The tradition of using the Soban in Korea underwent significant changes together with the culinary heritage during the Japanese occupation (1910-1945) and the subsequent Korean War (1950-1953), resulting in a gradual decline in the use of Soban and the master artisans of Soban making. While some of the best known traditional tray tables, such as Najuban, Tongyeongban and Haejuban, continued to be made even after this turbulent period of modern Korean history, these new products began to be made with plywood and chemical paints rather than the traditional natural materials, resulting in a degeneration of their quality.
--- 「Chapter 1. General Introduction」중에서

The Soban is a type of kitchen ware used as a personal dining table. The object’s first impression is so important. To find the right item it is necessary to break with the modern tendency to believe that the prettier the better. For Korean families in the past, the Soban was an essential household item that they used on a daily basis, guiding Soban manufacturers to do their utmost to create the most comfortable form for use. To that end, they regarded the user’s physical condition as the most important factor in producing their products, which explains why the table has maintained almost the same form and structure for many hundreds of years, including the size of the tabletop and the height of the legs.
--- 「Chapter 2. Finding Soban」중에서

There are currently three artisans designated as Sobanjang (National Intangible Cultural Heritage), or Yi Inse (specialized in Haejuban), Kim Chunsik (Najuban) and Chu Yongho (Tongyeongban). Of the three masters, Kim Chunsik specialized in the manufacturing Najuban is most active today. Najuban is one of the most widely used traditional tray tables whose original form and structure had been well preserved until the 1950s. The following section describes Soban making process in detail for the production of a Naju Soban.
--- 「Chapter 3. Soban Masters and Their Works」중에서

The Soban, Korean traditional tray table, has recently begun to be reinterpreted from many different viewpoints, resulting in the creation of a modern style of Soban characterized by diversity not only of size but also of structure and style aimed at improving its portability and durability. The new generation of Soban makers combines high-quality materials with modern techniques and designs to create works that better appeal to the taste and aesthetic sensibility of modern users.