100th Anniversary of Hunmaengjeongeum's Promulgation... Various Events, Including Ceremony and International Academic Conference

Ceremony marking Hangul Braille Day on Nov. 4; honors to be presented to contributors
International conference with experts from six countries on Nov. 5-6
Exhibition of artifacts related to Park Duseong; publication of "A 100-Year History of Hangul

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in partnership with the Korea Federation of the Blind, announced that it will hold various events beginning November 4, Hangul Braille Day, to mark the 100th anniversary of the promulgation of Hunmaengjeongeum, including a commemorative ceremony and an international academic conference.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of Songam Park Duseong’s announcement of Hunmaengjeongeum in 1926. Hunmaengjeongeum (訓盲正音) means “the proper sounds for teaching the blind.” It is a form of Hangul Braille that Park researched and presented after secretly organizing the Joseon Korean Braille Research Committee with his students. In December 2020, the government amended the Braille Act to designate November 4, the date Hunmaengjeongeum was promulgated, as Hangul Braille Day.

The ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of Hunmaengjeongeum’s promulgation will be held at 2 p.m. on November 4 at Nuritkum Square in Mapo-gu, Seoul. It will honor people who have contributed to the development of Hangul Braille. The Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s Commendation will go to Kang Jihoon, a department head at the Jeju City Welfare Center for the Blind, for contributing to Braille education for people with visual impairments and improved access to information over 17 years; Kang Chungu, chairman of Daegu Hope Credit Union, for leading efforts to support Braille books and daily necessities through corporate donations; and Hanwha, which has produced Braille calendars since 2000 and distributed more than 1 million copies to date.

The Gwanhyeonmaengin Traditional Arts Troupe will present “The Story of Songam Park Duseong,” a creative pansori musical about Park’s life and the creation of Hunmaengjeongeum.

An international academic conference on “Braille Issues in Different Countries and the Future Direction of Braille Development” will be held on November 5 and 6 at the Harbor Park Hotel in Incheon. About 150 experts and participants from six countries, including Korea, France, Japan, the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States, will share information on the use of Braille in their countries and discuss ways to cooperate internationally.

Researcher Anne Chotain of France’s National Institute for Inclusive Education, Higher Education and Research will deliver a keynote address on the birth of Braille and the next 100 years. Japanese visually impaired lawyer Makoto Ogoda will speak about Braille as a right rather than an act of charity, while Matthew Horspool of the International Council on English Braille will present on Braille standardization and future directions for its development. Key topics will also include technologies that improve access to Braille information in the age of artificial intelligence (AI) and K-Braille, a Braille translation engine.

A “100-Year History of Hangul Braille,” covering the formation and evolution of Hangul Braille, will also be published this year. It will compile key Braille documents and artifacts, as well as oral history materials, for use as foundational resources for future research, education and policymaking.

Events commemorating the 100th anniversary will also take place across the country. The National Hangeul Museum will hold an academic conference titled “Hangul Written in Dots Becomes a Record” on November 4 and publish a collection introducing artifacts related to Park Duseong. The Korea Heritage Service will run a Braille sensory-card workshop, while Braille education centers and libraries nationwide will organize a variety of hands-on events.

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Hwiyeong said, “Hangul Braille is a precious writing system that guarantees the right of people with visual impairments to read and write and opens the way for them to learn and communicate. It embodies an important value that goes beyond introducing a new writing system: helping create a society where everyone can learn, communicate and live together.”

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