A mineral spring in the central region is well known as a place where King Sejong of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), the inventor of the Korean alphabet, stayed for months to treat his eye infection at the last stage of the creation.
Located approximately 16 kilometers northeast of Cheongju in North Chungcheong Province, the Chojeong Mineral Spring is known to have provided a perfect environment for the king to refresh his heart and mind and devote himself to the invention of Hangeul with its beautiful natural landscape and naturally carbonated water that has a piquant and cool taste.
Considered one of the simplest and most logical language writing systems in the world, Hangeul was invented in 1443 and promulgated three years later to replace an older writing system based on the Chinese script.
The king built a temporary palace in the vicinity of the spring and completed the creation, treating the illness caused by his overwork in the process of inventing the system with the mineral water in 1444.
It is said that the king also participated in holiday festivals hosted by villagers there, enjoying watery kimchi and rice wine made of the mineral water and dishes made with grains produced by them while staying there.
The temporary palace was burnt down in an arson attack in 1448 but the spring continues to well up to this day.
Municipal governments in the spring zone are now working on a plan to create a park themed on King Sejong and the spring as part of their joint project to make it a leading tourist destination of the province.
They have so far set up a gateway embodying a column of the mineral water and the shape of bubbles rising from the water and installed a large picture scroll featuring the procession of King Sejong at a resting area for tourists.
The park also has a small pavilion where visitors can have a firsthand experience of writing down the Korean alphabet with the use of a large writing brush and an ink stone.
"Visitors can also watch videos and bookart works carrying historical materials on King Sejong in a media-art space built from a container," said Cho Seok-jin, an exhibition manager who leads the team in charge of the creation of the park.
The authorities also plan to create a program in which tourists can taste traditional Korean dishes served to the king while he stayed in the temporary palace with the help of experts.
"This region's indigenous story, which is contained in historical materials and food whose recipes have been handed down generation after generation among the villagers, can serve as a sufficient foundation for transforming the area into a cultural and tourist destination," said Kang Tae-mi, an official of the Cheongju-run cultural foundation that is jointly pushing for the project together with the city and the government of Jeungpyeong County. (Yonhap)
