"Hidden Letters," an exhibition introducing the Cyrillic alphabet, invented in Bulgaria, is on view at the KF Gallery in central Seoul through Nov. 18. Courtesy of the Korea Foundation

By Kwon Mee-yoo

Though not well-known in Korea, the Cyrillic script was invented in Bulgaria in the 9th century and now is used by over 300 million people in more than 10 countries and is the third official alphabet of the European Union.

The Embassy of Bulgaria in Seoul and the Korea Foundation (KF) are together presenting the "Hidden Letters" exhibition at the KF Gallery in central Seoul through Nov. 18, highlighting the formation of the Cyrillic alphabet and Hangeul, or the Korean alphabet.

The KF's new president, Kim Ghee-whan, said that the exhibition showcases the beauty of the Cyrillic alphabet and Hangeul together.

Ambassador of Bulgaria to Korea Petko Draganov appreciated the staff's efforts in making the connection between the Cyrillic script and Hangeul in such an interactive and modern way.

"I find deep symbolism and the fact that Bulgarians and Koreans share a common respect and yearning for education and knowledge. Both nations celebrate enlightenment, culture and the creation of their respective alphabets, Hangeul on Oct. 9, and the Cyrillic alphabet on May 24. I have to note that the latter is the most beloved and time-honored public holiday in my country," Ambassador Draganov said during a reception, Nov. 10.

"Hidden Letters," an exhibition introducing the Cyrillic alphabet, which was invented in Bulgaria, is on view at the KF Gallery in central Seoul through Nov. 18. Courtesy of the Korea Foundation

The ambassador added that culture can bring the two countries closer together for future cooperation.

"I see a new vast domain of possible collaboration and joint ventures between Bulgaria and Korea focusing on investments in clean transportation, green energy and the circular economy. This brings me back to my reflection on culture, knowledge and education," he said.

"Knowing more about each other will bring us closer together and strengthen the partnership we need to overcome the existential challenges before us. Because we have the knowledge, we have the technology and we have the culture that unites us," she said.

The exhibition is a joint project with the Reading Sofia Foundation, which has been promoting a public art program since 2018. The foundation has been producing benches in the shape of the Cyrillic alphabet to introduce Bulgaria's culture through typography and poetry.

After making its first appearance in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia in 2018, the letter-shaped bench project expanded to Paris, Berlin, Budapest and more.

"I found that it is very engaging to visualize letters and reading. These are benches in the shape of (Cyrillic) letters that can be placed anywhere and people can sit and read a poem or a story. If you go to the bench, there's a QR code that you can scan and a poem will pop up on your device," the ambassador explained.

"Hidden Letters," an exhibition introducing the Cyrillic alphabet, invented in Bulgaria, is on view at the KF Gallery in central Seoul through Nov. 18. Courtesy of the Korea Foundation

The benches were newly redesigned and produced in Korea for this exhibition, combining Cyrillic letters and Hangeul.

"There are a lot of similarities between the ideas of the Cyrillic alphabet, which was created in Bulgaria back in the 9th century to suit the Bulgarian language at the time, and the way King Sejong created Hangeul in the 15th century, so we decided to combine these two and these are the results," Draganov said.

In previous locations, the benches were placed outside on streets and in parks, but here they are displayed inside the KF Gallery in Korea.

Ambassador Draganov said the embassy is in talks with the Seoul Metropolitan Government to find a home in Seoul for the benches after the exhibition.

The exhibit also features photographs that tell the story of the making of the letters as well as other stories from literary life in Sofia.