A tea tradition of its own: Korean tea

Tea in Korea

Although tea was already part of Korean culture, it did not become widely popular until the rise of Buddhism in the 6th and 7th centuries. These early teas were brick teas that were heated, ground, and prepared similarly to matcha today. Loose-leaf teas, such as oolongs and green teas, had not yet been developed. Official cultivation and the rise of tea’s popularity began in the early 800s—centuries before tea cultivation started in Japan.

Tea culture underwent a dramatic decline when Confucianism came to dominate Korea in the late 15th century, bringing with it a suppression of Buddhism. Although tea remained part of state rituals and formal ceremonies, tea culture became marginal, particularly during the two Japanese invasions. A resurgence began in 1945 when the Venerable HyoDang (Choi Beom-sul) sparked renewed interest in tea and developed a new tea ceremony and tea culture.

Regarding Korean tea cultivation, bushes originating from China dominated the fields for centuries until the second Japanese invasion. A Japanese cultivar, Yabukita, was introduced to both Korea’s mainland and Jeju Island with the intention of producing black tea for export. After Japanese rule ended, Korea utilized these bushes primarily for green tea production.

The Chinese-origin tea bushes, particularly those grown in Hadong, are still propagated from seed—a practice uncommon in most other tea-producing countries today and typically use cuttings to keep tea varieties pure. Tea bushes grown from seed develop a deep taproot that reaches mineral-rich soil layers, while roots from cuttings lack this natural taproot. This deeper root system allows Korean teas to capture terroir exceptionally well, resulting in the complex, nuanced flavors the region is known for. The distinctive qi energy and warmth characteristic of Korean teas are particularly evident—qualities rarely found in other teas.

Ujeon to Daejak, the 4 green teas

Ujeon, Sejak, Jungjak, Daejak… 4 terms in Korean green tea that pop up all the time. These are names for teas picked at different times in spring. These work very much like flushes, except they’re all harvested in spring. Traditionally, the tea would be separated into these 4 names due to the date they were harvested. The dates are based on the Korean lunar calendar.

• Ujeon : before Gogu festival (~April 20th)
• Sejak : between Gogu & Ipha (~May 5th)
• Jungjak : between Ipha & Soman (~May 21st)
• Daejak : after Soman

However, due to the effects of global warming, tea has needed to be harvested earlier and earlier as the world warms and plants’ growing cycles change. So what does that mean for these terms? They are still used, but more as names for spring time flushes rather than strict date-related rules. Now, plucking times have, in general, moved earlier by about one week. This one-week shift is not an agreed-upon standard, so the days of strict date-related names are gone.

Many masters are also abandoning Daejak and even Jungjak for a few reasons. With a decline in the popularity of green tea and the rise of balhyocha, many masters are making balhyocha from later pickings because it’s increasingly popular and stays fresh longer.