History of HangeulBackground of Hangeul's CreationHangeul, the Korean alphabet, was created in 1443 during the reign of King Sejong the Great and was officially proclaimed in 1446. Before its invention, Korean was written using classical Chinese characters, which were challenging to learn and inaccessible to ordinary people. In the preface of "Hunminjeongeum", King Sejong emphasized that Korean differs significantly from Chinese and cannot be accurately expressed using Chinese characters. To address this challenge, he designed Hangeul to be easy to learn and to enable all people, regardless of social status, to communicate effectively. The Situation During Hangeul's CreationDuring the 15th century, Korea was a highly stratified society under the rigid class system of the Joseon Dynasty. Literacy was primarily limited to the "yangban(양반)", or elite ruling class, who had the time and resources to study classical Chinese characters (hanja). Mastering hanja required years of dedicated learning, making it accessible only to a small fraction of the population. Why Did King Sejong Create Hangeul Alone?At the time, the Korean system relied exclusively on classical Chinese characters (hanja), which were foreign to the Korean language and extremely difficult for ordinary people to learn. This created a significant barrier to literacy and education, confining reading and writing to the elite yangban(양반) class. Commoners, women, and other marginalized groups had little to no access to written communication or knowledge. Why Was There Opposition to Hangeul's Creation?The elite class, known as the yangban(양반), who were proficient in classical Chinese, strongly opposed the creation of Hangeul. They believed the new writing system would undermine their social status, as their mastery of hanja (한자, Chinese characters) distinguished them from commoners and reinforced their position of power. For centuries, the ability to read and write in hanja symbolized education, sophistication, and authority. Making literacy accessible to the general population threatened this exclusive privilege. Was Hangeul Widely Used Immediately After Its Creation?Initially, Hangeul faced significant resistance and was not widely adopted by all social classes. While King Sejong introduced Hangeul in 1446 with the vision of making literacy accessible to everyone, the elite class continued to rely on hanja (classical Chinese characters) for official documents, scholarly works, and government records. They viewed Hangeul as inferior and resisted its use, fearing it would diminish their cultural and social dominance. When Did Hangeul Begin to Be Used More Actively?Hangeul began to gain wider acceptance during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a period marked by significant social and political changes in Korea. During this time, efforts to modernize Korea and assert its independence brought renewed attention to the importance of a uniquely Korean writing system. Who Contributed to the Spread of Hangeul?Several key figures contributed to the widespread adoption and promotion of Hangeul, particularly during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. One prominent figure was Ju Si-gyeong (주시경), a linguist and educator who played a pivotal role in establishing Hangeul as a foundation for modern Korean education and literature.
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