Hangeul, the Korean phonetic alphabet, is considered the greatest cultural heritage of the nation.
The name, which translates to “a unique script with no equal in the world,” was invented in 1443 by King Sejong the Great, the fourth monarch of the Joseon Dynasty.
According to kccuk.org.uk, there is evidence suggesting that the King’s advisers were opposed to replacing Chinese characters with a new phonetic script. However, King Sejong the Great was determined to create a comprehensive alphabet for the Korean people.
King Sejong the Great, along with the scholars of the Hall of Worthies (Jiphyeonjeon), wrote Hunminjeongeum, the manuscript that formally introduced Hangeul to the world.
Among the 28 characters that make up Hunminjeongeum, also the original name of Hangeul, five are basic consonants: ㄱ, ㄴ, ㅁ, ㅅ, ㅇ. Three are basic vowels: ㆍ, ㅡ, ㅣ. The remaining characters are created by adding strokes or by combining them.
The five basic consonants were designed based on the shape of the human vocal organs. The letter ㄱ is modeled after the shape of the tongue blocking the throat. The letter ㄴ is shaped after the tongue touching the upper gums. The letter ㅁ reflects the shape of the mouth or lips. The letter ㅅ is modeled after the shape of the teeth, and the letter ㅇ is based on the shape of the throat.
By adding strokes to these five basic consonant characters depending on the intensity of the sound, a total of 17 consonant characters were created.
The three basic vowels, meanwhile, were created based on the shapes representing heaven (ㆍ), earth (ㅡ), and human (ㅣ). 11 vowel characters were made by combining these basic vowels.
