Hangul: The Unique Korean Writing System
Hangul (한글) is the official writing system of South Korea and North Korea. It was invented in the 15th century by King Sejong of the Joseon Dynasty. Designed to be simple, logical, and easy to learn, Hangul aimed to make literacy accessible to all people. Before Hangul's creation, Koreans primarily used Chinese characters (Hanja), which were difficult for commoners to learn due to their complexity. A Brief History of Hangul Hangul was introduced in 1443 and officially published in 1446 through a document titled "Hunminjeongeum" (훈민정음), which translates to "The Correct Sounds for the Instruction of the People." This document outlined the purpose of Hangul: to create a writing system that anyone, regardless of class, could easily learn to read and write. King Sejong developed Hangul with the help of scholars, basing its design on phonetic principles and logical structures. This makes Hangul one of the most scientifically developed alphabets in the world. Structur...