Cardinal Kim Soo-hwan’s 'Onggi': Earthenware, Faith and Memory
Creatrip Team
3 months ago
Cardinal Kim Soo-hwan (김수환), a beloved Korean Catholic leader, used the pen name "Onggi" (옹기 — traditional Korean earthenware jars). In his memoirs he recalled childhood poverty, family roots tracing to 충청도 (Chungcheong) martyrs, and how early Korean Catholics survived persecution by making and selling onggi. Earthenware served practical needs (storing soy sauce, kimchi) and became a symbol and hiding-place for faith: some onggi bore crosses or fish designs as secret Christian marks, and kiln villages (onggikama) became remote "교우촌" (hidden Christian communities) that allowed believers to endure. Kim’s use of the name Onggi honored his father’s trade and the humble, indispensable nature of the jar — reflecting his call to “become food for one another.” Today onggi sites and memorials (e.g., Kim Soo-hwan Love & Sharing Park) preserve these links between Korean folk craft and early Catholic history.
