Gakjajang refers to the skill of engraving calligraphic letters to be used for wood printing blocks or to an artisan with such a skill.
The oldest existing print done with wood blocks is the Great Dharani Sutra of Immaculate and Pure Light made in the Silla Period (circa 57 BC – 935 AD), while the wood blocks of the Tripitaka Koreana, made between 1236 and 1251 during the Goryeo Period, are regarded as the most outstanding still in existence.
It became common practice to use hanging boards containing engraved characters in royal palaces and temples, and even in private houses.
Towards the late Joseon Period (1392-1910), this once exquisite skill went into decline, but the reliance on the traditional practice of wood block printing remained high until it was pushed aside with the introduction of modern photography and printing technology during the colonial period.