Contents & Introduction

Note

    An interpretation of Hunminjeongeum

    The Hunminjeongeum Haeryebon is a commentary
    published in 1446 that explains why and how King Sejong
    the Great created Hunminjeongeum, Jeongeum or Hangul,
    the Korean script, and how it should be used.
    It is the primary source for understanding the philosophy
    and structure of Hangul. The text was originally written in
    Hanja, or classical Chinese characters.

    “HANGUL, The Cosmic Philosophy” is a translation of this
    with additional comments and figures.
    Rather than providing professional linguistic explanations,
    this work focuses on conveying the principles and
    philosophy behind the creation of Jeongeum from a general
    perspective.

    Here, Jeongeum refers to Hunminjeongeum, but the term
    Hangul, the modern Korean script, is also used for the
    convenience of English speakers. Hangul is the term used
    since 1913 to refer to Jeongeum.




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