The invention of the Korean alphabet in the fifteenth century marked a significant turning point in Korean history in terms of knowledge distribution. Despite its great potential, the ruling elite (scholar-bureaucrats) did not appreciate the alphabet for almost 500 years in the JoSeon dynasty in Korea. The ruling literati regarded the Chinese script as authentic writing, thus degrading the alphabet. Due to the intricate nature of the Chinese script and the rigid class system prevalent during the dynasty, literacy was confined to the privileged elite, resulting in oligoliteracy, whereby literacy was restricted to a small portion of the populace. This chapter examines the sociocultural landscape of the dynasty during which the alphabet was invented, and discusses how ordinary people and women played a key role in sustaining the alphabet in the face of elite resistance to the then-new alphabet. Ultimately, the Korean alphabet sparked public literacy, which served as a catalyst for knowledge democratization and heightened human capital in South Korea. It then discusses how the Korean alphabet contributed to establishing foundations for equal access to information, public empowerment, and social justice through literacy for all.