History of Hangeul

By Nathan Kim

Abstract
The Korean alphabet, Hangeul, is truly unique among many languages of the world. Created nearly 600 years ago, through the leadership of King Sejong, it was intended to answer both the linguistic and social problems that plagued 15th century Korea. However from the very beginning, it faced much resistance, ranging from the social elite who wanted to keep the traditional Chinese characters to the Japanese who attempted to wipe out the language during the Japanese occupation. Thus its development has always been an uphill battle, but it has still managed to grow to the point where it is firmly ingrained into Korean society and where it is nearly impossible to envision Korea without it.

Abstract (continued)
Nevertheless it continues to face issues, such as the rise of the Roman alphabet as a result of the dominance of English in global matters and many attempts to efficiently romanize it. Therefore the purpose of my power point project is to provide a brief introduction into the history of this unique alphabet, its development from its conception until now, and discuss its future it in the modern era. This will provide an opportunity to answer the questions of why and how Hangeul was created and offer a better understanding of the man behind it. Also it will easier to see what differentiates Hangeul from various other languages around the world. Hopefully through this project, others can gain a better understanding of a language that was once isolated from the rest of the world.

Questions.
Why was the Korean alphabet, Hangeul, created? How was it created? What is its role in Korean society today?

Introduction
Overview of Korean
Spoken by nearly 78 million people worldwide A language isolate Not genetically related to Chinese or Japanese

http://rickinbham.tripod.com/Korea_Map.jpg

Introduction
History
Classical Chinese characters (hancha) used prior to creation of Hangeul. Chinese characters common among all of Northeast Asia at the time Chinese characters worked well with Chinese because it was monosyllabic
Languages such as Korean and Japanese (polysyllabic) required new writing systems
Japan developed a syllabic script Kana (Kim 10)

Creation of Hangeul: Why?

Linguistically:
Chinese characters insufficient to express the language Separation between written language and spoken language Chinese characters were too difficult for common people to learn Syllable inventory and typology too complex to model Japanese (Kana) system Required a more phonemic system

Creation of Hangeul: Why?

Socially:
Attempt to make common people literate and their lives easier Used by aristocracy to maintain status and dominance Common people unable to learn Chinese script Not intended to be revolutionary, simply a more efficient way to express language (Buzo 12)

Creation of Hangeul: Why?

King Sejong in the Hunmin Jeong-Eum:
The speech sounds of our nation are different from those of China and are not confluent in writing. Thus, there are many among the ignorant peasants who, when they have something they wish to say, are ultimately unable to express their meanings. Taking pity on this, I have newly created twenty-eight letters, and simply wish for any and all to learn them with ease and use them at their convenience in daily life (Kim 17).

King Sejong: Man behind Hangeul

Called (King Sejong the Great)
One of only 2 kings to be given Great title

Fourth King of Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) Also famous in technology, military, humanitarian work Was a noted phonetician Most famous for creation of Hangeul

Creation of Hangeul: How?

Created in secret because of resistance from aristocracy More than likely had a team of researchers
Eonmuncheong (Vulgar Script Bureau) (Kim 14)

Sent researchers to Chinese phonetician as many as 13 times

The process
Started with 5 consonants (,k ,n ,m ,s , )
Based on shape of mouth when making sounds

Also 3 vowels ( , , )
Dot represented heaven (bright vowel) Horizontal line represented earth (dark vowel) Vertical line represented man (neutral vowel) (Kim 17-26)

The Outcome
Released (The Correct/Proper Sounds for the Instruction of the People) in 1446
2 versions exist:
7-page manuscript written in Hancha and Chinese 36-page manuscript containing Hancha and its Hangul counterpart

The result
67 consonant letters and 31 vowel letters (Kim 26) 30 consonants and 21 vowels used today
14 basic consonants

10 basic vowels
, , , , , , , , ,

The rest of the letters are derived from these basic letters

Alphabet chart

http://www.koreainfo.dk/pics/hangul-chart.jpg

Opposition
Opposed by literary elite
Ties to China Only barbarians different from Chinese Reduce culture level Expedited without input from the people (Kim 14-15)

Opposed by later king

10th king of Joseon Yeonsangun forbade study or use of Hangeul in 1504

Initial Stages
Elite continued to use Classical Chinese Because of opposition, Hangeul mainly used by woman and lower-middle class As a result, Hangeul looked down upon but still prolonged (Horigan 12)

Development
Promoted during era of Korean Nationalism in late 19th century Arrival of Catholic and Protestant missionaries (Horigan 12)
Used hangeul to spread religion Brought Western ideas about education

Gabo Reform of 1894 (Kim 35)

Attempt by Korea to reform and modernize Afterwards hangul was adopted in official documents

Japanese Occupation
Annexed by Japan in 1910
Japan bans Hangeul from being taught
Cultural assimilation

Still used despite ban

Seen as patriotic

Used Hancha-Hangeul mix similar to Japanese Kanji-Kana system

Post-war Hangeul
After gaining independence in 1945 Hangeul is used as official writing system Hancha becomes phased out Hangeul predominately used
Academic Literature Korean names Still taught in junior high and high school

English letters becomes more common (Kim 136-140)

Future of Hangeul
Increasingly influenced by English (Roman) letters New generation of Hangeul supporters Possible changes to the way Hangeul is written (Kwon 85)
Meant to extract the beauty of Hangeul Overcome limitations in designing Hangeul fonts

What makes Hangeul different?

Created in three years instead of many years of development History much more easily traced Relatively recent script Calculated and scientific formation Intended to be a more effective way of expressing the language than previously possible

Conclusion
After much research, it has been easy to see why many Koreans view Hangeul as a source of national pride. Having endured nearly half a millennia of opposition and struggle, it has reached the point where it is difficult to imagine Korean without it. However there are still many questions to answer. Where will Hangeul go from here? How will it deal with the dominance of English and the reemergence of China as a regional power? What will they continue to use hancha? Are Koreans willing to sacrifice tradition for a more conventional method of writing it? Only time can answer these important questions, but what is certain is that Hangeul will persevere.

References
Horigan, D. Hangul and hanja: a brief history of the Korean writing system. Asian Culture Quarterly (Taipei) 20 (Spring 1992): 8-14. Buzo, Adrian. An introduction to early Korean writing systems. Korea Journal (Seoul) 22, no. 1 (Jan 1982): 11-13. Kwon, Hyeok-soo. The History and Current Status of Hangeul Typography. Koreana 16 (Autumn 2002): 84-86 Kim, Jeongsu. 1990. The History and Future of Hangeul: Koreas Indigenous Script. London: Global Oriental