Metal type means type which is made by smelting such metals as copper, brass, lead, zinc, etc.
The Korean nation invented the metal type for the first time in the world in the period of Koryo (918-1392).
The printing technicians and handicraftsmen of Koryo developed the technique of printing with wood blocks and wooden type which had a long history invented metal type for the first time in human history and used it.
A metal type made by casting brass in the former half of the 12th century, the Koryo period, was discovered at the place which is 300 metres to the west of the site of the Sinbong Gate on Manwoldae that is located on the southern ridge of Mt. Songak, Songak-dong, Kaesong City. The essential ingredient of metal type is copper, tin and lead and the accessory ingredient is silicon, iron and aluminum. It is 12 millimeters long and 10 millimeters wide and 8 millimeters high.
Koryo invented metal type and used it from the former half of the 12th century.
It established an organ which discharges printing with wood block and wooden type at the beginning of the 12th century and published many books. It discovered the fact that the utility period of wooden type is short and invented metal type.
“Jokjisimgyong”(book of Buddhism written by Kyonghan, a monk of Koryo explains that Monk Paekun made an abstract of the instructions made by Buddha to delve deep into essential character of man’s mind) is the remain which was printed with metal type by Koryo in 1377.
This book is recognized as the oldest copy printed with metal type in the world and listed on the record of the UNESCO.
This book exhibited at the general expo “History of Book” held in Paris, France in 1972 and demonstrated to the world that the Korean nation used metal type for the first time in the world, thus developing printing technique.
Technique of casting metal type was further developed entering the period of the Korean feudal dynasty. As a result, metal type whose main component is lead was invented in 1436 for the first time in the world and thus a big progress was made in the printing technique.
Metal type is the invention of the world which shows the talent displayed by the Korean people in the field of printing technique.
