National library to host first exhibition on Korean writing

It will introduce visitors to Hangeul aiming to let people know that the language is being reinterpreted in the modern era.

The exhibition Hangeul - Korean Writing System will feature housewares, fashion items and graphic designs that inspired the structure of Hangeul.

"The Korean language is the first foreign language to be taught in Vietnam," said RoK ambassador Choi Young-sam to Vietnam. "Over 60 Vietnamese colleges and universities have a Korean language department. It is the evidence of the enthusiastic reception of the Korean wave in Vietnam that is much better than in any other country.

"Hopefully, this exhibition will be a good chance to introduce the beauty and science of Hangeul to the Vietnamese."

A highlight of the exhibition is an installation Hangeul by Lee Hwayoung, two doors showing graphic designs to symbolise how language is a window to the new world in a modern era.

The exhibition is a part of an initiative that launched in 2016 by the the National Hangeul Museum. Since then, an annual exhibition has been held with participating artists who are asked to experiment with the language by looking at it as an art form and to adapt it to create new works of whatever sort of art they specialise in.

The exhibition will take place from July 15 to August 9 at the Hanoi-based national library.

At the opening of the exhibition, a Memorandum of Understanding will be signed by the RoK’s museum and the Vietanm National Library to promote cooperation programmes and mutual exchange of academic documents and publications.

Events and seminars to promote the cultures of the two countries, including writing letters, will be held and both countries will exchange experts and develop professional skills in the field of preservation of artefacts.

“We expect that the cooperation agreement with the National Library of Vietnam will be an opportunity for the two agencies to gain a deeper understanding of each other's culture through exchange and cooperation," said Kim Il Hwan, Director of the National Hangeul Museum.

Lacquerwares by artist Namgwon Lyu will be displayed at the Vietnam National Library.

Experience The Art of Calligraphy in Vietnam has been held at the Korean Cultural Centre in Hanoi and the national library with an education team from the museum. The team have helped local people apply calligraphy techniques in the processing of adapting Hangeul so that they can create their own works.

The exhibition will be co-hosted by the Korean Cultural Centre in Vietnam, which was established in 2006, the first such centre in Southeast Asia.