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Letterpress Exhibit Celebrates 800 Years of Korean Printing

by George Rossano

Printing and book making has a long history in Korea.  In one of the many cultural exhibits during the Olympics, an exhibit of printing equipment and methods showcased this history.

Exhibit staged by Book City Letterpress Museum
Printing using wood block type dates to the 8th century.
The first moveable metal type came into use in Korea in the early 13th century, perhaps first in the world, and long before the printing of the Guttenberg Bible in Germany.
In the 15th century the Korean alphabet was simplified into 24 characters that allowed faster and more practical type setting.

Copyright 2018 by George S. Rossano