A poster for the special exhibition “Hangeul and Korean Braille,” running from Thursday through July 19 at the History and Culture Museum of King Sejong in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province. Courtesy of Korea Heritage Service
A new exhibition opening Thursday in Yeoju draws a striking parallel across five centuries of Korean history: the creation of Hangeul by King Sejong and the invention of Korean braille by educator Bak Du-seong during Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule over Korea.
The special exhibition, titled “Hangeul and Korean Braille,” will run from Thursday through July 19 at the History and Culture Museum of King Sejong in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province, marking the 100th anniversary of Hunmaengjeongeum, the Korean Braille system, named as a clever play on Hunminjeongeum (the original name for Hangeul, the Korean alphabet).
Organized by the Historic Site of King Sejong Management Office under the Korea Heritage Service in collaboration with the disability advocacy group Your Way, the exhibition explores how Bak’s work echoed King Sejong’s vision of expanding literacy and access to knowledge.
Bak, who taught visually impaired students at Jesaengwon under Japan's colonial rule over Korea, secretly developed a six-dot Korean braille system with his students and unveiled Hunmaengjeongeum on Nov. 4, 1926.
The exhibition is divided into two sections: “Breaking the Barrier of Illiteracy: Hunminjeongeum, Hangeul” and “Breaking the Barrier of Disability: Hunmaengjeongeum, Korean Braille.”
Among the featured artifacts are “Samgang haengsildo,” a moral guide commissioned during King Sejong’s reign (1418-1450), and “Worin seokbo,” a 1459 Buddhist text explaining Hunminjeongeum in Hangeul.
The exhibition also showcases Bak’s personal belongings, including his handwritten journal, braille printing plates, a Hangeul Braille chart and the braille typewriter he used himself.
Visitors can participate in hands-on programs, including writing names with magnetic braille blocks and experiencing visual impairment simulations during a special opening-day event Thursday.
The museum said all exhibition materials have been translated into English, and audio descriptive tours for visually impaired visitors will be available on weekends upon request.
Source: Korea Times News
