The origins of world language writing are generally considered to have begun with the cuneiform script invented by the Sumerians of Mesopotamia around 3400 BCE and recorded on clay tablets, and the hieroglyphs of ancient Egypt. These two systems developed and became the basis for various writing systems, including the Chinese characters of East Asia and alphabets derived from the Phoenician alphabet. In particular, the modern European alphabet developed from the Phoenician alphabet, a simplified form of the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, through Greece and Rome.
However, among all the writing systems in the world, there is one that has its own unique existence, not originating from either Egyptian hieroglyphs or Chinese characters (oracle bone script): Korea's "Hangeul."
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| Hangeul (hangul) |
Hangeul(Hangul) is a writing system created by King Sejong, the fourth king of the Joseon Dynasty, in December 1443. It is a significant and great writing system that lowered the illiteracy rate by making it easier for Koreans, who had previously used difficult Chinese characters, to write and read.
It is considered the world's only original and scientific writing system created by a king for the people. Its scientific nature reflects pronunciation principles in its letter shapes, and its ability to express many sounds with a small number of letters makes it efficient. Furthermore, its fast character creation and recognition speeds make it ideal for the modern digital environment. It also boasts a clear history and is easy to learn.
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| the origins of world language characters |
And Hangeul can express any sound in the world with letters. While English can express only five vowels A, E, I, O, U Hangul can create ten basic vowels plus dozens of compound vowels. So, while the 26 letters of the alphabet can express hundreds of sounds, Hangeul's 24 letters can express around 11,000 sounds. Japanese has around 300 sounds, and Chinese characters around 400 a vastly different number.
UNESCO recognized the excellence of Hangeul by designating it as a 'World Documentary Heritage' in 1997 and awarding the 'King Sejong Literacy Prize' named after King Sejong.
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| king sejong |
King Sejong, the creator of Hangeul, suffered from severe health problems due to the excessive workload and stress he endured during the creation of Hangeul. He suffered from various ailments, including obesity, diabetes, poor eyesight, and back pain. In particular, his eye disease worsened to the point of near-blindness, and by his later years, he was believed to have suffered from a disease that nearly rendered him blind.
Thus, King Sejong was a ruler with a compassionate heart, deeply empathizing with the suffering of his people. To commemorate this king and the creation of Hangeul, October 9th is designated as a national holiday in Korea.
