Turning Points · 1446
King Sejong Gives Korea Its Own Alphabet
Seoul, Korea (presumed place; the sources do not name a site)
What happened
King Sejong, the fourth king of the Joseon dynasty, completed a new alphabet of 28 letters in 1443. In 1446 it was published and announced in a book called Hunminjeongeum, which means Proper Sounds to Instruct the People.
Why it matters
Sejong wrote that ordinary people could not put their thoughts into writing, and he wanted letters they could learn easily. Today the alphabet is called Hangul.
What came next
In 1504 King Yonsan-gun ordered the book destroyed, and it was thought to be lost. A copy was found in the Andong area in 1940, and it is still the only one known.
Did you know?
South Korea celebrates Hangul Day every October 9. The government set that date in 1946 after working out when the book was published.
Timeline
- 1443Sejong completes the alphabet.
- 1446The Hunminjeongeum is published.
- 1504King Yonsan-gun orders the book destroyed.
- 1940The only known copy is found near Andong.