Seven Eleven Develops General Kim Jwa-jin Independence Typeface... Commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the Cheongsanri Battle Victory

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] Seven Eleven is commemorating the 100th anniversary of the victory in the Battle of Cheongsanri this October by unveiling Korea's first-ever ‘General Kim Jwa-jin Independence Typeface’ and conducting a campaign to honor the significance and spirit of the independence movement.

In March, as part of its love-for-country campaign, Seven Eleven officially launched the project to restore General Kim Jwa-jin’s typeface. Seven Eleven signed a business agreement with the ‘Baekya Kim Jwa-jin General Memorial Association’ and secured the original handwritten manuscript of a classical Chinese poem (han-si) that served as the foundation for developing General Kim Jwa-jin’s typeface. Subsequently, through advisory consultations with the Chungnam History and Culture Institute, the project underwent extensive verification and research over a long period. The final typeface design and production were undertaken by Seven Eleven’s design team and the typeface specialist company ‘Sandoll Communication’.

Seven Eleven’s ‘General Kim Jwa-jin Typeface’ was completed after a total production period of seven months. Since no existing Korean handwriting samples remain, the characteristics of General Kim Jwa-jin’s handwriting were analyzed from his Chinese brush calligraphy and reinterpreted to fit the structure of Hangul before being digitized.

General Kim Jwa-jin’s handwriting reveals a strong and thickly drawn vertical stroke that reflects a resolute and steadfast spirit, and the finishing of every stroke conveys a powerful and restrained feeling. Accordingly, Seven Eleven applied Korea’s first semi-cursive Hangul font to maximize these features, using appropriate connections and separations between strokes to add tension.

Models are showcasing COVID-19 overcoming support messages written in General Kim Jwa-jin's independence font along with related products. (Photo by Seven Eleven)

Seven Eleven has prepared various events to widely promote the ‘General Kim Jwa-jin Typeface’ and honor the spirit of the independence movement.

First, Seven Eleven launched six ‘General’ products featuring the ‘General Kim Jwa-jin Typeface’ in their package designs. They renewed the General Bibimbap introduced last October and newly released General Rice Balls (2 types), General Chicken Burger, General Macaron, and General Makgeolli. Customers who purchase these General products and participate in the stamp event on the Seven Eleven mobile app (Seven App) can receive commemorative medals celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Cheongsanri victory, among other promotions.

Additionally, to mark the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Cheongsanri victory and the upcoming Hangul Day, Seven Eleven made the General Kim Jwa-jin Typeface publicly available on its website so that all citizens can freely download it, aiming to remind everyone of the significance of the independence movement and the excellence of Hangul.

Choi Kyung-ho, CEO of Seven Eleven, said, “To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Cheongsanri victory, we have prepared a meaningful love-for-country campaign to promote the significance of the independence movement and the excellence of Hangul. We will actively utilize the General Kim Jwa-jin Typeface in various internal and external activities to create a differentiated identity unique to Seven Eleven.”

Meanwhile, Seven Eleven’s General Kim Jwa-jin Typeface has attracted attention from various organizations since its production stage. It was used in the design of the commemorative medal case for the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Cheongsanri victory unveiled by the Korea Minting and Security Printing Corporation in July, and it was also applied to the commemorative stamp design by the Korea Post. Furthermore, it is expected to be used in printed materials and promotional videos by the Chungcheongnam-do History and Culture Research Institute.