Korea has a long history of appreciating unusual and interesting stones. Chinese practices influenced this history until the Koreans focused on their own distinct stones, Suseok, and their display methods. These methods are intermediate between the often elaborate Chinese style and the minimalist approaches by Japanese stone collectors. The distinct Korean style is well illustrated in this article on Suseok from the Namhan River. Mr. Park Youl, a long-time collector of Korean stones, supplied information and photographs used here. The photographs in this article were published in The 2^nd IIsengilseok One Life, One Stone Exhibition (2019) and are used with permission.

Mr. Park, a businessman in Incheon, has been collecting Korean stones for fifty years and has assembled one of the finest private collections in his country. He has purchased many of his stones from dealers. Park prefers natural, unaltered stones that are black or dark gray, or chocolate colored and with a soft like glass surface when he touches them. He said that many stone collectors like stones that have been transformed in rough water and sand for millions of years and develop wrinkles on their faces that become dry and twisted with age. 

South Korea is mainly mountainous, with roughly one-third of its area in low-lying areas, principally in western and northwestern South Korea. Unlike Japan, mainland South Korea is geologically stable, with no active volcanos. There are considerable Precambrian and Cambrian age rocks dated 500 million years old or older. Recent sedimentary rocks are found in lowlands, especially in alluvial fans from deposits in the last 50 million years. Some of the islands belonging to Korea were formed from ancient volcanic activity, such as Jeju Island, which lies midway between Korea and Japan. The volcanic cone on Jeju is the highest peak in South Korea at 1,950 meters (6,398 feet).

Numerous rivers run from the two main mountain chains in the country. The Sobaek Mountains are more centrally located, while the Taebaek range runs north and south along the eastern part of South Korea. The Namhan River originates in central Korea in the Sobaek Mountains and flows northwest. It is a tributary of the Han River, which eventually flows into the Yellow Sea. The Namhan is the second-longest river in South Korea and is one of the most important sources of river stones in South Korea. This river is known for its clear waters and beautiful scenery along its course. Different types of rocks are carried down as the waters wear through layers of rock. They are subjected to erosion by water and sand as they are carried downstream. Some of these stones have smooth, rounded surfaces with interesting patterns or forms.