Korea marks 100 years of its own braille alphabet with ceremony and academic conference

South Korea's culture ministry said Wednesday it will hold a ceremony and an international academic conference marking the centenary of Hunmaengjeongeum, the Korean braille alphabet announced by teacher Park Du-seong in 1926, together with the Korea Blind Union.

The main ceremony will take place at 2 p.m. on Nov. 4 at Nuriggoom Square in Mapo District, Seoul. Hunmaengjeongeum, whose name means "correct sounds for teaching the blind," was published on Nov. 4, 1926, and the date was designated a national commemorative day in December 2020 when the Braille Act was amended.

At the ceremony, the ministry will present its ministerial citation to three recipients for contributions to Korean braille: Kang Ji-hoon, a department head at the Jeju Welfare Center for the Visually Impaired, for 17 years of braille education; Kang Chun-gu, chairman of the Daegu Hope Credit Cooperative, for drawing corporate donations that provided braille books and emergency daily supplies; and Hanwha for producing braille calendars every year since 2000, with cumulative distribution of 1 million copies.

On Nov. 5 and 6, the Incheon Harbor Park Hotel will host the centenary conference on braille issues in each country and the direction of braille's future development. About 150 experts from France, Japan, Britain, Australia, the United States and South Korea will share how braille is used in their countries and discuss cooperation. Anne Chotin of France's National Institute for Inclusive Education and Research will deliver the keynote lecture, "From the birth of braille to the next 100 years: the past and future of braille as seen from France." Makoto Ogoda, a blind lawyer from Japan, Matthew Horspool of the International Council on English Braille and Sonally Marathe of the Australian organization NextSense are also scheduled to speak.

The ministry said a book, "100 Years of Korean Braille," will be published this year, drawing on major braille documents, artifacts and oral records. The National Institute of Korean Language held a braille contest on Oct. 31, and the National Hangeul Museum will hold a conference and publish a collection of materials on Park on Nov. 4.

"Hangul braille is a precious writing system that guarantees the right of visually impaired people to read and write and opens a path of learning and communication for them," said Culture Minister Choe Hwi-young. "It goes beyond simply distributing a new writing system and carries important value in building a society where everyone learns and communicates together."

Details of the events are available on the centenary website, hangeulbraille100.kr.