King Sejong who Created Hangul, Korean Alphabet made by him

Korea uses its own Korean Alphabet.

Hangul is very different from Chinese characters or Japanese characters. Then, aren't you curious about when Korean started using Hangul in Korea and who made such a great Hangul?

The Great King Sejong

It was King Sejong, the king of the Joseon Dynasty, who created Hangeul. Sejong was born in 1397, five years after 1392 to 1397 the year when Joseon was founded, and was the first king born during the Joseon Dynasty.

Who is Sejong

During his 31-year reign, King Sejong was praised as the best king representing Joseon by leaving numerous records. He is also a monarch who is called the Great King along with Gwanggaeto the Great among all Korean historical monarchs. 

Hangeul, created by King Sejong, is designated and used as the official character of the modern Republic of Korea/North Korea, and the northern border established during the Sejong period has become the border of the northern part of the Korean Peninsula and continues to this day. As such, Sejong's reign had a great influence on the culture and life of modern Koreans, and because of this achievement, Sejong became the most respected figure among Koreans along with Yi Sun-shin

The statue of King Sejong was erected in the center of Gwanghwamun Square in front of Gyeongbokgung Palace. Sitting with a book in his hand with a soft smile on his face, the 6.2-meter-high statue commemorates the king and his great achievements. 

King Sejong was loved by the people and called the "hero of the people" because of his efforts to improve their lives and kingdoms. In front of the statue is a celestial sphere, a precipitation meter, and a sundial that King Sejong invented during his tenure. Behind the statue are six gold-carved pillars depicting the king's major achievements, as well as an underground passageway to the Sejong Story Exhibition Hall run by the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts. King Sejong (1418-1450) is best remembered as the inventor of the Korean alphabet, Hangul. During his tenure, he laid the foundation for ruling the Joseon Dynasty by incorporating Confucian philosophy into politics. In addition, he led the country to great developments in agriculture, literature, science, and technology.

A Quick Guide to Hangul

Hangul is a featural writing system. This means that the letters mimic the shape the mouth made when the corresponding sound is created. Absolutely fascinating!

Korean Alphabet, Hangul

The Korean alphabet or Hangul consists of 24 basic letters: 14 consonants (ㄱ ㄴ ㄷ ㄹ ㅁ ㅂ ㅅ ㅇ ㅈ ㅊ ㅋ ㅌ ㅍ ㅎ) and 10 vowels (ㅏ ㅑ ㅓ ㅕ ㅗ ㅛ ㅜ ㅠ ㅡ ㅣ). Additionally, as you’ll dive into it, you’ll discover that there are in fact 19 complex letters with 5 tense consonants (ㄲ ㄸ ㅃ ㅉ ㅆ) and 11 complex vowels (ㅢ ㅚ ㅐ ㅟ ㅔ ㅒ ㅖ ㅘ ㅝ ㅙ ㅞ) formed by combining the basic letters.

“Hangul” in Korean

“Hangul” in Korean is 한글 (hangeul). Hangul is also written in English as “Hangeul.” 

There are two different ways of spelling the same word. “Hangul” is the most common way, and “Hangeul” is the newer way of writing it.

Hangul Meaning

 “Han” means “Korean,” and “gul” means “letter.” Put them together, and you’ve got the term “Korean letter” or “Korean Alphabet.”

Would you like to learn Hangul?

Hangul is very easy to learn. If you want to know Hangul, it's easy enough to read it in just one day.

By MyGallery.com