A Study on the Cultivation and Production of Korean Paper Mulberries and Korean Paper Manufactures

Korean paper made from paper mulberry (Broussonetia Kazinoki Siebold) fibers is tough, very strong, and pliable, and, being acid-free, it lasts longer than the acidic Western paper. It has, therefore, been used widely for storing important documents and records. It also has excellent characteristics, such as ventilation, a soft touch, water absorption, and soundproofness compared with the Western paper, and it has been used in a number of fields, including living necessities and craft material. However, most Korean paper manufacturers are closed, because it is becoming difficult to run successful businesses all year round as business is being influenced by the decreases and aging of the labor force in farming villages, the increase of labor costs in Korea, the increase of imports of cheap raw materials from China and Southeast Asia, and the decrease of demand. The number of Korean paper producing farmhouses is also decreasing rapidly, meaning the production basis for paper mulberry in Korea is in decline. However, there have been almost no studies on farmhouses producing paper mulberries or Korean paper manufacturers. This study, therefore, was intended to determine a way to activate the Korean paper manufacturing industry and the paper mulberry production among farmhouses, by examining the cultivation status of paper mulberry producing farmhouses, and the operating status of Korean paper manufacturers. As a result, the cultivation of paper mulberries was found to need to move away from small-scale production using small fields and remaining land, toward large-scale production using forests and fields. It was also found that the production of Korean paper needs the support and management of the government so that manufacturers can establish a clear concept of what Korean paper is, and differentiate its characteristics in order to keep traditional Korean paper alive