Beyond the Invention: Trajectory, Modern Use, and Global Affordances

Acknowledging that the Korean alphabet was a desideratum for the Korean people, especially for ordinary people, this chapter traces the trajectory of the Korean alphabet after its birth. As opposed to King Sejong’s vision, the writing system was not welcomed by ruling elites in the fifteenth century and onward, who viewed Chinese characters as true writing. It surveys the sociocultural context of the JoSeon dynasty and the alphabet usage primarily by ordinary people and women. It then reviews how Hangul was named to refer to the Korean alphabet in the twentieth century. Although the writing system went through forced suppression by Japanese imperialism in the early-twentieth century, Hangul found its way to mass use due to its learnability, usability, and functionality. After reviewing Hangul and Hanja use in South Korea and North Korea, discussed are Hangul’s global affordances, including accolades by international linguists as the most scientific alphabet, recognition by UNESCO, and the extended efforts to implement Hangul in other languages.