Net
Overview
A net (그물) is a mesh (網狀) structure made by weaving thread, cord, wire, synthetic fiber, and the like so that mesh openings (eyes) form regularly. Beginning as a tool for hunting and fishing, it is today used throughout human life, from sports arenas and industrial safety to architecture and as a metaphor for information and communication networks. It is counted among the oldest technologies of daily life, having existed since the Neolithic era, when humanity mastered weaving techniques.
Key Content
Definition and Etymology
In Korean dictionaries, geumul is defined as 'an object made by looping thread or cord so as to create mesh openings.' The theory that '그물' derives from the old word 'geumulgeumulhada' (to be tightly entangled) is the most widely accepted, and it corresponds to the Chinese character 網 (mang). The English word net comes from the Indo-European root *ned- (to bind, to join), sharing the same root as 'knot.'
History
As net sinkers (net weights) and bone needles have been excavated from Neolithic sites, it can be seen that nets have been used for at least 10,000 years. In ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, nets woven from flax fiber appear in wall paintings, and in the Roman era they were also used as safety nets in gladiator arenas. In Korea, as coastal fishing developed from the Three Kingdoms period onward, cast nets, gillnets, and set nets were used, and in Joseon-era texts such as Nanhoeomokji (난호어목지) and Jasan Eobo (자산어보), the types and uses of fishing gear were recorded. The first mechanical net-making machine appeared in Britain in the 1840s, and when Wallace Carothers invented nylon in 1935, the net industry entered an entirely new phase.
Structure and Production
The core unit of a net is the mesh, and the size and shape of the mesh determine the size of the target organism caught. Traditionally, 'knotted nets,' made by tying knots with a netting needle and netting frame, were used, but today 'knotless nets (Raschel net),' in which threads are intertwined and fixed with heat, are mainstream. The strength of a net varies according to the thickness of the fiber (denier), the density of the mesh, and the type of knot (Samson knot, double knot, etc.).
Evolution of Materials
In the early period, natural fibers such as hemp, ramie, and coconut fiber were used, and tar or hide was applied to increase durability. After the mid-20th century, nylon, polyester, polyethylene (PE), and polypropylene became the norm, and recently ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (HMPE) such as Dyneema and Spectra, which offer an excellent strength-to-weight ratio, along with carbon fiber, are used in sports and industrial nets.
Types of Fishing Nets
- Gillnet (刺網): a net set vertically so that fish are caught by the gills.
- Purse seine (旋網): a large net that surrounds a school of fish and then tightens its bottom to catch them. The core of tuna and mackerel fisheries.
- Set net (定置網): installed fixed along the coast to guide and capture migrating schools of fish.
- Cast net (投網): a cone-shaped net thrown and spread by hand.
- Trawl: a net dragged by a boat to sweep up bottom- and mid-water schools of fish.
- Haul seine (引網): a net pulled in from both sides from the shore.
Sports and Daily Life
It is used as playing equipment in net sports such as volleyball, tennis, badminton, table tennis, and jokgu, and soccer goal nets and basketball hoop nets are also nets in the broad sense. In daily life, nets have expanded into insect screens, mosquito nets, hammocks, safety nets to prevent falling objects, safety nets at children's playgrounds, and net-patterned fashion and interior materials. In architecture, mesh structures are applied to large-span roofs and bridge safety design.
Symbolism and Culture
The net has become established as a metaphor for 'entanglement from which one cannot escape.' Expressions such as 'the net of the law,' 'social safety net,' 'information network,' and 'to be caught in a net' are examples. In Korean folk customs, there are traditional beliefs that nets are hung to pray for a good catch, or that the mesh openings sieve out misfortune.
Recent Trends
In 2024–2025, the biggest topics in the net industry are sustainability and smartization.
First, the ghost gear problem has emerged as an international agenda. Discarded fishing gear left in the sea continuously catches marine life and becomes a major source of microplastics. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) recommend making the retrieval and reporting of fishing gear mandatory, and Korea has also expanded its fishing gear deposit system and discarded gear collection projects since 2023.
Second, biodegradable nets have entered the commercialization stage. Fishing nets designed to decompose in seawater after a certain period by mixing PLA-, PBS-, and PHA-based materials are being piloted in Norway, Japan, and Korea.
Third, smart nets. 'Illuminated nets,' which attach ultrasonic acoustic emitters or LED lights to the mesh to reduce bycatch, and IoT fishing gear, which uses tension sensors to detect net damage and catch volume in real time, are spreading. Cases of reducing fuel consumption and fishing time by combining with satellite- and AI-based fish school detection systems have also increased.
Fourth, recycling of materials. Econyl (ECONYL), regenerated from waste nylon, is being re-fed as a raw material for sportswear, carpets, and new fishing nets, and in 2025 major brands are disclosing the share of recycled fiber derived from fishing nets that they use.
Fifth, robotization of recovery technology. Demonstration projects in which underwater drones and unmanned vessels detect and salvage discarded fishing gear are underway, and in the sports field, smart nets with built-in sensors that measure pressure, speed, and trajectory are used for training data analysis.
Related Topics
- [[Fishing]]
- [[Angling]]
- [[Aquaculture]]
- [[Plastic pollution]]
- [[Knot]]
- [[Volleyball]]
- [[Tennis]]