A Legacy Forged in Transition Born on the shores of Jeju Island, South Korea, Im Suk-Jae lived through a period of profound upheaval that reshaped the very identity of Korean craftsmanship. As the first graduate of the Tokyo Art School, his life was marked by the heavy shadows cast by the Japanese annexation of Korea in 1910. This era brought a tragic disappearance of many traditional craft artisans, leaving those who remained to navigate a landscape where old ways were being systematically erased. Im Suk-Jae emerged as a forerunner during this difficult time, carrying the weight of a changin…