Hunminjeongeum Haeryebon (Explanations and Examples of Correct
Sounds to teach the people) was created by King Sejong in the
15th century (photo: Yonhap News). Hangeul, the Korean alphabet,
was created in 1443 under King Sejong (1397~1450), the fourth
king of the Joseon Dynasty. One can read King Sejong's love of
the people in the preface of the Hunminjeongum in which he says
he decided to invent a new simple writing system since he came
to realize that the common people find it difficult to learn
written Chinese due to structural differences with the Korean
speaking style. Could he ever have imagined his affectionate
invention would receive worldwide attention 500 years later? The
excellence and originality of Hangeul has been well received
throughout the world. Following the designation of Hangeul as
National Treasure No. 70, the UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize
was created in 1989 to honor government or private organizations
for their contributions to spreading literacy. The academic
world was no exceptio