Hanja (Korean: 한자; Hanja: 漢字, Korean pronunciation: [ha(ː)ntɕ͈ a]), alternatively known as Hancha, are Chinese characters

(Chinese: 漢
字; pinyin: hànzì) used in the writing of Korean.[1] Hanja was used as early as the Gojoseon period under the first Korean kingdom.

Hanja-eo (한자어, 漢字語) refers to Sino-Korean vocabulary, which can be written with Hanja, and hanmun (한문, 漢文) refers to Classical
Chinese writing, although Hanja is also sometimes used to encompass both concepts. Because Hanja characters have never undergone any major
reforms, they more closely resemble traditional Japanese (구자체, 舊字體) and traditional Chinese characters, although the stroke orders for certain
characters are slightly different. Such examples are the characters 教 and 敎, as well as 研 and 硏.[2] Only a small number of Hanja characters were
modified or are unique to Korean, with the rest being identical to the traditional Chinese characters. By contrast, many of the Chinese characters
currently in use in mainland China, Malaysia and Singapore have been simplified, and contain fewer strokes than the corresponding Hanja characters.

Although a phonetic Hangul (also known as Chosŏn'gŭl in North Korea) had been promulgated by Sejong the Great in 1446 through
the Hunminjeongeum, it did not come into widespread official use until the late 19th and early 20th century.[3][4] Thus, until that time it was necessary to
be fluent in reading and writing Hanja to be literate in Korean, as Korean documents, history, literature and records throughout its history until the
contemporary period were written primarily in Literary Chinese using Hanja as its primary script. Therefore, a good working knowledge of Chinese
characters is still important for anyone who wishes to interpret and study older texts from Korea, or anyone who wishes to read scholarly texts in the
humanities. A high proficiency in Hanja is also useful for understanding the etymology of Sino-Korean words as well as to enlarge one's Korean
vocabulary.[5]

Hanja were once used to write native Korean words, in a variety of systems collectively known as idu, but by the 20th century Koreans used hanja only
for writing Sino-Korean words, while writing native vocabulary and loanwords from other languages in Hangul. By the 21st century, even Sino-Korean
words are usually written in the Hangul alphabet, with the corresponding Chinese character sometimes written next to it to prevent confusion if there
are other characters or words with the same Hangul spelling. According to the Standard Korean Language Dictionary published by the National
Institute of Korean Language (NIKL), approximately half (50%) of Korean words are Sino-Korean, mostly in academic fields (science, government, and
society).[6] Other dictionaries, such as the Urimal Keun Sajeon, claim this number might be as low as roughly 30%.[7][8]

History[edit]
See also: History of Korean

Introduction of literary Chinese to Korea[edit]

The calligraphy of Korean scholar, poet and painter Gim

Jeonghui (김정희; 金正喜) of the early nineteenth century. Like most educated Koreans from the Three
Kingdom period until the fall of the Joseon dynasty in 1910, Gim Jeong-hui composed most of his works
in hanmun or literary Chinese.
There is no traditionally accepted date for when literary Chinese (한문; 漢文; hanmun) written in Chinese characters (한자; 漢字; hanja) entered Korea.
Early Chinese dynastic histories, the only sources for very early Korea, do not mention a Korean writing system. During the 3rd century BC, Chinese
migrations into the peninsula occurred due to war in northern China and the earliest archaeological evidence of Chinese writing appearing in Korea is
dated to this period. A large number of inscribed knife money from pre-Lelang sites along the Yalu River have been found. A sword dated to 222 BC
with Chinese engraving was unearthed in Pyongyang.[9]

From 108 BC to 313 AD, the Han dynasty established the Four Commanderies of Han in northern Korea and institutionalized the Chinese language.
[10]
According to the Samguk Sagi, Goguryeo had hanmun from the beginning of its existence, which starts in 37 BC.[11] It also says that the king of
Goguryeo composed a poem in 17 BC. The Gwanggaeto Stele, dated to 414, is the earliest securely dated relic
bearing hanmun inscriptions. Hanmun became commonplace in Goguryeo during the 5th and 6th centuries and according to the Book of Zhou, the
Chinese classics were available in Goguryeo by the end of the 6th century. The Samguk Sagi mentions written records in Baekje beginning in 375 and
Goguryeo annals prior to 600.[12] Japanese chronicles mention Baekje people as teachers of hanmun. According to the Book of Liang, the people
of Silla did not have writing in the first half of the 6th century but this may have been only referring to agreements and contracts, represented by
notches on wood. The Bei Shi, covering the period 386–618, says that the writing, armour, and weapons in Silla were the same as those in China.
The Samguk Sagi says that records were kept in Silla starting in 545.[13]

Some western writers claimed that knowledge of Chinese entered Korea with the spread of Buddhism, which occurred around the 4th century.
[10]
Traditionally Buddhism is believed to have been introduced to Goguryeo in 372, Baekje in 384, and Silla in 527.[14]

Another major factor in the adoption of hanmun was the adoption of the gwageo, copied from the Chinese imperial examination, open to all freeborn
men. Special schools were set up for the well-to-do and the nobility across Korea to train new scholar officials for civil service. Adopted by Silla and
Goryeo, the gwageo system was maintained by Goryeo after the unification of Korea until the end of the nineteenth century. The scholarly élite began
learning the hanja by memorising the Thousand Character Classic (천자문; 千字文; Cheonjamun), Three Character Classic (삼자경; 三字經; Samja
Gyeong)