'Hangul Braille Day' ceremony held Wednesday
International academic conference, centennial history publication also planned
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Blind Union held a ceremony Wednesday afternoon at Nuri Dream Square in Mapo-gu, Seoul, to mark the 100th anniversary of Hunmaengjeongeum, the Korean Braille system.
Hunmaengjeongeum is the hangul Braille system developed and published in 1926 — during the Japanese colonial period — by educator Park Du-seong, known by his pen name Songam, together with his students.
At the ceremony, the ministry presented awards to individuals and organizations that have contributed to the advancement of hangul Braille, including the Culture Minister's Citation, the National Institute of Korean Language Director's Award, the Korea Blind Union President's Award and the Korea Library for the Blind Council President's Award.
The Culture Minister's Citation went to Kang Ji-hun, a deputy director at the Jeju Center for the Visually Impaired; Kang Chun-gu, chairman of the Daegu Hope Credit Cooperative; and Hanwha.
Kang Ji-hun has spent 17 years since 2009 improving information accessibility for the visually impaired through Braille education, expanding the distribution of Braille materials and books through transcription and proofreading, and helping spread awareness of Braille and disability inclusion through public campaigns.
Kang Chun-gu has mobilized corporate donations to provide Braille books and emergency daily necessities for visually impaired people in difficult circumstances, and has helped revitalize Braille material production by introducing equipment and software for publishing image-tactile books at the Daegu Braille Library.
Hanwha has produced a dual-format calendar — printed in both Braille and standard text — every year since 2000, distributing a cumulative total of more than 1 million copies to visually impaired individuals and related organizations nationwide, contributing to greater convenience in daily life and reducing the information gap.
An international academic conference commemorating the centennial of hangul Braille will be held Thursday and Friday at Harbor Park Hotel in Incheon. Themed "Current Braille Issues by Country and the Future Direction of Braille Development," the conference will bring together about 150 domestic and international experts from five countries — France, Japan, the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States — to share the state of Braille use in each nation and discuss avenues for international cooperation. Anne Chotin of France's National Higher Institute for Inclusive Education will deliver the keynote address.
Also this year, a comprehensive centennial history titled "100 Years of Hangul Braille" will be published. Compiling major Braille documents, artifacts and oral records, the volume is intended as a standard reference work to serve as foundational material for future research, education and policy development.
Culture Minister Choi Hwi-yeong said hangul Braille is "a precious writing system that guarantees the right of the visually impaired to read and write, and has opened a path for them to learn and communicate." He added that it "goes beyond simply spreading a new writing system — it carries an important value in building a society where everyone can learn, communicate and live together."
pink@heraldcorp.com
