Korean Calligraphy - History

History

Chinese characters were introduced to in Korea as early as the 2nd or 3rd century CE, probably with the spread of Buddhism. Admiration for Tang Dynasty culture, including Chinese calligraphy, grew during the Unified Silla period, and in the 8th century Kim Saeng became recognized as the earliest Korean calligraphic master, producing work that was compared with that of Wang Xizhi. The poet Choe Chiwon was also known for his calligraphy, a sample of which is engraved in a rock in Haeundae, Busan.

The angular styles of the early Tang masters, Yu Shinan, Ouyang Xun, and Chu Suiliang, persisted until the 14th century, when the more rounded style of Zhao Mengfu came into vogue. Korean calligraphy became increasingly formalistic in the years that followed. Kim Jeong-Hee revolutionized Korean calligraphy in the early 19th century, introducing what is known as the jusa style after his pen name, inspired by the ancient Chinese lishu script.

As the scholarly classes used Chinese characters, Korean calligraphy used hanja until the 1910–1945 Japanese occupation of Korea. Nationalist sentiment led to the popularization of the native hangul alphabet, and calligraphic works using hangul have since seen a revival.