Formation of Korean Alphabet

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

There are many different kinds of writing systems in the world. Among these writing systems, some represent the meaning, while others represent the sounds of the language. There are some that were used by ancient peoples but are no longer in use; and there are some that have been in use for several thousand years without interruption. Among all these systems, there is Hangul.
If we compare Hangul with other modern writing systems, there are two points in particular which be kept in mind.
1.Most modern writing systems have evolved over a long period of time, and we do not know whom to credit with their creation nor can we say when they were created. We know, however, when and by whom Hangul was invented.
2.Most modern writing systems have been in use for thousands of years. By comparison, Hangul is one of the youngest writing systems in use, only 542 years old. Therefore, we can well imagine that at the time of inventing Hangul, its creators were able to weigh carefully the pros and cons of existing writing system. It is no accident that the relationships among the Hangul letters themselves, and between the letters and the sound values they represent, are very systematic and logical.
Koreans take great pride in the uniqueness of Hangul. This pride may be the result of the emphasis placed on Hangul's excellence which begins early in grammar school when students start to learn Hangul. Hangul is certainly easy to learn.
There is a corollary to this situation illustrated by the following anecdote. A young Korean student who went to Europe to study boasted to his western friends about how wonderful Hangul is. He expounded on the merits of Hangul's scientific nature. When he had finished, one of the friends who had listened to the story asked the young Korean student, "But why don't you use the Roman alphabet in your country?" The point of this story is that no matter how scientific Hangul is, or how easy it is to learn it is perceived as such only by those who know Korean and write in Hangul.
Stepping aside from the traditional or popular view, I will try to take a more objective point of view. This paper will progress through three stages: the first concerns the hidden purpose behind the creation of Hangul, the second concerns the state of written language in Korea prior to Hangul's creation, and the third concerns the characteristics of Hangul as a writing system. It is this last section in which I will present what I consider a new theory on the origin of Hangul.
In the past the origin of Hangul has been of great interest to many scholars, but there was and still are many questions still unanswered concerning its origin.