Introducing Korean Typography to Western Audiences Through Book Publication

Korean pop culture has gained global recognition, leading to increased interest in the Korean language. However, the visual and historical richness of Hangul, Korea's writing system, remains underexplored in typography and graphic design education, particularly outside Korea. Despite its innovative structure and cultural significance, Hangul receives limited attention in major design curricula and scholarly publications. As part of an initiative to expand typographic education beyond the Latin script, a chapter on Korean typography was contributed to the bestselling book *Thinking with Type, 3rd edition*, co-authored by three design educators based in the U.S. Integrating non-Latin writing systems like Hangul into mainstream design education is crucial for fostering a more inclusive and globally relevant typographic discourse. This presentation introduces Korean typography through two primary lenses: an overview of Hangul’s historical development and visual logic, and a behind-the-scenes look at the chapter-writing process for the textbook. The first part discusses Hangul's invention in the 15th century, its evolution through printing technologies and modern type design, and its structural principles. The second part reflects on how these concepts were translated into educational content, focusing on content structure, visual examples, and pedagogical strategies. The process involved historical research, comparative analysis, and teaching experience, aiming to make complex linguistic and cultural systems accessible to Western audiences. By blending historical depth with contemporary design practice, this presentation repositions Hangul within global typographic history and encourages engagement with diverse writing systems in design education.