How did Korean printers develop metal movable type before European printers did?

In Korea, typography using metal movable type was developed and extensively utilized well before it appeared in Europe. While movable type was originally conceived in China using clay and later wood, these methods were not widely adopted there.12

In contrast, Korean printers refined the technology through state-sponsored initiatives. By the first half of the 13th century, metal movable type had appeared in Korea. A significant milestone occurred in 1403, when King Taejong ordered the casting of 100,000 pieces of bronze type. This commitment to printing continued with the production of several additional fonts between 1403 and 1516.12

The sophistication of this early Korean printing is evidenced by the Jikji, a collection of Buddhist teachings printed from movable metal type in 1377, which predates the mechanized printing press developed by Johannes Gutenberg in Europe during the 15th century. While European printing eventually became defined by the mechanization of the press, the foundational development of metal type itself was an established practice in Korea centuries earlier.342