What would your name look like if it were carved into a stamp? In Korea, you can find out by making a dojang: a personal seal that leaves your name in ink with a single press. It is a small craft project with a satisfying ending. You start with a name on paper and leave with something you made yourself.

First, Write Your Name in Hangeul

A dojang is a stamp seal traditionally used as a signature on documents and artwork. In a hands-on workshop, the first decision is what to carve. You could write your own name in Hangeul, Korea’s writing system, or choose a short word that means something to you.

If your name is not Korean, ask the instructor how to write its sound in Hangeul. This is different from translating its meaning. You can also ask to see a few lettering styles before settling on a design. The characters need to fit within the small face of the seal, so a simple layout may make the clearest impression.

From Sketch to Stamp

The appeal of this workshop is watching a design become a real object. After choosing the lettering, you plan where it will sit on the seal and carve it with the instructor’s guidance. Then comes the part you have been waiting for: pressing it into ink and seeing the first print.

That first impression may reveal a line you want to refine. Try it again after making an adjustment. By the end, you have more than a souvenir with your name on it. You have a mark you helped create, ready to use on a postcard, a journal page, or a gift tag.

The Korea Tourism Organization’s guide to Hangeul experiences recommends making a hand-carved dojang as a way to turn your name into a personal keepsake.

Where Can You Make One?

The tourism guide lists two places offering Hangeul seal workshops:

• Yhlayuen Jeongak Academy, Seoul: 34 Insadong-gil, Jongno-gu, on the second floor. Insa-dong’s galleries and craft shops make it an easy stop during a day of exploring the neighborhood.

• Sujegak, Jeonju: 105 Hyanggyo-gil, Wansan-gu. It is an option if your trip takes you beyond Seoul.

Check each workshop’s current schedule, booking requirements, language support, and price before visiting. These details can change, and the published tourism guide does not confirm what will be available on your travel date.

A Souvenir Only You Could Make

You do not need to know Hangeul before walking into a seal workshop. Curiosity about how your name might look is enough to begin. The pleasure is in each small choice: finding the right characters, fitting them into a design, and lifting the seal to see your name appear in ink.

Years after a trip, you might forget what you bought on a particular afternoon. A stamp you carved yourself has a story built into every impression.