.

[Soundbite] PARK KYUNG-HWAN(BLACKSMITH) : "Adhering to the basics is most important. To manufacture products in accordance with the fundamentals, they should be polished and sharpened elaborately. All sickles are not the same, despite their similar appearances."