Analyzing The Korean Alphabet

A collection of ten essays which cover topics such as: arguments for King Sejong's personal creation of the script; the Asian and domestic linguistic and socio-cultural background to its creation; the principles under which each symbol was created; and the structure of phonological units.

The Korean alphabet, commonly known as han'gul, has been called one of the greatest intellectual achievements of humankind. Experts agree that few writing systems can match its simplicity and efficiency, its elegance and intelligence. The only alphabet completely native to East Asia, han'gul distinguishes itself among writing systems of the world with its scientific qualities and unusual linguistic fit to the Korean language. Most strikingly, the theoretical underpinnings of the language, as well as the time and circumstances of its creation, are clearly known and recorded. Han'gul was invented in 1443 and promulgated in 1446 by King Sejong (1418-1450), sage ruler of the Yi dynasty (1392-1910). This volume, the first book-length work on han'gul in English by Korean-language specialists, is comprised of ten essays by the most active scholars of the Korean writing system. An instructive commentary by eminent linguist Samuel Martin follows, offering perceptive comments on the essays as well as a discussion on Martin's own research findings on the script.

We cover all the 한글 letters in detail and give you tips on how to easily read Korean handwriting or fonts. This is why we believe you will find this book super useful even if you already know how to read Hangeul.

This book describes the structure and history of the Korean language, ranging from its cultural and sociological setting, writing system, and modern dialects, to how Koreans themselves view their language and its role in society. An accessible, comprehensive source of information on the Korean language, Lee and Ramsey's work is an important resource for all those interested in Korean history and culture, offering information not readily available elsewhere in the English-language literature.

The book examines the themes of cultural values, collective identity, political ideologies, and Korean cultural traditions throughout Korean language textbooks from the last 120 years. Through this analysis, the author explores the colonial, neo-colonial, and postcolonial contexts that have influenced South Korea. This work demonstrates the significant impact of textbooks and how political leaders make use of school curricula to legitimate their regimes.

Suitable for students of all levels, this book provides a general description of the Korean language by highlighting important structural aspects whilst keeping technical details to a minimum. By examining the Korean language in its geographical, historical, social and cultural context the reader is able to gain a good understanding of its speakers and the environment in which it is used. The book covers a range of topics on Korean including its genetic affiliation, historical development, sound patterns, writing systems, vocabulary, grammar and discourse. The text is designed to be accessible, primarily to English-speaking learners of Korean and scholars working in disciplines other than linguistics, as well as serving as a useful introduction for general linguists. The book complements Korean language textbooks used in the classroom and will be welcomed not only by readers with a wider interest in Korean studies, but also by Asian specialists in general.

This book investigates the politics embedded in the Korean-language textbooks utilised between 1895 and 2019, within the context of one Korea (pre-colonial and colonial eras), the divided Koreas, and an ethnic Korean group residing in Japan (Chongryon). By analysing the inclusions and omissions from Korean-language the author successfully highlights the impact of Korean politics, making clear how rulers have attempted to control their citizens and legitimize their rule by using primary school Korean-language textbooks as a medium for political education and inculcation. It succinctly displays how different visions of ‘ideal citizenship’ have been presented in Korea and traces the resulting shift in views towards neighbouring nations as a result, identifying how different rival countries were demonized at different times. This chapter also shows some consistent omissions, such as the lower classes and marginalized individuals within their respective nations. Presenting recommendations for potential improvements of the content of future textbooks this study will be of interest to students of Asian Studies, Post-colonial Studies, Critical Curriculum Studies, Critical Discourse Studies, and Korean Studies.