“Hangeul”, the first volume of the Korea Essentials Series has recently been published, to provide international readers with insight into and basic understanding of the arts and culture of Korea.
 

This book examines the unique characteristics of the Hangeul writing system and its impact on Korean society. First, it looks at why Hangeul is regarded by so many scholars as the world’s finest writing system and the structure of the alphabet, examining the linguistic and philosophical concepts that underlie the system. It also explains the historical process through which Hangeul was invented, and provides an in-depth look into the legacy of King Sejong the Great, the monarch widely credited with the creation of the writing system. In next chapters, it canvasses the subsequent development of the alphabet over the ensuing centuries and its impact on Korean culture and society. The final chapters examine how Hangeul has helped promote the use of information technology in Korea and how Hangeul inspires Korean culture and arts, including genres such as fashion and dance.


This new Korea Essentials Series, as a cooperative project between the Korea Foundation and Seoul Selection, is based on articles from the quarterly magazine Koreana. The series consists of not only essential and fundamental knowledge on Korean culture, but also practical and interesting information – with abundant visual materials such as photographs, illustrations and tables – to properly inform foreigners who have little knowledge or experience of Korean culture.
 

With many upcoming international exchange events in "Visit Korea Years (2010-2012)" and the G-20 Summit in November 2010, this pocket-sized series is expected to be a useful resource for tourists, businesspersons and students who visit Korea and have an interest in Korean culture.
 

(Contents)
Introduction
 

Chapter 1 Korea’s Unique Writing System
Rational Structure / Hangeul’s Remarkable Characteristics
 

Chapter 2 Structure of the Hangeul System
Consonants / Vowels / Combination / Versatile Writing System
 

Chapter 3 Invention of Hangeul
What Was There Before Hangeul? / Invention of Hangeul
Who Actually Created the Alphabet? / Why Was It Invented?
 

Chapter 4 King Sejong the Great
National Defense / Science and Technology / Culture / Social Justice
Sejong the Linguist / Legacy
 

Chapter 5 Spread of Hangeul
Promoting Literacy, Women’s Culture / How did Hangeul Standardize Chinese Pronunciation? / Hangeul in Modern Times / The Many Names of Hangeul
 

Chapter 6 Hangeul in the Digital Age
Ideal for the Information Society / Hangeul and the ‘Digital Nomad’
 

Chapter 7 Global Hangeul
Potential as a Multilingual Alphabet / Korean Writing System Goes Global
 

Chapter 8 Hangeul Inspires Cultural Endeavors 74
Hangeul in Fashion, Dance, and Design / Calligraphy and Typography
Inspiration for Cultural Pursuits
 

ix
Information for Studying Korean 90
 

For additional information, please contact the Foundation’s Media and PR Department or Seoul Selection, the book’s publication firm. This book is available in local bookstores priced at 9,000 Korean won or US$15 (ISBN 978-89-91913-69-1).

Media Department
-e-mail: publication@kf.or.kr
-Phone: (82-2) 2151-6542

Seoul Selection
-e-mail: publisher@seoulselection.com
-Website: www.seoulselection.com
-Phone: (82-2) 734-9567