Buncheong is a contemporary term for a specific type of traditional Korean stoneware that developed in the 15th century, during the Joseon Dynasty, as Goryeo celadon techniques and subject matter evolved.

Also during the 20th century, elements of buncheong's aesthetics reached Europe and the United States through Bernard Leach, Shoji Hamada, and other artists who were knowledgeable in Asian ceramic traditions.

Buncheong is distinct from other forms of Korean ceramic ware, such as Goryeo celadon and Joseon white porcelain, in various ways which are more related to aesthetics and underlying sentimentality than to technique.

Its unconventional beauty is easily distinguished from the elegance of its celadon precursor and the simplicity of white porcelain, setting it apart as a uniquely Korean style.

[5] Korean ceramics generally featured only one primary pigment and favored more subtle expression than those found in China and Japan, and the subject matter and composition of buncheong was more whimsical and lyrical, reminiscent of modern abstract works, with free-spirited decorative motifs.

[5] These motifs were originally derived from Goryeo era celadon but changed dramatically as buncheong ware developed throughout the 15th and 16th centuries.