hangum

Hangum, also known as hangul, is the native alphabet of the Korean language. It was created in the 15th century by King Sejong the Great and a group of scholars to promote literacy among the common people. Before hangul, Koreans primarily used Chinese characters, which were difficult for many to learn and use. Hangul is known for its scientific design, with its consonant shapes often inspired by the shape of the mouth when producing the sound, and its vowel shapes representing celestial bodies like heaven, earth, and humanity.

Hangul is an alphabet, meaning each symbol represents a distinct sound. It is written in syllabic blocks, where individual letters are grouped together to form a single block representing a syllable. This system makes hangul relatively easy to learn and write. The alphabet consists of 14 basic consonants and 10 basic vowels, which can be combined to form a wide range of sounds. Its creation is celebrated annually on Hangul Day in South Korea and Choson'gul Day in North Korea. The simplicity and systematic nature of hangul are widely credited with its high literacy rates in Korea.