Myeongju (silk), which is woven from thread made from cocoons, is plain fabric without woven patterns. There are a wide range of silk fabrics, depending on the types of threads, weaving methods, and patterns used.
Records about the country’s sericulture appear as early as the Gojoseon Period (2333 BC? – 108 BC). Fabrics made with exquisite skills in Silla (57 BC – AD 935) were traded with goods made in Tang Dynasty China. During the Goryeo Period (877 – 1394), good-quality silk fabrics were produced. In the Joseon Period (1392 –1910), so many types of fabrics were made that names were attached to them according to their colors and quality. Silks were produced in large quantities and they latercame to be used as materials for making ordinary cloth.
In olden days, silk was woven by housewives on a loom to meet their household needs. Toward the late Joseon Period, looms were replaced by modern weaving machines.