▲ Pukyung / CEO Kim Jong-gap

Korean’s love of red clay is found in houses, pottery, bowls, beds and even curing diseases. Once fell behind concrete villas, apartments and buildings, it is now enjoying a revival with rapidly increasing people’s awareness on health since COVID-19 landed on the Peninsula. New eco-friendly housing trend also makes the industry booming.

Some people call red clay “the detoxicant underground”. And the far-infrared radiation from red clay is the key player of this. Red clay in fact is used as decontaminants and antidotes. Researches show red clay is effective to help metabolism, slow aging, ease chronic fatigue and prevent adult diseases.

Located in Jeju City, Pukyung is a South Korean red clay house builder. The company built presence in the field with red clay dry sauna and houses including caravans. CEO Kim Jong-gap made a seaweed bond to add powder of fire tree from red clay to make his business unique. He says that red clay radiation accelerates cycling in the body, creates heat and releases waste with sweat when in a dry sauna made of red clay.

“Red clay’s far-infrared radiation also makes skin healthy. Heat usually takes moisture in our body but red clay’s far-infrared radiation makes body warm like you are next to a heater in winter.”

Kim has devoted to studying red clay for more than 15 years and his floor heating system is second to none in the field in terms of performance and efficiency. The temperature, for example, reaches to up to 60 within 20 minutes because the radiation heats up the space rapidly as soon as the boiler is turned on. In addition, the floor is finished with red clay stone on top to keep the long lasting heat. Naturally, gas bill can significantly be reduced, says Kim.

A book records kings and princes recovered energy by resting in a small room made of red clay as it absorbs moisture in summer and lets it out in dry season and it also helps good ventilation. 

Bukyung builds red clay rooms, houses and dry sauna customized for each need and want. Doors and windows can come with traditional Korean style on request. Kim emphasizes that Bukyung red clay construction also has excellent insulation as the 30mm gap between the inside and outside walls keeps or blocks the air effectively.

Thanks to this eco-friendliness, orders are being poured in not only from individuals but also from campsite and holiday home business owners. Some apartment and villa dwellers in cities are also asking a room for family dry sauna within the house. A 10 square meter dry sauna costs around 13 million won (11,000 USD).

“I’m planning to expand business nationwide over Jeju as demand is increasing rapidly.”