An exhibition about the Korean alphabet titled “Hangeul: The Korean Alphabet Meets Design” is being held at the Korean Cultural Center in Paris.

The exhibition, organized jointly by the National Hangeul Museum and the Korean Cultural Center in Paris, will go on until Nov. 12.

The museum explained that the exhibition is held as part of its Hangeul experience project, which aims to promote the Korean language globally.

Also, the exhibition is held to reflect the recent Korean language learning boom in France, ignited by the spread of Korean pop culture. Korean became the 23rd foreign language of the Baccalaureat, an academic test that French students take at the end of high school in 2017. A total of 24 universities and 15 middle and high schools in France offer Korean language classes.
 

The exhibition in Paris will mainly focus on the shape of the Korean alphabet and how they are used artistically in diverse fields. On display are 46 experimental artworks by 22 teams of artists that were created using Hangeul. The exhibition also showcases historical documents, including a replica of Hunminjeongeum Haerye, an instruction book on Hangeul, published in 1446 by King Sejong (1397-1450), who created the Korean writing system.

A Chanel tweed jacket with messages like “Korea,” “Seoul,” “Coco” and “Mademoiselle” in Korean woven into the fabric is also on display. The jacket was created by the late Karl Lagerfeld in 2015. South Korean first lady Kim Jung-sook wore the jacket in 2018 when touring the Louvre Museum with her French counterpart Brigitte Macron.

Educational and programs for children and diverse craft workshops are held along with the exhibition at the Korean Cultural Center in Paris.