Colored paper market pioneer exports Korean paper culture to the world Jong Ie Nara was established in 1972 as a small paper mill by its founder and president Jung Do-hun and his wife Rho Young-hye, currently the chief executive of the Korea Paper Culture Foundation. “Jong Ie” means paper in Korean, while “Nara” means world or nation. Before starting their own venture, the couple had long questioned why Korea, with its exceptional culture of Hanji -- traditional Korean paper handmade from mulberry trees -- lacked high-quality colored paper. In founding Jong Ie Nara, they dreamt of making the world’s best colored paper to continue the country’s paper-making legacy and promote its art and culture abroad.