The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Kim Hongdo launched in 2020. Oh Hani created the woody spicy composition, pairing Plum Blossom, Cinnamon, Clove, and Dill with Green Tea and Ink, then grounding it in Vetiver, Tobacco, and Cedar. Plum Blossom introduces a gentle floral impression, while Cinnamon and Clove add warm, pointed spice. Dill brings a green, herbal lift that keeps the opening from becoming overly sweet. Green Tea and Ink create a cooler, drier middle passage, with the floral notes remaining beside their leafy and mineral-looking qualities. As the composition develops, those brighter elements give way to the earthy depth of Vetiver, the low warmth of Tobacco, and the dry structure of Cedar. The result is layered and atmospheric, inviting closer attention to how each material changes the character of the others.
The composition turns on friction. Plum Blossom brings a cultured floral softness, while Cinnamon and Clove push warm spice across it. Dill keeps the opening green and bracing, sharpening the contrast between the floral and spice notes. Green Tea and Ink then shift the scent away from conventional floral prettiness, toward something cerebral and slightly austere. The floral quality doesn't disappear completely; it moves beneath the cooler tea and dry ink impressions, creating a more complex middle section.
The evolution
The opening lands with brisk clarity. Plum Blossom, Cinnamon, Clove, and Dill arrive together, giving the first impression a mix of soft blossom, sharp spice, and green herbs. It feels composed, but never stiff. As the scent moves inward, Green Tea and Ink create a cooler middle passage, like a room where the conversation suddenly gets more precise. The floral warmth doesn't vanish; it sits beside the tea's austerity and the ink's dry, abstract edge. That contrast gives the middle a distinct texture, balancing softness with cool greenery, dry paper-like associations, and the lingering warmth of spice. Then the base takes over. Vetiver brings earth, Tobacco adds a low, dry warmth, and Cedar gives the composition a clean wooden spine. Together, these notes deepen the earlier floral and herbal impressions without erasing them.
Cultural impact
Kim Hongdo offers a distinctive point of entry into Heroes of Korea's fragrance range through its layered woody spicy composition. Plum Blossom, Cinnamon, Clove, and Dill create an opening that moves between floral softness, spice, and green herbal notes. Green Tea and Ink introduce cooler, drier impressions through the middle, while Vetiver, Tobacco, and Cedar give the fragrance an earthy and woody foundation. The changing relationships between these notes make the scent worth exploring over time, from its brighter opening to its warmer, more grounded finish.
The House
Heroes of KoreaHeroes of Korea is a Korean niche fragrance house founded by Hani Oh in 2020. Its central idea treats perfume as a record of people, places, and episodes in Korean history. The catalogue turns historical subjects into olfactory portraits, spanning figures such as King Sejong, Kim Gu, Heo Jun, Shin Saimdang, Yi Sunsin, and Heo Nanseolheon. The first released collection includes Kim Hongdo, Sejong The Great 001, Kim Gu, Heo Jun, Heo Nanseolheon, Shin Saimdang, and Yi Sunsin, all dated to 2020. Jeongjo the Great followed in 2025. Available research does not identify the perfumers responsible for these compositions, so any account of their individual creative signatures would go beyond the documented record.
The Creator
Oh HaniThe house’s fragrance style can be described as polished, modern, and deliberately edited. Oh Hani’s compositions are associated with a refined Korean perspective, where familiar perfumery conventions meet a more personal and understated sensibility.
