Her Min, head of the Cultural Heritage Administration, announced plans to conduct a public call for the investigation of Goryeo-era metal typefaces known as 'Jeungdo typefaces,' which have been surrounded by authenticity controversies. He stated that the initiative aims to locate metal typefaces scattered both domestically and internationally and to carry out scientific verification. This investigation will extend beyond the 101 known Jeungdo typefaces to include those held by private collectors.
During a National Assembly audit of the Cultural Heritage Administration on October 8, Her addressed the 2017 rejection of the Jeungdo typefaces' designation as treasures, stating, "We will thoroughly investigate the Jeungdo typefaces and other Goryeo metal typefaces."
Democratic Party lawmaker Lim O-kyung raised concerns regarding the findings of a 2023 Board of Audit and Inspection report, which highlighted issues in the 2017 designation process. She noted that there were flaws in the materials submitted to the Cultural Heritage Committee, and a subsequent review of the typeface sizes concluded that there were no issues. Lim also suggested that conflicts within academia prevented objective verification.
Her explained that the primary reason for the 2017 rejection was the unclear provenance of the typefaces. He also mentioned that differences in the printing and typeface styles were factors in the decision.
The Cultural Heritage Administration's plan for a comprehensive public call for the Jeungdo typefaces has also become a point of contention. When Lim questioned the need for a public call despite existing investigation results and the audit findings, Her responded, "We do not know how many Jeungdo typefaces exist in the country, which is why we are initiating this public call," adding that he anticipates more typefaces will emerge from private collections.
Her highlighted the need for re-verification, citing the possibility of mixing Goryeo and Joseon-era typefaces. The public call aims to investigate metal typefaces across the nation and abroad, with scientific verification planned for artifacts believed to be from the Goryeo era.
Her stated, "I will strive to demonstrate that our Goryeo metal typefaces are the oldest in the world."
Meanwhile, the Jeungdo typefaces are believed to have been used to print the Buddhist scripture 'Nammyeong Cheonhwa Sang Song Jeungdo.' They gained attention in 2010 when bibliographer Nam Kwon-hee from Kyungpook National University announced them as Goryeo-era metal typefaces. If confirmed as typefaces used for printing before 1239, they would predate the existing oldest known metal typeface book, 'Jikji Simche Yojeol' (1377), by at least 138 years, adding significant scholarly value.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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