정과 망치 · 2025

Chisel and Hammer

Moon Jae-woong · 15 min · South Korea

I found myself at an impasse, consumed by the question: "Can I truly continue making films and art?" As an artist who must also survive within society, these were deep, existential concerns. This crisis led me to Song Jong-won (90), a master stone craftsman famous for sculpting Dolhareubang (Jeju's iconic stone guardians). When I first encountered him, my primary question was simple: "What is his enduring motivation to keep creating these stone figures?" I began visiting his workshop every week. I discovered that Mr. Song, despite growing up in an era when finishing middle school was difficult, had gone on to major in English literature and become a teacher. Yet, he eventually became so absorbed in stone craft that he quit his formal career. For six months, my camera captured Mr. Song Jong-won as he meticulously completed a single Dolhareubang.