Seoul museum traces history of Hangeul typewriters

Oct 8, 2026

Long before digital touchscreens and predictive text algorithms reshaped daily communication, inventors struggled with a complex puzzle: how to fit the intricate structure of the Korean alphabet onto a mechanical keyboard. Opening Friday at the G-Valley Industrial Museum in Seoul, a new exhibition titled "The Type-Writing Machine for Hangeul" traces eight decades of mechanical innovation behind the Korean script. The timing is especially symbolic, coinciding with the centennial of both Hangeul Day and the release of the Korean Braille system. The exhibition explores the evolution from early 20th-century vertical script to modern horizontal layouts, featuring over 40 rare typewriters, archival photographs and vintage media. At the center of the collection is a newly restored replica of the 1914 Lee Won-ik typewriter, widely recognized as the earliest attempt to mechanize Korean writing. Created in the United States by modifying a Smith Premier No. 10 typewriter, the machine laid the groundwork for decades of technological experimentation. Visitors can trace the fierce design debates of th

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