The National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage (Director Lim Jong-deok) under the Korea Heritage Agency announced Wednesday that it has additionally transferred its state-owned patent technology, "a manufacturing method for dongnok pigment that can replace hayeop pigment in traditional dancheong," to Hongik Pigments Co., a domestic producer of traditional pigments. The technology was secured through research on restoring traditional dancheong pigments.
This marks the second technology transfer, following the first transfer to Gail Traditional Pigments Co., a domestic traditional pigment producer, in July 2024. With this expansion of licensing rights, a total of two companies are now able to stably produce dongnok, a traditional pigment.
The National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage conducted a three-year research project beginning in 2019 to restore the discontinued dongnok pigment, based on records from ancient documents and scientific analysis. The institute succeeded in reproducing traditional artificial dongnok (basic copper chloride) pigment that recreates "hayeop," a deep green pigment resembling lotus leaves found at actual cultural heritage sites, and in securing the manufacturing technology.
The manufacturing technology was subsequently registered as a state-owned patent in 2023 and transferred to Gail Traditional Pigments in 2024. Dongnok pigment was first launched as a commercial product in March 2025 and is now being used not only in actual dancheong restoration of cultural heritage sites but also in traditional painting fields such as Buddhist paintings and folk paintings.
