Jeonju, South Korea CNN  — 

On the outskirts of the southern city of Jeonju in South Korea, 57-year-old Lee Jong-duk works tirelessly to craft traditional Korean tableware known as yugi. He has been hand-making these exquisite gold-colored dishes for more than three decades. The bowls were once made for palace cuisine and served to Korean royals. The hand-forged dish differs from other bronzeware, particularly because it contains a higher ratio of tin to copper. Because of the higher amount of tin, the bowls can be sterilized. Lee says he is one of the few people who still completes the entire process by hand and hopes that one day he can find someone to become his apprentice.