A century of reading and writing with one’s fingertips ... ceremony marks the proclamation of Hunmaengjeongeum, Korean Braille

[Financial News] An event will be held to mark the 100th anniversary of the proclamation of Hunmaengjeongeum, Korean Braille, which has helped people with visual impairments learn and communicate. The event will honor those who have worked to promote Braille, while experts from Korea and abroad discuss its future.
According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) on the 4th, the ministry and the Korea Blind Union will hold a ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of the proclamation of Korean Braille at 2 p.m. that day at Nuri Dream Square in Mapo District, Seoul.
Hunmaengjeongeum is Korean Braille researched by Songam Park Du-seong, who secretly organized the Joseon Language Braille Research Committee with his students. Meaning “the right sounds for teaching the blind,” it was proclaimed on November 4, 1926. Korean Braille Day, which commemorates the occasion, was designated a statutory commemorative day following an amendment to the Braille Act in 2020.
The Braille Act defines Braille as a writing system used in the Republic of Korea alongside Hangeul and gives it the same legal effect as ordinary print. Public institutions and others must not discriminate against the use of Braille in legislative, judicial, administrative, educational, social or cultural contexts.
At the ceremony, Kang Ji-hun, a division head at the Jeju City Welfare Center for the Visually Impaired; Kang Chun-gu, chairman of Daegu Hope Credit Union; and Hanwha will receive commendations from the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Kang, the division head, has worked for 17 years to provide Braille education and distribute Braille materials and books. Kang, the chairman, helped secure corporate donations that supported the provision of Braille books and emergency necessities. Since 2000, Hanwha has produced Braille calendars every year and distributed at least 1 million copies in total.
The Gwanhyeon Maengin Traditional Arts Troupe will present “The Story of Songam Park Du-seong,” an original pansori musical about Park Du-seong’s life and the creation of Hunmaengjeongeum.
An international conference on “Country-Specific Issues in Braille and Directions for the Future Development of Braille” will be held on the 5th and 6th at Harbor Park Hotel in Incheon. Experts from five countries—France, Japan, the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States—and domestic experts, about 150 participants in all, will take part, discussing the current use of Braille and ways to promote international cooperation.
A 100-Year History of Korean Braille, to be published this year, will trace the origins and development of Korean Braille through key documents, artifacts and oral history materials. Other events will include an academic conference hosted by the National Hangeul Museum and hands-on classes by the Korea Heritage Service featuring Braille tactile cards.
MCST Minister Choi Hwi-young said, “Korean Braille is a valuable writing system that guarantees the right of people with visual impairments to read and write and opens up paths to learning and communication for them.”


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