Hangeul: The Korean Alphabet

History of Hangeul

Most alphabets around the world have mysterious and unknown origins. They slowly evolved from pictures into symbols that represent sounds. The Korean alphabet (Hangeul) is different and unique among widely used alphabets because rather than evolving, it was deliberately created.

During the 15th century, Koreans used Chinese characters to write. These characters are known as "Hanja" and are still occasionally used in Korea, especially on calendars. Since Korean is grammatically very different from Chinese, writing Korean using Hanja was an almost impossible task. Therefore, only the Korean elite were literate.

In 1443, King Sejong decided that it would be better for Korea if the Korean language had its own alphabet. He then set to work, and by 1444, the new alphabet was completed.

Is Hangeul difficult to learn?

Unlike Chinese characters, Hangeul is incredibly easy to learn. It is said that "a wise man can learn it in the morning, and a less wise man can learn it in ten days." In fact, it can be learned in less than two hours if you use the best possible techniques; try our 90-minute challenge to see how. Compare these two hours to the time needed to learn to read Chinese, and you can imagine how revolutionary Hangeul must have seemed at the time of its invention!

What does Hangeul look like?

Like most other alphabets, Hangeul is phonetic. But it also has several adaptations that make it well suited to Korean. For example, rather than being written in a straight line, the letters that make up Hangeul are arranged in a square shape that corresponds to the Chinese characters they replaced. This makes it easy to identify the meaning of any word based on Chinese characters.

Another rather incredible adaptation of the language is that the consonants are based on the shape the mouth takes when pronouncing them. This foresight is only possible because the language was planned, and it makes Hangeul easy to learn.

The vowel letters are based on a combination of three elements: a dot, representing the sun; a vertical line, representing man; and a horizontal line, representing the earth. Unlike English, each vowel sound in Korean has its own letter, which makes a huge difference when learning to pronounce new words.

Although Hangeul is a created language, it has slightly evolved over time, with some letters becoming obsolete. The double ㅎ sound, for example, is no longer used. The original script also had marks to indicate the pitch of words, but these marks are no longer used. Additionally, the dots that were used in vowel sounds are now almost exclusively drawn as short lines.

Introduction to Hangeul

Despite all the advantages of Hangeul, it nearly disappeared during the Joseon dynasty. The elite at the time wanted to preserve their status and, as a result, considered Chinese characters as the only true way to write Korean. In the early 16th century, Hangeul was effectively banned by the king, and the educational centers that taught Hangeul were closed.

However, Hangeul experienced a resurgence in the 19th century and gradually became more and more common, notably due to its role in Korean nationalism during the Japanese occupation era. Even after Korea's independence, Chinese characters were still frequently used, and if you read newspapers from the 1950s and 1960s, you will see a mix of Chinese characters and Hangeul. It was only in the 1970s that the use of Chinese characters declined, but nowadays, almost all Korean is written in Hangeul.

The date of Hangeul Day in Korea has varied greatly since its creation in 1926, but its current date, October 9, has been used since 1945. Nowadays, Korean workers will be happy to see that October 9 is marked in red on their calendar, meaning this day is a national holiday. But it hasn't always been this way; between 1991 and 2012, Hangeul Day lost its status as a national holiday and workers did not get a day off. Fortunately, its status as a national holiday was restored in 2012. So this year, you can enjoy the beautiful weather that Korea usually experiences in early October instead of being stuck behind a desk.

Curious about what Hangeul Day is?

Hangeul Day is a day dedicated to celebrating the Korean alphabet, known as Hangeul (or "Hangul"). This day is known as 한글날 (Hangulnal) in Korean, and is also known as "Hangul Proclamation Day."

Hangeul Day is celebrated on October 9 in South Korea, and on January 15 north of the DMZ.

At first, it may seem a bit strange that people take a day off to celebrate the alphabet (but of course, any reason for a day off is a good reason!). However, once you learn the history of Hangeul, you will see why it is so important to Korea and Korean culture!

How to celebrate Hangul Day

Why not commemorate Hangul Day by visiting the King Sejong Museum? The museum is easy to find; it is located directly under the large golden statue of King Sejong in Gwanghwamun Square, opposite Gyeongbok Palace in Seoul. The museum entrance is at the back of the statue.

Inside the museum, several exhibits explain the creation of Hangeul as well as other technological advances during King Sejong's reign. The period of King Sejong's reign is often considered a golden age in Korean history, where enlightenment and knowledge, rather than war and invasion, were the defining events of the time. It is no surprise that a picture of King Sejong appears on the ten thousand won bill!

Another way to celebrate Hangeul Day in Korea is to learn Hangeul. As we have already mentioned, learning the Korean alphabet takes only two hours and allows you to read Korean signs as well as improve your pronunciation and ability to learn new words. What better way to celebrate this day than by learning the language.

Show everyone how awesome you think Hangeul is by writing something using the Korean alphabet in the comments below!