The First Korean Braille 'Hunmaengjeongeum' Legacy to Become a Cultural Heritage

Announcement of Registration for Artifacts Produced and Distributed to Commemorate 'White Cane Day'
"Valuable Materials for Understanding the History of Modern Visually Impaired People"

'The Origin of Korean Braille' Draft Manuscript

The first Korean Braille system in Korea, ‘Hunmaejeongeum,’ will be registered as a cultural heritage. On the 15th, the Cultural Heritage Administration announced that it will give prior notice of registering the artifacts related to the production and distribution of ‘Hunmaejeongeum,’ as well as Braille charts and explanatory manuscripts, as cultural heritage to commemorate ‘White Cane Safety Day (October 15).’ Opinions from various sectors will be collected for a month, and the designation will be finalized after review by the Cultural Heritage Committee. ‘White Cane Safety Day’ was established in 1980 by the World Blind Union to guarantee the rights of visually impaired people worldwide.

Hunmaejeongeum is a Braille system promulgated on November 4, 1926, by Park Du-seong (1888?1963), who taught visually impaired people during the Japanese colonial period. It was devised as a six-dot system so that visually impaired people could learn characters based on the same principles as Hangul. The Korean Braille currently in use is based on this system. The cultural heritage titled ‘Artifacts related to the production and distribution of Korean Braille Hunmaejeongeum’ includes eight items and forty-eight pieces, such as manuscripts on how to use Hunmaejeongeum, production process logs, a typesetting machine, a Braille printing machine (roller), and a Braille typewriter. The Cultural Heritage Administration explained, “These are valuable materials that not only reflect the social and cultural circumstances of the time but also help understand the history of modern visually impaired people.”

Braille printer roller

Additionally, the ‘Korean Braille Hunmaejeongeum Braille Chart and Explanatory Manuscripts’ to be registered as cultural heritage consist of seven items and fourteen pieces, including the handwritten original manuscript of ‘Korean Braille’ and the draft manuscript of ‘The Origin of Korean Braille.’ These materials allow understanding of the origin, principles of composition, structure, and system of Korean Braille. The Cultural Heritage Administration stated, “‘Hunmaejeongeum’ shows the process from its invention to actual use.” They added, “It is especially meaningful in that it broadens the diversity and scope of modern and contemporary cultural assets and highlights their social value.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.