The well-designed Hunminjeongeum and a painful history of Hangeul

Ryu, Hyeonsook (author)

Korean is the native language of the Korean people and the official language of Korea. Its script, Hangeul (한글), was created in the 15th century by King Sejong the Great and was originally named Hunminjeongeum (訓民正音), meaning “correct sounds for the instruction of the people.” This paper examines the historical background of Hunminjeongeum’s creation and reviews documentary records related to its invention. It further analyzes the historical, social, and cultural significance of Hunminjeongeum, compiled by scholars of the Jiphyeonjeon (Hall of Worthies). The study also explores the complex process of its promulgation and the challenges it faced before becoming known as Hangeul. The paper aims to provide essential historical and socio-political context for understanding the development of Hangeul.

• Language: English
• Keywords: Hangeul, Hunminjeongeum, eonmun, Korean language, history of Korean language
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FF - Faculty of Arts
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Publication date: 13.02.2026
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: Str. 165-197
• Numbering: Vol. 16, no. 1
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-180168
• UDC: 811.531
• ISSN on article: 2232-3317
• DOI: 0.4312/ala.16.1.165-197
• COBISS.SI-ID: 270430211
• Publication date in RUL: 04.03.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Acta linguistica asiatica
• Publisher: Znanstvena založba Filozofske fakultete Univerze v Ljubljani, Znanstvena založba Filozofske fakultete Univerze v Ljubljani, Založba Univerze v Ljubljani
• ISSN: 2232-3317
• COBISS.SI-ID: 255902464

Licences

• License: CC BY-SA 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
• Description: This Creative Commons license is very similar to the regular Attribution license, but requires the release of all derivative works under this same license.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian

Abstract

Korejščina je materni jezik korejskega ljudstva in uradni jezik Koreje. Njen pisni sistem, Hangeul (한글), je v 15. stoletju ustvaril kralj Sejong Veliki in se je sprva imenoval Hunminjeongeum (訓民正音), kar pomeni »pravilni glasovi za poučevanje ljudstva«. Prispevek obravnava zgodovinsko ozadje nastanka Hunminjeongeuma ter preučuje dokumentarne vire, povezane z njegovo iznajdbo. Nadalje analizira zgodovinski, družbeni in kulturni pomen Hunminjeongeuma, ki so ga sestavili učenjaki Dvorane vrednih. Raziskava se posveča tudi zapletenemu procesu njegove uveljavitve ter izzivom, s katerimi se je soočal, preden je postal znan kot Hangeul. Namen prispevka je zagotoviti bistveno zgodovinsko in družbenopolitično izhodišče za razumevanje razvoja Hangeula.

Projects

• Funder: Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea and the Korean Studies Promotion Service at the Academy of Korean Studies
• Funding programme: Seed Program for Korean Studies of the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea and the Korean Studies Promotion Service at the Academy of Korean Studies
• Acronym: AKS-2022-INC-2250001