Korean ceramics are world-renowned. In turn ceramics have greatly influenced the lifestyle of the Korean people. Korea's earliest earthenware was made by firing clay at a temperature of 600-800 degrees centigrade or sometime even 1,000 degrees centigrade. The oldest earthenware included those that were just dried without firing. This type of time. Later on, as man's ingenuity increased, not only was the way of kneading clay improved, but kilns also began to be built that could withstand the heat needed for firing.  Ceramics are produced by firing clay at a temperature ranging from 900 degrees centigrade to 1,000 degrees centigrade, which is then glazed. This process includes oxidization that turns the color of earthenware yellow, brown or red, and celadons and porcelains into yellow or brown.

With the beginning of the Unified Shilla era (668-935), the ground was laid for producing ceramic ware. Pottery soon took to making celadon in earnest and eventually some white porcelain. In the Koryo era (918-1392), the art of making celadon developed greatly, and celadon of extremely high quality was produced. 

In addition to Koryo celadon, other kinds of pottery including iron-glazed and black-glazed pottery were also produced.

The unique, exquisite color of celadon, obtained through an arcane method of firing with reduced oxygen, first appeared in the 11th century and was subsequently further refined. In the 12th century, pure celadon emerged as the most sophisticated Koryo celadon, and was used mainly by aristocratic households and Buddhist temples.

Koryo pottery reached its peak in the first half of the 12th century. During the reign of King Injong (r.1123-1146), the firing method further advanced to produce celadon whose almost mystic bluish or gray-green color, often described as 'kingfisher green,' defied comparison. The subsequent reign of King Uijong (1147-1170) saw remarkable advance in the technique of inlaying and drawing designs on celadons. In short, Koryo celadon is widely acclaimed as the best and finest type of pottery for its subdued yet clear, high-spirited bluish-green color, its graceful, flowing curves, and its vivacious shape.  Furthermore, Koryo celadon, with its poetic inlaid designs and especially its inlaid copper whose color is artfully transformed to look red, the first technique of its kind ever known in the world, represents the apex of the Koryo pottery.

Choson ceramics consisted of two major categories: a type of stoneware called punch'ong pottery and white porcelain. A product of the early period of the Choson era, punch'ong pottery, made for wider use by the masses, is expressive of indigenous Korean folk art. During the period from the final years of the Koryo era to the early years of Choson, celadon gave way to punch'ong pottery on which designs were inlaid, stamped, or painted with iron pigment, or scratched into the slip coating. The glaze on punch'ong pottery is light blue, and their shapes differ from celadon. 

In the period from the late 13th century--the early period of the Choson era--through the 15th century, Choson white porcelain, a variation of celadon and Koryo white porcelain, was also produced. In addition, a new version of Choson porcelain that was quite different from traditional Koryo pottery was produced. Thus, together with Koryo ceramics, punch'ong pottery and the new version of Choson white porcelain, formed the mainstream of Korean pottery through the 16th century. 

Punch'ong pottery is different in both shape and other characteristics from white porcelain. Punch'ong pottery varies greatly in its decorative designs,  whereas white porcelain is made entirely of white clay and has no decorative designs on it. Overall, the color of Choson pottery tended to be white.

From the first year (1392) of the reign of King T'aejo to the 27th year (1649) of the reign of King Injo of the Choson era, punch'ong and white porcelain constituted the main stream of Korean pottery, although punch'ong became increasingly dominant during the 15th century. However, beginning in the second half of the 16th century, the production of puch'ong pottery dwindled and virtually ceased before the 1592-1598 Japanese invasions took place. No punch'ong ware was produced after the Japanese invasions. Punch'ong basically resembles Koryo celadons in its form and shape. Yet, characteristically, punch'ong exhibits sprightly, daring and often humorous and yet gracious lines. 

The shade of high-quality white porcelain produced in the earlier period of the Choson era is pale blue, reminiscent of the clear skies shortly after daybreak following a night of snowfall. The serene, dignified beauty of a white porcelain with no decorative design on it is virtually unrivalled.

This kind of white porcelain reached its heyday in the late period of the Choson Dynasty, although similar types of white porcelain appeared in some quantities in the early period of the same dynasty.

During the reign of King Sejong (r.1418-1450), white porcelain with underglaze designs in cobalt blue was produced, though the quantity of such porcelain was relatively limited. Beginning in the second half of the 15th century, Korean potters produced white porcelain with underglaze designs in ferrous iron oxide. By the mid-17th century, the underglaze designs on such porcelains became more simplified and stylized, mostly depicting plants and flowers, such as chrysanthemums, as well as dragons. All these designs elicit the aesthetic beauty that is typically Korean.

This white porcelain underwent a major change in its shape and design during the middle period of the Choson Dynasty, more specifically from 1651, the second year of King Hyojong's reign, to 1751, the 27th year of King Yongjo's reign--a period that followed the Japanese invasions of the Korean Peninsula (1592-1598) and the Chinese incursions into Korea (1672 and 1636-1637).

White porcelain ware produced in that period became increasingly pure white in color and took on flat sides. The underglaze designs on the porcelain became less elaborate and more impressionistic in perfect harmony with both the color and shape of the porcelain. Much of the white porcelain, including flatsided jars, produced in the period was particularly noted for their luminous whiteness; hence they were known as 'snow-white porcelains.'

Some of the white porcelain also produced during this period is especially famous for their paintings of orchid designs emphasizing their unadorned beauty. In the middle to later period of the 15th century, there appeared white porcelain that exhibited the patterns of stylized paintings. These decorative patterns drawn on white porcelain that exhibited the patterns of stylized paintings. These decorative patterns drawn on white porcelain became further simplified, accentuating their thematic expression in a unique manner.

In the period from 1752, the 28th year of the reign of King Yongjo, through the end of the 19th century, the final period of the Choson Dynasty, and even greater variety of pottery was produced. However, as imperial Japan began to make increasingly overt attempts to occupy the Koran Peninsula in the late 19th century, a massive quantity of Japanese pottery products flooded the Korean pottery craft to decline rapidly.

Ceramic products mass-produced by the Japanese in Korea consisted mostly of artless porcelain pieces manufactured with machines, in sharp contrast with Korean ceramics that had been hand-made and fired in traditional kilns. Nevertheless, Korean potters continued to produce fairly large quantities of traditional jars, such as those used to store drinking water, soy sauce, and kimchi, Korea's traditional pickled vegetable dish. 

Today, Korean potters are making enormous efforts to recreate traditional pottery of highly artistic quality thought kilns which have sites include Haenam county, Chollanam-do province, and Kwangju and Ich'on counties, Kyonggi-do province.