Hunminjeongeum
Hunminjeongeum (Korean: 훈민정음; Hanja: 訓民正音; lit. The Correct/Proper Sounds for the Instruction of the People) is a 15th century historical document that introduced a script that became the Hangul script for writing the Korean language. An original copy of the document is currently located at the Gansong Art Museum in Seoul, South Korea.
| Hunminjeongeum | |
|---|---|
| Gansong Art Museum, Seoul, South Korea | |
The first page of the foreward written by King Sejong the Great | |
| Also known as | The Proper Sounds for the Instruction of the People |
| Date | October 9, 1446 (government of Joeson) |
| Place of origin | Seoul, Joseon |
| Scribe(s) | Hall of Worthies |
| Author(s) |
|
| Script | Classical Chinese |
| Contents | Introduction of the native Korean writing system Hangul |
| Korean name | |
| Hunminjeongeum | 훈〮민져ᇰ〮ᅙᅳᆷ |
| Hanja | |
| Revised Romanization | Hunminjeongeum |
| McCune–Reischauer | Hunminjŏngŭm |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 훈민정음 |
| Hanja | 訓民正音 |
| Revised Romanization | Hunminjeongeum |
| McCune–Reischauer | Hunminjŏngŭm |
Hunminjeongeum was commissioned and supervised by Sejong the Great based on a writing system he invented in 1443. The original spelling of the title was 훈〮민져ᇰ〮ᅙᅳᆷ Húnminjyéongʼeum (in North Korea, Húnminjyéonghʼeum). The script it introduced was actually originally named "Hunminjeongeum" after the document, but its name was later changed to its present form. It was intended to be a simpler alternative to the incumbent Chinese-based Hanja, in order to promote literacy among the general populace. It originally included 28 letters , but over time, four of those were abandoned, leading to the current 24 letters of Hangul.
The date of the document's publication is subject to some debate. The South Korean government considers October 9, 1446 (Julian calendar) to be the date; that day is now the holiday Hangul Day in South Korea. However, there is a record in the 102nd volume of the Veritable Records of the Joseon Dynasty that announces the publication of the text in the 25th year of Sejong's reign, which corresponds to 1443–1444.
On December 20, 1962, the document was designated a National Treasure in South Korea. In 1997, the document was registered by UNESCO in the Memory of the World Programme.