You open an official letter or a grant announcement in HWP format, and the text overlaps, tables run off the page, or Chinese characters and symbols show as boxes. In most cases the file is not damaged. The cause is missing fonts and differences between program versions. Let us go through the causes one by one.
Why government HWP files break so easily
1. Fonts used by public institutions
Public-sector documents often use fonts such as Hyumanmyeongjo, HY HeadLine M, HCR Batang and HCR Dotum. If a font is not on your computer, the program substitutes another one. When the character widths differ, line breaks move and table cells overflow.
2. Version differences
When a document made in a recent version of Hangul is opened in an older version or another viewer, objects that only the newer version supports (charts, text art, special table properties) are simplified.
3. Symbols and Chinese characters
Symbols common in official documents, such as ※, ○, ◦ and circled numbers, as well as old Hangul and Chinese characters, appear as boxes or question marks when the font does not contain them.
Fix 1. Install the fonts used in the document
This is the fundamental fix.
- Check the name of the font where the text looks broken.
- Fonts that are freely distributed, such as the HCR (Hamchorom) family, can be downloaded from the maker's official website.
- Commercial fonts are installed together with Hancom Office, so if your company uses a standard PC image, ask the IT team.
- After installing fonts, close and reopen the program or browser completely.
Do not download "official document font packs" of unknown origin. They carry copyright problems and malware risks.
Fix 2. Substitute similar fonts
If you cannot get the font, use a free font with similar widths. Replace serif fonts with serif fonts and sans-serif fonts with sans-serif fonts so the layout breaks less. Nanum Myeongjo, Nanum Gothic, Noto Serif KR and Noto Sans KR are common substitutes.
Fix 3. Extract the text if you only need the content
When you only need the information, such as an application deadline or a list of required documents, there is no need to fight with the layout. The HWP text extractor pulls out the body text in reading order regardless of fonts, including text inside tables.
Fix 4. Ask the issuing office for a PDF
Many institutions now post a PDF next to the HWP file. Check the attachment list again, and if there is no PDF, ask the department in charge. Fonts are embedded in PDF files, so they look the same on every device.
Checklist
- I checked the font name where the text looks broken
- If it is a free font, I installed it from the official source
- I restarted the program or browser
- If I only need the content, I used text extraction
- If the exact layout matters, I asked for a PDF
When an official document looks broken, narrow the cause down in the order fonts, version, symbols. Most problems are solved within those three.