Spotlight

Places of Letters

4 Hangeul-themed Spots

Hangeul, one of Korea��s greatest inventions, is seeing a renaissance as artists and designers seek to incorporate the alphabet into modern life. Four venues in the country offer unique and interactive experiences featuring Hangeul��s visual architecture.

Written by • Kim Jane

Spotlight

Cheonglim Calligraphy Studio

Cheonglim (Greenleaf) Calligraphy Studio in Gyeongsan, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, teaches traditional Korean calli-graphy using brush strokes. With immense precision and attention to detail, a master breaks down the nuts and bolts of the art.

On the studio��s YouTube channel, zoomed-in tutorials introduce both the basics and micro details of using a calligraphy brush. For handy reference, a series of how-to videos shows methods of tending to calligraphic tools like the ink stick and rice paper. Reservations are accepted in Korean only for either group or individual lessons.

32-3 Joongbang-ro, Gyeongsan, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province

https://www.youtube.com/channel/
UC-L5Q33-Np-000VChQQSgEg

Museum of Books & Printing

For an old-school experience in letterpress and tangible type-faces, the Museum of Books and Printing offers programs open to all. Visitors can typeset their desired copy or phrases to make their own postcards for KRW 15,000 each or print using manual typewriters for KRW 5,000. Materials and admission incur separate fees from these activities, and reservations are accepted in Korean only.

The museum��s first floor is a replica of a historical printing office packed with rare vintage objects like wooden types and casting machines. The second floor consists of collections of antique historical books and the third those of modern literary works. Apart from canonical classics, the third floor even displays magazines considered lowbrow back in the day.

Jeung-ri 616, Sindong-myeon, Chuncheon, Gangwon-do Province

http://mobapkorea.com

Hangeul Playground

Established in 2014, the National Hangeul Museum (NHM) is where the past and future coexist and presents the multifaceted charms of Hangeul, through which the Korean spirit and culture live on. The museum features many exhibitions, educational programs and historical information on the Korean alphabet.

Among eclectic Hangeul-based programs offered by the NHM is Hangeul Playground, an experiential space for kids ages 5-9 featuring the sections Easy Hangeul, Pretty Hangeul and Come Play in Hangeul Forest. Easy Hangeul offers a handy breakdown for kids to understand the rational mechanisms of the Korean alphabet through fun analogies, like sounds, space and the concepts of partnership for understanding vowel and consonant combinations.

NHM caters to not only those with developing familiarity with Hangeul, but also to an audience with deeper knowledge on the alphabet. Featured below is the second part of the NHM��s signature series (The 2nd Hangeul Design Project) of special exhibitions titled ��Sounds X Hangeul: Variation of the Korean Alphabet.��

139 Seobinggo-ro, Yongsan-gu District, Seoul

Mok-A Museum

Established in 1989 to preserve and develop Korean Buddhist cultural artifacts and traditional woodcraft artworks, the museum gets its name from the words mok (tree) and a (sprouting bud), and together the name ��Mok-A�� means ��creating something new out of a dead tree and giving it a new life.�� The museum is in the northern outskirts of Seoul, which is home to the UNESCO-registered tomb of King Sejong the Great.

For history buffs, the museum since March this year has hosted the King Sejong Book Project, which features reference books credited to the monarch each paired with a crafty activity using stationary. On a monthly or bimonthly basis, a free event (limited to 30 participants) introduces a book on his legacy in Korean. For October and November, the astronomical reference book Chiljeongsan (Calculation of the Motions of the Seven Celestial Determinants) will be discussed. The work was compiled in 1442 to enable accurate observations of solar eclipses and constellation movements.