매년 10월 9일은 한글날,
세종대왕이 백성을 위해 만든 글자, 한글의 탄생을 기념하는 날입니다.
살다 보면 당연하게 쓰던 것들이 어느 날 새삼 고마워질 때가 있는데, 한글이 제게 그런 존재입니다.
Every year on October 9, we celebrate Hangeul Day — the day marking the creation of Hangeul, the Korean alphabet made by King Sejong for his people.
There are things we use every day without much thought, until one day we stop and realize how precious they are. For me, Hangeul is one of them.
백성을 생각한 왕, 세종대왕
15세기 조선, 글을 아는 사람은 극히 일부였습니다.
당시에는 한자를 쓰는 것이 배움의 상징이자, 권력의 언어였죠. 그렇게 글을 모르는 백성들은 열등하게 취급 받았고, 배움은 오직 특권층만의 전유물이었습니다.
그 현실이 세종대왕의 마음을 움직였습니다.
그는 백성들이 제 목소리를 낼 수 없다는 사실을 안타깝게 여겼고, 결국 결심했습니다.
“모든 백성이 쉽게 배울 수 있는 글자를 만들겠다.”
그 결심은 명예나 권력이 아닌, 오직 사람을 향한 사랑 — 애민정신(愛民精神)에서 시작됐습니다. 그 마음이 바로 한글의 근본이자, 오늘날 우리가 자유롭게 글을 쓰고 읽을 수 있는 이유입니다.
A King Who Cared for His People
In 15th-century Joseon (Korea), only a few people could read or write.
At that time, using Chinese characters was considered the language of education and power. Those who couldn’t read were often seen as inferior, and learning itself was a privilege reserved for the elite.
That harsh reality moved King Sejong’s heart.
He was deeply saddened that his people had no way to voice their thoughts — and so, he made a decision.
“I will create letters that everyone can easily learn.”
This decision wasn’t born from a desire for fame or authority, but from a deep compassion for his people — the spirit of love for the people (애민정신, 愛民精神): That love became the foundation of Hangeul, and the reason we can write and express ourselves freely today.
단순하지만 과학적인 문자
한글은 배우기 쉽습니다. 하지만 그 안에는 놀라운 질서와 철학이 담겨 있습니다.
자음은 발음 기관의 모양을 본떠 만들고, 모음은 하늘(·), 땅(ㅡ), 사람(ㅣ) 의 원리로 구성됐습니다.
그렇게 소리와 형태, 철학이 조화롭게 맞물린 문자를 세종대왕이 혼자 만들었다고 합니다. 갓세종 ㄷㄷㄷ
그래서 언어학자들은 한글을 “세계에서 가장 과학적인 문자” 라고 부릅니다.
A Simple Yet Scientific Script
Hangeul is easy to learn, but within it lies a surprising sense of order and philosophy.
The consonants were designed based on the shape of the mouth when pronouncing each sound, and the vowels were built on the principles of heaven (·), earth (ㅡ), and human (ㅣ).
It’s astonishing to think that King Sejong created this perfectly balanced system of sound, form, and meaning — all on his own. Truly, God Sejong. lol
That’s why linguists around the world call Hangeul “the most scientific writing system ever made.”
세월이 지날수록 더 다가오는 한글
어릴 땐 그냥 익숙한 글자였지만, 나이를 먹을수록 한글의 가치가 다르게 느껴집니다.
요즘처럼 외국어 (영어)가 많이 요구되는 시대를 살고 있지만, 그럴수록 더 의식적으로 우리말과 우리글을 사용하고 싶다는 마음이 듭니다. 그리고 가능한 한 따뜻한 말을 쓰고, 진심이 담긴 글을 쓰려 노력합니다. 그렇게 내가 쓴 글이 누군가에게 진심으로 닿을 수 있다면, 그것이야말로 세종대왕의 뜻을 이어가는 가장 의미 있는 방법이 아닐까 생각합니다.
그런 의미에서 한글날은 단순한 문자의 기념일이 아닌 '사람을 향한 사랑', '모두가 배울 수 있는 세상'- 그 믿음을 되새기는 날이라고 생각됩니다.
Hangeul, Growing Deeper with Time
When I was young, Hangeul was just a familiar part of everyday life.
But as I’ve grown older, I’ve come to appreciate its beauty and depth in a different way.
Even in an age where English often feels more required, I find myself wanting to use our own words and writing more intentionally. Also I try to use kind words and write with honesty: If even one line I write can reach someone’s heart, perhaps that’s the most meaningful way to continue King Sejong’s legacy.
In that sense, Hangeul Day is not merely the celebration of a writing system — it’s a day to reflect on love for humanity, and the belief in a world where everyone can learn and express themselves.
Wow, a day to honour the creation of the Korean alphabet.. reading your blog I can feel that it is not just about the language but about the compassion, courage and creativity l. The connection to this language is a deep bond that binds all Koreans together.
Happy Hangeul Day! :)
It's very interesting and important day for an alphabet. Actually I understand , the strenght of the words depend on the used alphabet.
Wow!! This is so beautiful. If all historical stories were written like this, so many people would be interested in reading big historical books.
Would it be nice to ask for part 2?😃 because I enjoyed reading this.
A ruler who created an alphabet for his own people? That is truly admirable. In 1928, the founder of our country, Atatürk, also created an alphabet for the Turks. It resembles the Latin alphabet, but there are differences.
Such ruler who think of their people.were quite rare. It is admirable to see his work that transform people life. Today i learned something new more importantly the three sign (.) Heaven, (-) earth and (|) humans....
Creating a Hangeul alphabet so that all its people can communicate more easily is something worth sharing and celebrating because it is about the union of everyone and not just a few privileged people who could express themselves in another language and believed themselves superior to those who could not do so more fluently.
I imagine it is a special date for everyone there in South Korea because, as you say, they not only celebrate the invention of their own writing system but also the love of a ruler for his people by helping them all communicate and trying to make life easier for those who did not speak the language of that time.
Happy Hangeul Day for us
:) hi there! happy day day to u!
Amazing I didnt know about this glad to know that the king did his best to create alphabet for his people that you guys now using.Now I have something to read and learn about Korean's from your post's :)
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