History
Green tea has a long history in Korea. It was brought from China and according to the history of the Three Kingdoms, it had been introduced to Korea by an envoy of Queen Seondeok (632~647) during the Shilla period. The envoy planted the seeds at the slopes of Jirisan Mountain. The original place of Korean green tea is said to be Jangjookjeon at Hwaeom-temple near the town Goorea in the Jirisan Mountains, Jeollanam-do province. However, the historical place Jangjookjeon could not be identified with a real place yet.
Since that time, the custom of drinking tea has been prevalent in Korea. Tea was especially popular among priests and the elite youth corps of the Buddhist Shilla period. Later during the Koryo period (918-1392), the tea culture was further developed. However, the Chosun Dynasty policy of repressing Buddhism (1392-1910) slowed the growth of tea culture in Korea. Near the end of the Confucian Chosun Dynasty, tea drinking declined and tea was mainly used for ceremonies.
Collection of ancient tea cups
Much later, in the 1930s, Japanese colonialists discovered that the area around Boseong, which is located on the southern coast of the Korean peninsula, in Jeollanam-do province, is ideal for tea cultivation. In 1939 they established the first commercial tea plantation in Boseong. After Japan’s defeat in World War II, Boseong’s tea plantations fell into disuse. In 1957, however, a Korean capitalist purchased the old tea fields and established Daehan Tea Plantation. Soon, more tea plantations were founded nearby, stretching all the way to the coast.