Design Typography

My Experience, My Attempts

나의 경험, 나의 시도

Choi Jeong-ho (Author)

Ahn Sang-soo (Edit.)

2024. 6. 5. 104 pages 162×180 mm Hardcover 9791168230699 KRW 18,000

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The One and Only Book Authored by Choi Jeong-ho,

the Trailblazing Designer Behind Modern Hangul Ming-style and Gothic Fonts

Choi Jeong-ho, the visionary behind the original designs of today’s Hangul Ming-style and Gothic fonts, is a name that has long been overlooked in the history of Korean publishing and design. Starting with the Dong-A Publishing font in 1957, he went on to create fonts like the Samhwa Printing font and the Dong-A Ilbo Title Font, and even contributed to the development of Hangul fonts for Japanese companies Morisawa and Shaken. His work first gained recognition in the design community through a series of interviews with the design magazine Ggumim and six articles he wrote at the request of the magazine’s art director, Ahn Sang-soo. These articles remain the only written records of his insights, making them a rare and valuable resource. This book, which compiles those interviews and articles, takes a special look into the principles of Hangul font design that Choi developed with dedication in what was then a labor-intensive and challenging field. His thoughts and theories are written in his own words, thus preserving his legacy for future generations.

Choi Jeong-ho

A Pioneer of modern Korean type design and typeface research. He moved to Japan, where he worked at a printing company, mastering various printing techniques, and studied at Yodobashi Art Academy. In 1957, he developed the Dong-A Publishing Typeface, which received high acclaim. In the early 1970s, he collaborated with Japanese phototypesetting companies Shaken (寫硏) and Morisawa (モリサワ) to create Hangeul typefaces. In his later years, he focused on writing and researching the philosophy and principles of Hangul design. He developed several Hangeul body text typefaces and display typefaces, including Semyeongjo, Jungmyeongjo, Junggothic, Taegothic, and Gyeonchulgothic, as well as various stylized typefaces.

Ahn Sang-soo

Ahn Sang-soo is a graphic designer and typographer with a keen interest in Korean visual culture. He studied in the Visual Communication Design Department at Hongik University, where he also completed his graduate studies. A former professor at his alma mater, he took early retirement in 2012 to establish the Paju Typography Institute, where he currently serves as the president, also known as ‘Nalgae.’ In 2007, he received the Gutenberg Prize from the city of Leipzig, Germany. He is also a visiting professor at the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA) in Beijing and a member of the Alliance Graphique Internationale (AGI).

Ahn Graphics