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Koreans use their own unique alphabet called Hangeul. It is considered to be one of the most efficient alphabets in the world and has garnered unanimous praise from language experts for its scientific design and excellence.
Hangeul was created under King Sejong the Great during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). In 1446, the first Korean alphabet was proclaimed under the original name Hunminjeongeum, which literally meant "the correct sounds for the instruction of the people." King Sejong, the creator of Hangeul, is considered to be one of the greatest rulers in the history of Korea. Highly respected for his benevolent disposition and diligence, King Sejong was also a passionate scholar whose knowledge and natural talent in all fields of study astounded even the most learned experts. When he was not performing his official duties, King Sejong enjoyed reading and meditating. He could also be very tenacious at times and would never yield on what he thought was right. Love for the people was the cornerstone of his reign, and he was always ready to listen to the voices of the common folk. His was a rule of virtue, with the welfare of the people dictating all policy formulations.
King Sejong also established the Jiphyeonjeon, an academic research institute, inside the palace walls. It was here that he engaged in lively discussions and that a variety of quality books were published.
During his reign, King Sejong always deplored the fact that the common people, ignorant of the complicated Chinese characters that were being used by the educated, were not able to read and write. He understood their frustration in not being able to read or to communicate their thoughts and feelings in written words.
The Chinese script was used by the intelligentsia of the country, but being of foreign origin, it could not fully express the words and meaning of Korean thoughts and spoken language. Therefore, common people with legitimate complaints had no way of submitting their grievances to the appropriate authorities, other than through oral communication, and they had no way to record for posterity the agricultural wisdom and knowledge they had gained through years of experience.
King Sejong felt great sympathy for the people. As a revolutionary ruler strongly dedicated to national identity and cultural independence, he immediately searched for solutions. What he envisioned was a set of letters that was uniquely Korean and easily learnable, rendering it accessible and usable for the common people.
Thus, the Hunminjeongeum was born. In the preface of its proclamation, King Sejong states as follows:
"Being of foreign origin, Chinese characters are incapable of capturing uniquely Korean meanings. Therefore, many common people have no way to express their thoughts and feelings. Out of my sympathy for their difficulties, I have created a set of 28 letters. The letters are very easy to learn, and it is my fervent hope that they improve the quality of life of all people." The statement captures the essence of King Sejong's determination and dedication to cultural independence and commitment to the welfare of the people. |
| Consonants: |
 (g,k),
 (n),
 (d,t),
 (r
or l),  (m),
 (b,p),
 (s),
 (ng),
 (j),
 (ch),
 (k)
 (t),
 (p),
 (h)
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| Vowels: |
 (a),
 (ya),
 (eo),
 (yeo),
 (o),
 (yo),
 (u),
 (yu),
 (eu),
 (i)
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| The basic letters of the alphabet when Hunminjeongeum was first created numbered eight; they were the consonants ",,,,"
and the vowels " .,," The reason consonants and vowels were separated was due to their differing functions when two letters were combined to form a syllable. Hunminjeongeum is basically a form of hieroglyph. Consonants, the initial sound letters, resemble a person's speech organs. The shape of each letter is based on the form of different sound articulation units. Other consonants, excluding by adding additional strokes to the basic forms, based on the strength of the sounds. The vowels, on the other hand, were created in the image of the sky, land, and man.
That is, "." resembles the roundness of the sky, ''
represents the flat land and '' is the image of a standing man. The other vowels"(a), (ya), (eo),
(yeo), (o), (yo), (u), (yu)" are variations of their three basic vowels. "." is not used today.
The creation of the Hunminjeongeum was truly a remarkable accomplishment. Creating consonants based on a person's speech organs and vowels based on shapes of the sky, land, and man was truly a revolutionary and unprecedented process.
King Sejong and the scholars of the Jiphyeonjeon, creators of the Korean alphabet, considered human sounds as being more than mere physical phenomena. They assumed that an invisible yet more powerful principle was the controlling force behind these phenomena. They adhered to the principle that human sounds and all universal phenomena are all based on yin and yang (positive and negative), and ohaeng (the five primary elements: metal, wood, water, fire and earth). Hence, they thought it natural that there bead common link between sounds and the changing of the seasons, and between sounds and music.
A Korean syllable is divided into three parts: choseong (initial consonant), jungseong (peak vowel), and jongseong (final consonant). This is the basic framework that King Sejong and the Jiphyeonjeon scholars adhered to when created the letters. Jongseong was not separately created and was a repetition of the choseong. Therefore, Hangeul is an efficient combination of the consonants and vowels.
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As the above examples clearly show, Hangeul with only 14 consonants and 10 vowels, is capable of expressing virtually any sound. |
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