Marking its 40th anniversary as well as the 52th anniversary of Inventors’ Day today, the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) conducted a survey to find out the top ten Korean inventions on its official Facebook page earlier this month. (Image: Korean Intellectual Property Office)
SEOUL, May 19 (Korea Bizwire) – Hunminjeongeum, the original manuscript for the Korean language, has been chosen as the best invention by South Koreans in a recent Facebook survey.
Marking its 40th anniversary as well as the 52th anniversary of Inventors’ Day today, the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) conducted a survey to find out the top ten Korean inventions on its official Facebook page earlier this month.
Ranking first was Hunminjeongeum, a document written by King Sejong with the purpose of enlightening the public on written Korean at a time when illiteracy was prevalent, accounting for 32.8 percent of the vote.
The turtle ship, also known as geobukseon in Korean, came second, accounting for 18.8 percent. Geobukseon were a type of Korean warship designed by Admiral Yi Sun-Shin, which were used during the Joseon dynasty in a war against Japanese naval ships.
Jikji, the oldest extant movable metal print book, and ondol, which refers to the unique underfloor heating system found in Korea, followed next.
Instant coffee mix ranked fifth, closely followed by the exfoliating bath washcloth widely known in South Korea as ‘Italy Towel’ and kimchi refrigerators.
Comments regarding the results of the survey were mostly positive.
One read, “(Hunminjeongeum) makes me feel proud to be Korean”, while another said, “I thank King Sejong who made me able to write this very comment.”
Others praised the second most popular invention, calling the turtle ship the reason why Korea still exists.
The online survey was conducted with the participation of some 570 people, with each participant able to choose three out of 25 items invented in Korea.
The turtle ship, also known as geobukseon in Korean, came second, accounting for 18.8 percent. Geobukseon were a type of Korean warship designed by Admiral Yi Sun-Shin, which were used during the Joseon dynasty in a war against Japanese naval ships. (Image: Yonhap)
The KIPO’s Facebook page was established with the intention of raising awareness and public interest for intellectual property, and to promote its policies
The effort by the KIPO to reach a wider online audience through online content including webtoons, videos and events has been met with a warm reception.
M.H.Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
