First Lady Kim Hye-kyung: "Everyone Should Enjoy Culture and Daily Life Regardless of Disability"

First Lady Kim Hye-kyung, the spouse of President Lee Jae-myung, visited an exhibition commemorating the 100th anniversary of the promulgation of Hunmaengjeongeum, the Korean Braille system, today (October 7), two days ahead of Hangeul Day.

At the opening ceremony of the special exhibition "From Dots to the World: 100 Years of Hunmaengjeongeum," held at the National Museum of World Writing Systems in Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, Kim said, "I hope this will be a meaningful occasion to feel the warm love held within Hunmaengjeongeum and to reflect together on the light of a century that illuminated the darkness."

"One hundred years ago, Teacher Songam Park Doo-seong introduced 'Hunmaengjeongeum' to the world, allowing anyone to read and write our language using six dots," Kim remarked. "I express my deep gratitude for his devotion, dedicating his entire life to every single Braille character so that all citizens could freely communicate with the world."

She further emphasized, "Master Songam's sincere conviction that no one should be deprived of even the joy of learning and communication just because they cannot see aligns with the spirit of King Sejong creating Hunminjeongeum out of deep affection for all the people."

Kim expressed her gratitude to officials from the organizations that prepared the exhibition and descendants of Teacher Songam Park Doo-seong, offering renewed congratulations on the 100th anniversary of the birth of Hunmaengjeongeum and the opening of the special exhibition.

Afterward, Kim toured the special exhibition with students from Incheon Hyegwang School, a special school for the visually impaired, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Ahn Gwi-ryeong stated in a written briefing.

Kim offered her hand and elbow so that the visually impaired students could walk comfortably, moved slowly to match the students' pace as they viewed the exhibition, and explained the exhibits and surrounding environment to the students.

Following the tour, Kim said, "Following the path illuminated by Korean Braille over the past 100 years, I hope we can take a step further toward a society where everyone can learn, communicate, and enjoy culture and daily life together regardless of whether they have a disability," according to Deputy Spokesperson Ahn.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.