Hangul (Korean Characters)
Koreans have used their own unique Korean characters called Hangul since the early Chosun dynasty (1392-1910). In 1443, under the King Sejong, Hangul was created under the original name of HunMinJongUm, which literally meant "the correct sounds for the instruction of the people." It is believed one of the most efficient character systems in the world and has gained unanimous praise and reputation from linguistic scholars for its scientific design and excellence.
King Sejong is considered one of the greatest rulers in the history of Korea. Highly respected for his benevolent disposition and diligence, he was also a passionate scholar whose knowledge and natural talent in all fields of study astounded even the most highbrow experts. When he was not performing his official duties, King Sejong enjoyed reading and meditating. He could also be very tenacious at times and would never yield on what he thought was right. Love for the people was the cornerstone of his reign, and he was always ready to listen to the voices of the common folks. He was King of virtue with the welfare of the people dictating all policy formulations.

During his reign, King Sejong always deplored the fact that the common people were not able to read and write. They were ignorant of the complicated Chinese characters and only the educated used them. He understood the common people's frustration in not being able to read or to communicate their thoughts and feelings on written words. The Chinese script was used by the intelligentsia of the country, but being of foreign origin, it could not fully express the words and meaning of Korean thoughts and spoken language.

King Sejong felt great sympathy for the people. As a revolutionary ruler strongly dedicated to national identity and cultural independence, he immediately searched for solutions. What he envisioned was a set of letters that was uniquely Korean and easily learnable, rendering it accessible and usable for the common people. Thus, the HunMinJongUm was created. In the preface of its proclamation, King Sejong states as follows:

"Being of foreign origin, Chinese characters are incapable of capturing uniquely Korean meanings. Therefore, many common people have no way to express their thoughts and feelings. Out of my sympathy for their difficulties, I have created a set of 28 letters. The letters are very easy to learn, and it is my fervent hope that they improve the quality of life in Chosun."

The statement captures the essence of King Sejong's determination and dedication to cultural independence and commitment to the welfare of the people.
When King Sejong promulgated HunMinJongUm, it had 28 letters in all, of which only 24 are used today: 14 are consonants and 10 are vowels. The reason consonants and vowels were separated was due to their differing functions when two letters were combined to form a syllable. HunMinJongUm is basically a form of hieroglyph. Consonants, the initial sound letters, resemble a person's speech organs. The shape of each letter is based on the form of different sound articulation units. Five consonants were created first and the other nine additional consonants were developed by adding additional strokes to the five basic forms, based on the strength of the sounds.
The vowels were created by the image of the sky, land, and man. The first three were created first and the other eights vowels were the variations of the three basic vowels. Creating consonants based on a person's speech organs and vowels based on the shapes of the sky, land, and man was truly a revolutionary and unprecedented process. The creation of HunMinJongUm was truly a remarkable cultural heritage for Koreans. Throughout history, Hangul has been at the root of Korean culture, making it possible to preserve its strong national identity and independence.
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