Detail

To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the birth of Ju Si-gyeong, a Korean linguist who devoted his entire life to protecting and advancing the spoken and written Korean language, a commemorative stamp is being issued. The stamp features the relief of Ju Si-gyeong at Ju Si-gyeong Madang, located near Gwanghwamun in Seoul, and his major work, The Sounds of Speech, as its main design elements. Ju Si-gyeong Madang is an urban public space created next to the site of his former residence, with monuments commemorating his achievements and legacy. Through the relief, the stamp portrays his dedication to promoting the Korean language across various educational institutions, while The Sounds of Speech represents his scholarly pursuits. Together, these elements trace his lifelong dedication to Korean-language education and research. Ju Si-gyeong was a Korean linguist who, guided by the belief that the strength to protect the nation lay in its language and writing, studied and taught the Korean language and writing system in a scientific and systematic manner. In 1896, he participated in the production of The Independent, Korea’s first newspaper written entirely in Hangul, and developed a keen interest in issues surrounding the written representation of the Korean language. He later conducted systematic research into Korean grammar while teaching countless people at schools and educational institutes. He was so devoted to Korean-language education that he carried many teaching materials wrapped in a cloth bundle as he traveled from one place of learning to another, earning him the nickname “Ju-bottari” (“Ju with a bundle”). Building on his research into the Korean language, Ju Si-gyeong left behind works such as Gugeo munbeop (Korean Grammar) and The Sounds of Speech. In particular, The Sounds of Speech, published in 1914, systematically addressed the phonology and grammar of the Korean language, and his research on phonology and morphology has been regarded as being decades ahead of Western linguistics at the time. In 1908, he organized the Korean Language Research Society, laying the groundwork for Korean-language studies. From 1911, together with his students, he led the compilation of Malmoi, Korea’s first Korean-language dictionary manuscript, and devoted himself to recording and preserving the language. Ju Si-gyeong laid the foundations of Korean linguistics through his tireless dedication until his death in 1914 at the age of just 38. His passion laid the groundwork for the freedom with which we use and develop the Korean language and Hangul today. We hope that this commemorative stamp, issued to mark the 150th anniversary of his birth, will provide an opportunity to reflect on the value of the Korean language and Hangul and to keep alive the ideals of Ju Si-gyeong, who devoted himself to preserving them.