King Sejong the Great, the King of Joseon who invented Hangeul(Korean alphabet)

 Korea uses a unique and original alphabet called Hangeul(한글), also known as Hangul. Hangeul is different from Chinese characters and also from Japanese characters. So, don't you wonder when Korea started using Hangeul? Today, I will let you know about Hangul used in Korea.

Gwanghwamun Square, located on Sejong-ro in front of Gyeongbokgung Palace, houses the statue of King Sejong. This statue with a new spirit to raise people's pride and promote the nation's excellence to the world, considering the historical fact that he was the first king to ascend to the throne and ascend to the throne as a national hero. 

 

King Sejong the Great, the King of Joseon, who invented Hangul

King Sejong (1397-1450) was the fourth king of the Joseon Dynasty in Korea and is best known for inventing Hangeul (Korean alphabet). He ruled from 1418 to 1450 and is one of the most respected historical figures in Korea for his contributions to language, science, technology, and governance.

Why did King Sejong make Hangeul?

King Sejong created Hangeul to make it easier for people to read and write.

It is said that it was made with the hope that the people could use it a little easier and more convenient. By the creation of Hangeul, we had no letters, so we borrowed Chinese characters, which are other people's letters, got rid of the inconvenience of using them according to Chinese grammar, and achieved the development we have today by expressing freely.

Hangeul, How it was created

Before Hangeul, Korean mainly used Chinese characters as characters, which was difficult for ordinary people to learn. Literacy was mostly limited to scholars and aristocrats. King Sejong wanted to create simple and accessible characters that anyone, regardless of social class, could read and write.

In 1443, he developed Hangeul with his scholars in the Hall of Worthies(Jiphyeonjeon), which was officially published in 1446 as Hunminjeongeum (훈민정음, "The Right Sound for the Teaching of the People").

What are three characteristics of Hangeul?

1. Originality : the creation of a new system of letters without imitating or transforming other letters.

2. Simplity : Any sound can be written in 24 letters.

3. Practicality : The principle of a simple voice, in which one letter is pronounced as one sound, is applied, so anyone can easily read and write.

The Value and Excellence of Hangeul

Hangeul's letters are based on the shape of the mouth and tongue when pronouncing each sound.

It is specifically designed for ordinary people to learn to read and write in a short time.

Unlike Chinese alphabet, which requires memorization, hangeul combines small sets of syllable characters to form syllables.

Today King Sejong is respected in many ways

Hangeul Day (Oct. 9 in South Koreaa) is a day to celebrate the creation of Hangeul Day.

The statue of King Sejong at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul is a major landmark.

He is widely known as one of the greatest kings in Korean history for his contributions to Korean culture and development as well as Hangeul.

Would you like to know more about Hangeul?

King Sejong Institute promotes Korean language education all over the world.

Korean consonants: Korean consonants ( ㄱ ㄴ ㄷ ㄹ ㅁ ㅂ ㅅ ㅇ ㅈ ㅊ ㅌ ㅍ ㅎ)

Hangeul consists of 14 consonants and 10 vowels, with a total of 24 letters. It is recommended to study pronunciation with 14 consonants.

14 consonants

There are 14 basic consonants in Hangeul, also known as Hangul. These consonants are divided into two groups: These consonants are categorized into two groups: the Batchim consonants and the Initial consonants. ㄱ, ㄴ, ㄷ, ㄹ, ㅁ, ㅂ, ㅅ, ㅇ, ㅈ, ㅊ, ㅋ, ㅌ, ㅍ, ㅎ. 

How to read 14 consonants Hangeul

Basic consonants : ㄱ, ㄷ, ㄹ, ㅁ, ㅂ, ㅅ, ㅋ, ㅊ, ㅌ, ㅍ, ,, ㅌ, ㅎ (14)

Composite consonants : ㄲ, ㄸ, ㅃ, ㅆ, ㅉ (5)

ㄱ	기윽	kiŭk	K or G
ㄴ	니은	niŭn	N
ㄷ	디읃	diŭt	D or T
ㄹ	리을	riŭl	R or L
ㅁ	미음	miŭm	M
ㅂ	비읍	piŭp	B or P
ㅅ	시읏	siŭt	S
ㅇ	이응	'iŭng	NG
ㅈ	지읒	jiŭt	J
ㅊ	치읓	chiŭt	Ch
ㅋ	키읔	ḳiŭk	K
ㅌ	티읕	ṭiŭt	T
ㅍ	피읖	p̣iŭp	P
ㅎ	히읗	hiŭt	H

 

How to read Korean Hangeul Vowels

Basic vowels: ㅏ, ㅑ, ㅓ, ㅕ, ㅗ, ㅛ, ㅜ, ㅠ, -, ㅣ (10)

Composite vowels: ㅐ, ㅒ, ㅔ, ㅖ, ㅘ, ㅙ, ㅚ, ㅝ, ㅞ, ㅢ, ㅟ, ㅢ (11)

ㅏ	아	A
ㅑ	야	YA
ㅓ	어	EO
ㅕ	여	YEO
ㅗ	오	O
ㅛ	요	YO
ㅜ	우	U
ㅠ	유	YU
ㅡ	으	EU
ㅣ	이	I

How to learn hangeul

To learn Hangeul, it's very easy. You can study it in short sessions. You can also use resources like Youtube, Apps, and many Online courses.

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