Insight
Serif, Sans, Myeongjo, Gothic, and Serifs
Have you ever found yourself saying “that thing” when a name just won’t come to mind? It’s the kind of placeholder you use when you can’t immediately recall what to call a person or an object.
You’ve probably had this moment: walking past a sign, a friend asks, “Hey, what do you call the font on that sign?” and you reply, “Oh, that thing—that thing, you know. Is it Myeongjo or something?” while desperately trying to remember what that thing actually is.
Why We Need to Know Terms—As Precisely as Possible
Do we really know the exact meanings and origins of the words we use? Most people probably don’t. Even so, communication usually isn’t difficult, because we share the same culture, daily experiences, and context. That shared context allows conversation to flow even when we use words imprecisely or choose the wrong term. It’s the same reason conversations flow easily with friends we’ve known for a long time, but feel less smooth with elders who are far apart from us in age.
Unlike everyday language, the language used in work or education includes not only common words but also technical terms. Technical terms can, of course, be explained in plain language, but they exist to make communication more efficient. That is why, when learning anything new, we start by learning the terminology. Without an understanding of technical terms, communication becomes difficult and misunderstandings can arise. Doctors explain conditions to patients using simple terms like colds or stomachaches, but when communicating with nurses or pharmacists, they write diagnoses in unfamiliar shorthand—because those situations require more precise and specific communication.
All of this leads to the purpose of this article: to explain the exact meanings and origins of font-related terms, especially those used to classify fonts. You may joke with friends and call something “that thing,” but when the moment calls for it, we hope you’ll be able to say with confidence, “This font belongs to the serif category.”
Serif
A serif refers to the protruding elements at the ends of strokes. Whatever the character, its form is influenced by the writing tools used to create it. In the past, many believed that serifs originated as marks left at the ends of strokes when letters were carved into inscriptions with a chisel. More recently, however, a more convincing view has emerged: that serifs originated as natural edges formed along the thin side of a flat brush as letters were drawn. As the saying goes, the history of type is the history of serifs—serifs are among the elements that most clearly express a letter’s character. We won’t cover the full origin story of serifs here today; for now, it’s enough to clearly understand what the term serif refers to.
* Chisel: a tool used to scrape a surface or carve holes.
Serifs of Trajan
*Trajan is a font based on the letterforms carved into the inscription at the base of Trajan’s Column in Rome.
Typefaces with serifs are referred to as the “serif category.” They are often casually called simply “serif” or “serif fonts,” but in this article, we will use “serif category” to clearly distinguish the category from the serif itself.
The serif category can be broadly divided into four types, based on the shape of the serifs and the detailed characteristics of the letterforms: Old Style, Didone, Transitional, and Slab Serif.
Serif forms category
First, Old Style typefaces are influenced by Renaissance calligraphy. They are characterized by a diagonal axis of stroke contrast—similar to writing with a fountain pen—and softly connected brackets*. Well-known examples include Garamond and Caslon.
*Bracket: the curved connection where a serif meets the main stroke.
Didone typefaces are characterized by extreme contrast between horizontal and vertical strokes, with a vertical axis of stroke contrast. Their clean, sharply defined appearance is why they are sometimes referred to as a “modern style.” Well-known examples of the Didone category include Didot and Bodoni. Did you notice? The term “Didone” is a portmanteau of Didot and Bodoni. Both typefaces continue to be widely used and loved today, especially in fashion and magazine design.
Next, Transitional typefaces can be thought of as a midpoint between Old Style and Didone. The axis of stroke contrast is not fully vertical, but it is also not as slanted as in Old Style. The contrast between horizontal and vertical strokes is stronger than in Old Style, and the serifs and brackets are more refined and orderly. Representative examples include Baskerville and Times New Roman.
Lastly, there is Slab Serif. Compared to other categories, slab serifs are characterized by exaggeratedly large serifs and the absence of brackets. If you remove the serifs from a slab serif, it can look almost indistinguishable from a sans serif, as many of the typical serif characteristics are stripped down. Representative slab serif typefaces include Memphis and Rockwell, which are commonly used for headlines.
There are many ways to further subdivide the serif category. These include the Vox classification, once adopted by ATypI (Association Typographique Internationale); the classification by Aldo Novarese**, which divides typefaces into ten categories based on serif forms; and the system by Jean Antoine Alessandrini**, which offers a more detailed classification of nineteen categories. In this article, however, we have chosen to use four terms that are commonly used in Korea, for the sake of clarity and simplicity.
* It has since been withdrawn because it cannot be applied to multilingual scripts. ATypI is currently planning research into a new type classification system.
** Aldo Novarese was an Italian type designer who was mainly active in Turin.
*** Jean Antoine Alessandrini was born in Marseille and later settled in Paris, where he built his career in advertising and magazine design. He designed numerous typefaces, including Futuriset, Showbiz, Vampire, and Alessandrini.
Sans-serif
In “sans-serif,” sans is a French word meaning “without.” Literally, it means “without serifs.” Sans-serif is also commonly shortened to “sans.” Like serif typefaces, the sans-serif category can be further subdivided. However, because sans-serif typefaces lack serifs, they are classified based on letter structure and stroke form instead. Broadly speaking, sans-serif typefaces can be divided into Grotesque Sans, Neo Grotesque Sans, Geometric Sans, and Humanist Sans.
The earliest* sans-serif typefaces are grotesque sans. The name “grotesque” was given because, to people who were accustomed to serif typefaces at the time, sans-serif appeared extremely strange. Early sans-serif designs also lacked consistency in stroke weight and letter proportions, which made them feel highly unfamiliar.
Grotesque sans typefaces are characterized by traces of serifs remaining in letters such as G, a, and g. Because stroke thickness and the degree of openness in spaces are uneven, they give a rough and crude impression. A representative example of the grotesque sans category is Franklin Gothic.
*Although their first appearance was in the 1816 Caslon type specimen published in England, they did not begin to receive broader attention until the 20th century.
Neo grotesque sans emerged as an evolution that addressed the shortcomings of grotesque sans. Compared to grotesque sans, it features more refined forms, more uniform stroke thickness, and readability-oriented elements such as the structure of the lowercase ‘g’. Usability is also strongly emphasized, and these fonts are often developed as families with a wide range of weights and widths. Well-known examples that most designers will recognize include Helvetica and Universe.
If the two categories discussed earlier still retained characteristics of serif styles, then “geometric sans” features geometric forms that appear as though drawn from basic shapes, with all traces of handwriting removed. While early geometric sans styles such as “Universal” and “Futura” were well suited for use as display fonts, in recent years many have emerged with improved readability. Because they convey a sense of stability and clarity, they have gained the greatest popularity in recent times, as the use of display media has continued to expand.
Lastly, humanist sans is a category built on the underlying structure of handwriting. It has characteristics that clearly distinguish it from geometric sans; structurally, it shares its skeleton with serif typefaces, much like grotesque sans. The key difference from grotesque sans is that letter widths are not artificially standardized. As a result, humanist sans feels closer to serif typefaces and creates less visual friction when used alongside them. Representative examples of the humanist sans category include Gill Sans and Optima.
Myeongjo and Gothic
Just as Latin typefaces are classified by the presence or absence of serifs, Hangul typefaces can also be distinguished by the presence or absence of buri. The term most familiar to people, myeongjo, corresponds to the serif category in Latin typefaces. Likewise, gothic—well known through names such as Gyeokdong Gothic and Kodigssi—is the term most commonly used to refer to sans-serif Hangul typefaces. However, neither term actually conveys a precise meaning.
*Buri refers to the protruding elements that appear at the beginning and end of strokes or at points where strokes bend. It corresponds conceptually to serifs, but because the writing tools and methods differ, the two cannot be considered the same.
What we commonly call myeongjo is, strictly speaking, songti (송체, Songti). Songti is a Chinese type style developed during the Song Dynasty, designed for woodblock printing. In this system, horizontal strokes are thin, vertical strokes are thick, and the ends of horizontal strokes are rendered heavier—features suited to carving into wood.
Songti continued to be widely used during the Ming Dynasty, and when it crossed the sea to Japan, it came to be called Minchō, meaning “the typeface of the Ming Dynasty.” Later, in Joseon, the term myeongjo was applied to Hangul typefaces used alongside Minchō-style Chinese characters and kana.
The problem is that Hangul myeongjo does not originate from forms intended for woodblock carving, but from haeseoche—a brush-written regular script. As a result, its meaning and form do not strictly align with the original definition of Songti. For this reason, typefaces that truly follow the Songti style have sometimes been labeled sunmyeongjo, meaning “true myeongjo.”
*Kana refers to the syllabic scripts used to write Japanese.
Comparison between Dong-A Ilbo’s Lee Won-mo typeface and Myeongjo Sunmyeongjo (left)
(source: Those Who Created the Archetypes of Hangul Typefaces)
Sandoll Myeongjo Neo1 (top right), SM Sunmyeongjo (middle right), SM Sin Sin Myeongjo (bottom right)
Most Hangul typefaces with buri can trace their roots back to the Myeongjo of Choi Jeong-ho*. Even Choi himself once said the following in the magazine 「Kkukkim」 in 1978:
“Strictly speaking, Myeongjo is a Chinese character type style that was popular during the Ming Dynasty. I don’t know why the Hangul typeface I designed ended up being called Myeongjo. I wish someone would rename it with a better term.”
It’s a rather awkward situation when the term that communicates most effectively with people does not actually align with its original meaning.
*A term used to refer to typefaces with buri.
** A first-generation Hangul font designer in Korea, and effectively the pioneer who first paved the way in this field.
The situation with gothic is not much different. In the mid-19th century United States, grotesque sans typefaces were thought to share characteristics with Blackletter*, which had been prevalent in medieval Europe, and were therefore called “Gothic”**. Around the turn of the 20th century, the term entered Korea via Japan, where sans-serif typefaces were called gojikku, the Japanese pronunciation of “gothic.” Hangul typefaces without buri and with little contrast between horizontal and vertical strokes were also called gojikku. Over time, this term settled into what we now call gothic.
As with Myeongjo, this term carries too narrow a meaning to adequately encompass the entire sans-serif category, which leaves some room for regret.
*A style of typeface known as Gothic or Fraktur, used across Western Europe from the 11th to the 17th century in varying forms.
** A phenomenon that appeared after the 1830s, for which the exact reason has not been clearly established. It can be seen as similar to how slab serifs were once called “Egyptian,” despite having no direct connection to Egypt.
Batang and Dotum
Later, the Ministry of Culture (now the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) recommended the use of refined Korean terms through the Guidelines for Korean Language Purification. In this guide, minchō (myeongjo) was replaced with batangche, and gojikku (gothic) with dotumche. Both terms were named with actual usage in mind. Batangche was so called because myeongjo was most commonly used for body text, forming the “foundation” of a book. Dotumche was named because gothic typefaces were often used for titles or headings to make them stand out.
*A reference published by the Ministry of Culture in November 1992, proposing Korean alternatives to address remnants of Japanese usage and the indiscriminate use of foreign words.
Batangche and Dotumche among newspaper production terms in the Guidelines for Korean Language Purification
Even after the Ministry of Culture recommended the use of batangche and dotumche, most people continued to use the more familiar terms myeongjo and gothic. This was because those terms were already deeply established in the printing and publishing industries, as well as among designers.
It’s similar to how, despite attempts to replace byeongttagae with magaeppobi, most people still say byeongttagae. The same applies here: just as with everyday language, changing long-established terminology—especially professional terms—requires extensive research and sustained effort.
Buri and Minburi
A bigger issue than remnants of Japanese or the indiscriminate use of foreign words actually arises when classifying typefaces. It is problematic to call all typefaces with buri myeongjo, because myeongjo has its own distinct style. Moreover, since it is now widely used for titles as well, the term batangche does not feel entirely accurate either. For this reason, when classifying typefaces, it is recommended to use the terms buri category and minburi category, which rely solely on the presence or absence of buri.
Buri refers to the protruding parts at the ends of strokes, and it corresponds to what is known as serifs in Latin typefaces. Minburi adds min, meaning “without,” to refer to typefaces without buri, corresponding to sans-serif in Latin type classification. As explained earlier, serif and sans-serif typefaces in Latin scripts have been further subdivided according to historical and formal characteristics. In Hangul, similar attempts at detailed classification have only begun to emerge in recent years.
In Glyphs Type Design (No Eun-yu, Ham Min-ju), published last year, buri typefaces are further classified into old buri, new buri, angular buri, stroke-contrast buri, and handwritten buri, while minburi typefaces are divided into old minburi, new minburi, rounded minburi, geometric minburi, and handwritten minburi. Compared to Latin typefaces, the number of categories is still far from sufficient, but over the past few years a large number of Hangul typefaces have emerged. As typefaces range widely—from those inspired by historical writing to those pursuing new and experimental approaches—it has become difficult to classify Hangul typefaces clearly by historical period alone.
In Closing, So What Is “That Thing,” After All?
Terminology is also a form of language. And like language, it is alive. Have you ever used the phrase “burn a CD,” which was common about a decade ago? It was a fairly well-known technical term meaning to copy data from one CD onto another, but today, as CDs themselves have disappeared, the phrase is no longer used. No matter how widespread a term once was, it fades if it is no longer used—while expressions that once seemed awkward can become words everyone uses.
*Surprisingly, the term “burn” was used in English-speaking countries as well.
Hangul typefaces, unlike Latin typefaces, were not historically organized around clear chronological frameworks, and only recently has an environment emerged in which such attempts are possible. Seen in this light, it is perhaps natural that terms coined from different perspectives and backgrounds appear mixed together throughout the ecosystem. Proposing a perfectly fitting term that everyone agrees on and adopts would be the ideal scenario for a healthy ecosystem—but doing so also risks becoming a disruptive force within it.
In situations like this, the best thing we can do is focus on communication that fits the context. That means using the most appropriate and, where possible, the most precise terms for the situation. When using myeongjo doesn’t feel out of place, and when speaking with someone who understands the term, “that thing” can safely mean myeongjo. In other situations, batangche may serve as a useful alternative, or buri category may be the clearer choice. Let’s enjoy watching which terms—those that explain intentions more clearly and carry stronger vitality—survive and ultimately emerge as the winners.
References
-Books
Guidelines for Korean Language Purification, National Institute of the Korean Language, 1992
Glyphs Type Design, No Eun-yu · Ham Min-ju, Workroom, 2022
Matchstick: Exploring Old Science and Technology Through Korean Language, Jeong Chan-ho, Good Soil Publishing, 2020
The Origin of Serif, Edward M. Catich (supervised by Won Yoo-hong; translated by Kwon Hyun-min, Yoo Jin-suk, Chae Yoo-kyung), National Hangeul Museum, 2018
The Typographic Significance of the Magazine “Kkukkim”, Jeon Ga-gyeong, Geuljjassi 9(2), 2017
Typography Dictionary, Korea Typography Society, Ahn Graphics, 2012
Typography Terminology, Lee Yong-je, Hwalja Space, 2022
Hangul Typeface Terminology Dictionary, King Sejong Memorial Foundation & Korea Font Development Institute, 2000
Hangul Design Textbook, Ahn Sang-soo · Han Jae-joon · Lee Yong-je, Ahn Graphics, 2009
Letterform Expression in Hangul, Kim Jin-pyeong, Mijinsa, 1983
The True Colors of Type, Lee Jae-jeong, Chaekgwahamkke, 2022
-Web
“Songti (宋體) and Myeongjo (明朝體)” (Link), Tistory
Choi Jeong-ho’s Early Gothic Typefaces, and a Past Beginning Anew (Link), Brunch
[The Birth of Typography] – 2. The Renaissance (Link), Rightbrain
type n study – Introductory Edition (Link), Brunch Book
Methods of Classifying Typography (Link), Graphic Design History
Type Classifications (Link), Fonts.com
Those Who Created the Archetypes of Hangul Typefaces (Link), Design Press (Blog)
Insight
Serif, Sans, Myeongjo, Gothic, and Serifs
Have you ever found yourself saying “that thing” when a name just won’t come to mind? It’s the kind of placeholder you use when you can’t immediately recall what to call a person or an object.
You’ve probably had this moment: walking past a sign, a friend asks, “Hey, what do you call the font on that sign?” and you reply, “Oh, that thing—that thing, you know. Is it Myeongjo or something?” while desperately trying to remember what that thing actually is.
Why We Need to Know Terms—As Precisely as Possible
Do we really know the exact meanings and origins of the words we use? Most people probably don’t. Even so, communication usually isn’t difficult, because we share the same culture, daily experiences, and context. That shared context allows conversation to flow even when we use words imprecisely or choose the wrong term. It’s the same reason conversations flow easily with friends we’ve known for a long time, but feel less smooth with elders who are far apart from us in age.
Unlike everyday language, the language used in work or education includes not only common words but also technical terms. Technical terms can, of course, be explained in plain language, but they exist to make communication more efficient. That is why, when learning anything new, we start by learning the terminology. Without an understanding of technical terms, communication becomes difficult and misunderstandings can arise. Doctors explain conditions to patients using simple terms like colds or stomachaches, but when communicating with nurses or pharmacists, they write diagnoses in unfamiliar shorthand—because those situations require more precise and specific communication.
All of this leads to the purpose of this article: to explain the exact meanings and origins of font-related terms, especially those used to classify fonts. You may joke with friends and call something “that thing,” but when the moment calls for it, we hope you’ll be able to say with confidence, “This font belongs to the serif category.”
Serif
A serif refers to the protruding elements at the ends of strokes. Whatever the character, its form is influenced by the writing tools used to create it. In the past, many believed that serifs originated as marks left at the ends of strokes when letters were carved into inscriptions with a chisel. More recently, however, a more convincing view has emerged: that serifs originated as natural edges formed along the thin side of a flat brush as letters were drawn. As the saying goes, the history of type is the history of serifs—serifs are among the elements that most clearly express a letter’s character. We won’t cover the full origin story of serifs here today; for now, it’s enough to clearly understand what the term serif refers to.
* Chisel: a tool used to scrape a surface or carve holes.
Serifs of Trajan
*Trajan is a font based on the letterforms carved into the inscription at the base of Trajan’s Column in Rome.
Typefaces with serifs are referred to as the “serif category.” They are often casually called simply “serif” or “serif fonts,” but in this article, we will use “serif category” to clearly distinguish the category from the serif itself.
The serif category can be broadly divided into four types, based on the shape of the serifs and the detailed characteristics of the letterforms: Old Style, Didone, Transitional, and Slab Serif.
Serif forms category
First, Old Style typefaces are influenced by Renaissance calligraphy. They are characterized by a diagonal axis of stroke contrast—similar to writing with a fountain pen—and softly connected brackets*. Well-known examples include Garamond and Caslon.
*Bracket: the curved connection where a serif meets the main stroke.
Didone typefaces are characterized by extreme contrast between horizontal and vertical strokes, with a vertical axis of stroke contrast. Their clean, sharply defined appearance is why they are sometimes referred to as a “modern style.” Well-known examples of the Didone category include Didot and Bodoni. Did you notice? The term “Didone” is a portmanteau of Didot and Bodoni. Both typefaces continue to be widely used and loved today, especially in fashion and magazine design.
Next, Transitional typefaces can be thought of as a midpoint between Old Style and Didone. The axis of stroke contrast is not fully vertical, but it is also not as slanted as in Old Style. The contrast between horizontal and vertical strokes is stronger than in Old Style, and the serifs and brackets are more refined and orderly. Representative examples include Baskerville and Times New Roman.
Lastly, there is Slab Serif. Compared to other categories, slab serifs are characterized by exaggeratedly large serifs and the absence of brackets. If you remove the serifs from a slab serif, it can look almost indistinguishable from a sans serif, as many of the typical serif characteristics are stripped down. Representative slab serif typefaces include Memphis and Rockwell, which are commonly used for headlines.
There are many ways to further subdivide the serif category. These include the Vox classification, once adopted by ATypI (Association Typographique Internationale); the classification by Aldo Novarese**, which divides typefaces into ten categories based on serif forms; and the system by Jean Antoine Alessandrini**, which offers a more detailed classification of nineteen categories. In this article, however, we have chosen to use four terms that are commonly used in Korea, for the sake of clarity and simplicity.
* It has since been withdrawn because it cannot be applied to multilingual scripts. ATypI is currently planning research into a new type classification system.
** Aldo Novarese was an Italian type designer who was mainly active in Turin.
*** Jean Antoine Alessandrini was born in Marseille and later settled in Paris, where he built his career in advertising and magazine design. He designed numerous typefaces, including Futuriset, Showbiz, Vampire, and Alessandrini.
Sans-serif
In “sans-serif,” sans is a French word meaning “without.” Literally, it means “without serifs.” Sans-serif is also commonly shortened to “sans.” Like serif typefaces, the sans-serif category can be further subdivided. However, because sans-serif typefaces lack serifs, they are classified based on letter structure and stroke form instead. Broadly speaking, sans-serif typefaces can be divided into Grotesque Sans, Neo Grotesque Sans, Geometric Sans, and Humanist Sans.
The earliest* sans-serif typefaces are grotesque sans. The name “grotesque” was given because, to people who were accustomed to serif typefaces at the time, sans-serif appeared extremely strange. Early sans-serif designs also lacked consistency in stroke weight and letter proportions, which made them feel highly unfamiliar.
Grotesque sans typefaces are characterized by traces of serifs remaining in letters such as G, a, and g. Because stroke thickness and the degree of openness in spaces are uneven, they give a rough and crude impression. A representative example of the grotesque sans category is Franklin Gothic.
*Although their first appearance was in the 1816 Caslon type specimen published in England, they did not begin to receive broader attention until the 20th century.
Neo grotesque sans emerged as an evolution that addressed the shortcomings of grotesque sans. Compared to grotesque sans, it features more refined forms, more uniform stroke thickness, and readability-oriented elements such as the structure of the lowercase ‘g’. Usability is also strongly emphasized, and these fonts are often developed as families with a wide range of weights and widths. Well-known examples that most designers will recognize include Helvetica and Universe.
If the two categories discussed earlier still retained characteristics of serif styles, then “geometric sans” features geometric forms that appear as though drawn from basic shapes, with all traces of handwriting removed. While early geometric sans styles such as “Universal” and “Futura” were well suited for use as display fonts, in recent years many have emerged with improved readability. Because they convey a sense of stability and clarity, they have gained the greatest popularity in recent times, as the use of display media has continued to expand.
Lastly, humanist sans is a category built on the underlying structure of handwriting. It has characteristics that clearly distinguish it from geometric sans; structurally, it shares its skeleton with serif typefaces, much like grotesque sans. The key difference from grotesque sans is that letter widths are not artificially standardized. As a result, humanist sans feels closer to serif typefaces and creates less visual friction when used alongside them. Representative examples of the humanist sans category include Gill Sans and Optima.
Myeongjo and Gothic
Just as Latin typefaces are classified by the presence or absence of serifs, Hangul typefaces can also be distinguished by the presence or absence of buri. The term most familiar to people, myeongjo, corresponds to the serif category in Latin typefaces. Likewise, gothic—well known through names such as Gyeokdong Gothic and Kodigssi—is the term most commonly used to refer to sans-serif Hangul typefaces. However, neither term actually conveys a precise meaning.
*Buri refers to the protruding elements that appear at the beginning and end of strokes or at points where strokes bend. It corresponds conceptually to serifs, but because the writing tools and methods differ, the two cannot be considered the same.
What we commonly call myeongjo is, strictly speaking, songti (송체, Songti). Songti is a Chinese type style developed during the Song Dynasty, designed for woodblock printing. In this system, horizontal strokes are thin, vertical strokes are thick, and the ends of horizontal strokes are rendered heavier—features suited to carving into wood.
Songti continued to be widely used during the Ming Dynasty, and when it crossed the sea to Japan, it came to be called Minchō, meaning “the typeface of the Ming Dynasty.” Later, in Joseon, the term myeongjo was applied to Hangul typefaces used alongside Minchō-style Chinese characters and kana.
The problem is that Hangul myeongjo does not originate from forms intended for woodblock carving, but from haeseoche—a brush-written regular script. As a result, its meaning and form do not strictly align with the original definition of Songti. For this reason, typefaces that truly follow the Songti style have sometimes been labeled sunmyeongjo, meaning “true myeongjo.”
*Kana refers to the syllabic scripts used to write Japanese.
(source: Those Who Created the Archetypes of Hangul Typefaces)
Sandoll Myeongjo Neo1 (top right), SM Sunmyeongjo (middle right), SM Sin Sin Myeongjo (bottom right)
Most Hangul typefaces with buri can trace their roots back to the Myeongjo of Choi Jeong-ho*. Even Choi himself once said the following in the magazine 「Kkukkim」 in 1978:
“Strictly speaking, Myeongjo is a Chinese character type style that was popular during the Ming Dynasty. I don’t know why the Hangul typeface I designed ended up being called Myeongjo. I wish someone would rename it with a better term.”
It’s a rather awkward situation when the term that communicates most effectively with people does not actually align with its original meaning.
*A term used to refer to typefaces with buri.
** A first-generation Hangul font designer in Korea, and effectively the pioneer who first paved the way in this field.
The situation with gothic is not much different. In the mid-19th century United States, grotesque sans typefaces were thought to share characteristics with Blackletter*, which had been prevalent in medieval Europe, and were therefore called “Gothic”**. Around the turn of the 20th century, the term entered Korea via Japan, where sans-serif typefaces were called gojikku, the Japanese pronunciation of “gothic.” Hangul typefaces without buri and with little contrast between horizontal and vertical strokes were also called gojikku. Over time, this term settled into what we now call gothic.
As with Myeongjo, this term carries too narrow a meaning to adequately encompass the entire sans-serif category, which leaves some room for regret.
*A style of typeface known as Gothic or Fraktur, used across Western Europe from the 11th to the 17th century in varying forms.
** A phenomenon that appeared after the 1830s, for which the exact reason has not been clearly established. It can be seen as similar to how slab serifs were once called “Egyptian,” despite having no direct connection to Egypt.
Batang and Dotum
Later, the Ministry of Culture (now the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) recommended the use of refined Korean terms through the Guidelines for Korean Language Purification. In this guide, minchō (myeongjo) was replaced with batangche, and gojikku (gothic) with dotumche. Both terms were named with actual usage in mind. Batangche was so called because myeongjo was most commonly used for body text, forming the “foundation” of a book. Dotumche was named because gothic typefaces were often used for titles or headings to make them stand out.
*A reference published by the Ministry of Culture in November 1992, proposing Korean alternatives to address remnants of Japanese usage and the indiscriminate use of foreign words.
Even after the Ministry of Culture recommended the use of batangche and dotumche, most people continued to use the more familiar terms myeongjo and gothic. This was because those terms were already deeply established in the printing and publishing industries, as well as among designers.
It’s similar to how, despite attempts to replace byeongttagae with magaeppobi, most people still say byeongttagae. The same applies here: just as with everyday language, changing long-established terminology—especially professional terms—requires extensive research and sustained effort.
Buri and Minburi
A bigger issue than remnants of Japanese or the indiscriminate use of foreign words actually arises when classifying typefaces. It is problematic to call all typefaces with buri myeongjo, because myeongjo has its own distinct style. Moreover, since it is now widely used for titles as well, the term batangche does not feel entirely accurate either. For this reason, when classifying typefaces, it is recommended to use the terms buri category and minburi category, which rely solely on the presence or absence of buri.
Buri refers to the protruding parts at the ends of strokes, and it corresponds to what is known as serifs in Latin typefaces. Minburi adds min, meaning “without,” to refer to typefaces without buri, corresponding to sans-serif in Latin type classification. As explained earlier, serif and sans-serif typefaces in Latin scripts have been further subdivided according to historical and formal characteristics. In Hangul, similar attempts at detailed classification have only begun to emerge in recent years.
In Glyphs Type Design (No Eun-yu, Ham Min-ju), published last year, buri typefaces are further classified into old buri, new buri, angular buri, stroke-contrast buri, and handwritten buri, while minburi typefaces are divided into old minburi, new minburi, rounded minburi, geometric minburi, and handwritten minburi. Compared to Latin typefaces, the number of categories is still far from sufficient, but over the past few years a large number of Hangul typefaces have emerged. As typefaces range widely—from those inspired by historical writing to those pursuing new and experimental approaches—it has become difficult to classify Hangul typefaces clearly by historical period alone.
In Closing, So What Is “That Thing,” After All?
Terminology is also a form of language. And like language, it is alive. Have you ever used the phrase “burn a CD,” which was common about a decade ago? It was a fairly well-known technical term meaning to copy data from one CD onto another, but today, as CDs themselves have disappeared, the phrase is no longer used. No matter how widespread a term once was, it fades if it is no longer used—while expressions that once seemed awkward can become words everyone uses.
*Surprisingly, the term “burn” was used in English-speaking countries as well.
Hangul typefaces, unlike Latin typefaces, were not historically organized around clear chronological frameworks, and only recently has an environment emerged in which such attempts are possible. Seen in this light, it is perhaps natural that terms coined from different perspectives and backgrounds appear mixed together throughout the ecosystem. Proposing a perfectly fitting term that everyone agrees on and adopts would be the ideal scenario for a healthy ecosystem—but doing so also risks becoming a disruptive force within it.
In situations like this, the best thing we can do is focus on communication that fits the context. That means using the most appropriate and, where possible, the most precise terms for the situation. When using myeongjo doesn’t feel out of place, and when speaking with someone who understands the term, “that thing” can safely mean myeongjo. In other situations, batangche may serve as a useful alternative, or buri category may be the clearer choice. Let’s enjoy watching which terms—those that explain intentions more clearly and carry stronger vitality—survive and ultimately emerge as the winners.
References
-Books
Guidelines for Korean Language Purification, National Institute of the Korean Language, 1992
Glyphs Type Design, No Eun-yu · Ham Min-ju, Workroom, 2022
Matchstick: Exploring Old Science and Technology Through Korean Language, Jeong Chan-ho, Good Soil Publishing, 2020
The Origin of Serif, Edward M. Catich (supervised by Won Yoo-hong; translated by Kwon Hyun-min, Yoo Jin-suk, Chae Yoo-kyung), National Hangeul Museum, 2018
The Typographic Significance of the Magazine “Kkukkim”, Jeon Ga-gyeong, Geuljjassi 9(2), 2017
Typography Dictionary, Korea Typography Society, Ahn Graphics, 2012
Typography Terminology, Lee Yong-je, Hwalja Space, 2022
Hangul Typeface Terminology Dictionary, King Sejong Memorial Foundation & Korea Font Development Institute, 2000
Hangul Design Textbook, Ahn Sang-soo · Han Jae-joon · Lee Yong-je, Ahn Graphics, 2009
Letterform Expression in Hangul, Kim Jin-pyeong, Mijinsa, 1983
The True Colors of Type, Lee Jae-jeong, Chaekgwahamkke, 2022
-Web
“Songti (宋體) and Myeongjo (明朝體)” (Link), Tistory
Choi Jeong-ho’s Early Gothic Typefaces, and a Past Beginning Anew (Link), Brunch
[The Birth of Typography] – 2. The Renaissance (Link), Rightbrain
type n study – Introductory Edition (Link), Brunch Book
Methods of Classifying Typography (Link), Graphic Design History
Type Classifications (Link), Fonts.com
Those Who Created the Archetypes of Hangul Typefaces (Link), Design Press (Blog)