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Choe Yun-ui was a Korean civil minister during the Goryeo Dynasty. Choe Yun-ui compiled the Sangjeong yemun (Hangul&_160; ????, hanja&_160; ????) with another 16 scholars. They collected all courtesies from ancient to present and published 50 copies. Also, owing to a long history of woodblock printing, Koreans of the period were accustomed to books, and literacy was high. The chinese visitor Xü Jing, visiting Korea in 1123, observes in his travelogue that Koreans considered it shameful not to be able to read[2]. Regarding the date of his invention, Goryeo kingdom records indicate that a major printing effort, the 50 volume Sangjeong Gogeum Yemun (Prescribed Ritual Text of the Past and Present) was printed with cast metal around the 21st year of reign of King Gojong of the Goryeo dynasty (around 1234 AD)[3]. It is conjectured that some familiarity with movable type must have been available prior to this large effort. Another major publication, Nammyongcheonhwasang - Songjungdoga (Sermons of Song period Buddhist Priest Nammyongvhon) was printed with cast metal type in the 26th year of the reign of king Gojong (1239 AD). However, whether Choe Yun-Ui was involved in this effort or not is not known.
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