The Story of Our Sochang

The fabric through life

Sochang is a traditional Korean cotton cloth for the household. The earliest surviving record of sochang dates to the 15th century, during the early Joseon period. For centuries afterward, sochang was used in daily life, from babies’ first clothes and diapers to kitchen cloths, and even as fabric used at the end of life. Its presence across life’s journey speaks to how essential this cloth was to domestic life in Korea.

Performance built into the weave

While cotton is no longer grown at scale in Korea today, the traditional production process to make sochang continue to define the fabric’s performance. Woven in Ganghwa from unbleached, pure cotton yarns without optical brighteners, our sochang presents its qualities through structure rather than surface treatment. Food colours and oils absorbed during use can be washed out by simple rubbing under running water. More persistent colours can be released by simmering the cloth in a pot of boiling water since the colours sit within the weave rather than bind to surface coatings from chemical treatment. Sochang's structure thus results in an exceptional quality fabric that absorbs efficiently, rinses clean easily, dries quickly and becomes softer with use while retaining its strength. When properly cared for, sochang cloths can last for many years.

Supporting a tradition built to last

Over generations of daily use, these qualities have allowed sochang to stand the test of time. Today, only a small number of family workshops in Ganghwa continue the tradition as the manufacturing process requires intensive labour and experience. In recent years, sochang has resurfaced as younger generations discover its value.

We bring this material to Dutch homes because it is truly an exceptional cloth and one worth supporting. It performs, and it lasts.

Learn more about how to care for sochang.

Care for Sochang
The old factory floor of Donggwang Textile that used to produce Ganghwa sochang using a traditional manufacturing process.
Stacks of soft white sochang fabric made in Ganghwa. Sochang is the ultimate Korean household cloth with centuries of history.

Picture 1: A former sochang factory, Donggwang Textile’s floor showcasing the traditional sochang production process in Gwanghwa, South Korea. December 2025

Picture 2: Stacks of sochang fabric produced in Ganghwa, displayed at the old Donggwang Textile’s site, now a cultural centre where visitors can learn about the traditional sochang manufacturing process. December 2025