The Great Korean Alphabet: King Sejong and Hangul

While previous episodes have traced South Korea’s industrial rise and political struggles, this episode turns back to the 15th century to explore the creation of Hangul. We examine how King Sejong the Great, driven by a desire for literacy among commoners, designed a scientifically precise writing system that defied the cultural hegemony of Classical Chinese. Through conversations with scholars and court scribes like Jang Yeong-sil, we uncover the linguistic genius behind the script’s geometric shapes and the fierce resistance it faced from the elite class who viewed it as inferior. This story reveals how a language policy born out of compassion and scientific curiosity became the bedrock of modern Korean identity, separating the nation culturally from its neighbors and enabling the rapid educational and economic transformations seen in later centuries.

#Hangul #KingSejong #KoreanHistory #JoseonDynasty #Linguistics #EastAsia #WritingSystems #CulturalIdentity #SeoulHistory #JangYeongSil #ClassicalChinese #SinoKorean #IduScript #Hyangchal #15thCentury #KoreanCulture #FexingoHistory #History

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