Robert Koehler; Korea Foundation: 104 pp., 9,000 won
Prior to the upcoming G20 summit, a book introducing the excellence of “hangeul,” or the Korean alphabet, has been published in English by the Korea Foundation to better provide the gist of Korean culture to foreigners.
“Hangeul: Korea’s Unique Alphabet”is the first in the series of “Korea Essentials” that will continue to be published following this book.
The book explains the systemic principles of the characters, and their cultural and social influences; the process of the alphabets creation and its historical background.
Various photos, graphics and illustrations are offered to enhance the understanding of vowels and consonants.
Among some 300 alphabets used worldwide, “hangeul”is the only one whose creator _ King Sejong _ has been identified. The book traces the legacy of King Sejong called “Joseon’s Leonardo da Vinci” who had diverse talents from literature and arts to even science.
It also delves into the influence on women’s activities, particularly in literature, due to the invention of “hangeul,” and its potential in the digital era.
The similar publications previously printed were too academic and had a small number of target readers but this book is solely designed for foreign readers who want to learn the Korean language.
To effectively deliver its content, the book is less than 100 pages long, but introduces learning institutes for the Korean language worldwide and their websites, and includes numerous references.
-Chung Ah-young