Guarding heritage: 'Hunminjeongeum Haerye'
Not long ago, I watched a television program that explored the profound significance of the “Hunminjeongeum Haerye,” a cultural treasure of Korea. The Hunminjeongeum itself, created by King Sejong in 1443 and promulgated in 1446, is the foundation of the Korean alphabet, Hangul. Its name means “the correct sounds for instructing the people,” and it was designed so that ordinary citizens, who…
In a television program, I witnessed the exploration of the immense importance of "Hunminjeongeum Haerye," a priceless cultural artifact from Korea. Created by King Sejong in 1443 and officially established in 1446, Hunminjeongeum serves as the basis for the Korean alphabet, Hangul. Its name translates to "the correct sounds for teaching the populace," and it was devised to enable ordinary individuals, who found Chinese characters challenging, to learn reading and self-expression with ease.
The Hunminjeongeum Haerye is the explanatory work outlining the principles and application of this novel script. A single copy of the Haerye was unearthed in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, in 1940 and acquired by cultural enthusiast Jeon Hyeong-pil, who used the pen name Gansong. This edition, known as the Gansong edition, is currently recognized as a national treasure and maintained at the Gansong Art Museum in Seoul.
Its originality and historical significance were acknowledged worldwide when UNESCO included it in its list of World Documentary Heritage in 1997. The tale does not conclude here.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
Also reported by 1 other outlet
- Guarding heritage: 'Hunminjeongeum Haerye' koreatimes.co.kr
