Hangul

A page from the Hunmin Jeong-eum Eonhae. The Hangul-only column, third from the left (나랏말ᄊᆞ미), has pitch-accent diacritics to the left of the syllable blocks.

The Korean alphabet, known as Hangul in South Korea and elsewhere and as Chosŏn'gŭl in North Korea and China, is the alphabet that has been used to write the Korean language since the 15th century. It was promulgated by King Sejong in 1443.

Quotes

• Han'gul is perhaps the most scientific system of writing in general use in any country.
  • Edwin O. Reischauer and John K. Fairbank, East Asia: the Great Tradition, Boston, Houghton Mifflin, 1960, p. 435; As cited in: Denis Sinor, ‎American Oriental Society. Middle West Branch (1969), American Oriental Society, Middle West Branch, p. 247

• Whether or not it is ultimately the best of all conceivable scripts for Korean, Hangeul must be unquestionably ranked as one of the greatest intellectual achievements of humankind.
  • Geoffrey Sampson, Writing systems : A linguistic introduction, 199; cited in: KSCPP (2007), Fifty Wonders of Korea: Culture and art. p. 29

• 國之語音，異乎中國，與文字不相流通，故愚民，有所欲言，而終不得伸其情者多矣。予爲此憫然，新制二十八字，欲使人人易習便於日用耳
  • 訓民正音
  • Because the speech of this country is different from that of China, it [the spoken language] does not match the [Chinese] letters. Therefore, even if the ignorant want to communicate, many of them in the end cannot state their concerns. Saddened by this, I have [had] 28 letters newly made. It is my wish that all the people may easily learn these letters and that [they] be convenient for daily use.
    • King Sejong, preface to Hunminjeongeum