Happy Hangeul Day

A heart of Hangeul is shown at the Korean Cultural Center in Egypt.

By Korea.net Honorary Reporter Bardise Muhammad

Photos = Bardise Muhammad

Hangeul Day is the day when Koreans celebrate the invention of the Korean alphabet, Hangeul. It's celebrated annually on Oct. 9 in Korea, as well as all over the world at Korean Cultural Centers around the globe.

I want to celebrate this day in a special way, so I'm about to share with you my story of Hangeul.

First, however, I would like to introduce you to the Hangeul writing system.

The Korean letters  ㅅ, ㅎ, ㅁ, ㄹ and ㄴ stand in front of the Korean Cultural Center in Egypt. 

Hangeul is the Korean word for the alphabet used to write the Korean language. Its invention and creation in 1443 was during the reign of King Sejong the Great (세종대왕) (1397-1450).

Do you know who King Sejong is?

He's the fourth Joseon monarch. He was born on May 15, 1397. His father was King Taejong (태종). Sejong is known for overseeing the creation of Hangeul, even though creating the alphabet wasn't his only achievement. 

Some of his achievements are listed below. 

Science & Technology

The Nongsa Jikseol (농사직설)

He wanted to help farmers, so he published  handbooks like the Nongsa Jikseol (농사직설) that contained a lot of information about different farming techniques. The name Nongsa Jikseol means “Straight Talk on Farming.”

Reconstructing the Korean Calendar

Back then, people used a calendar that was based on the longitude of the Chinese capital. King Sejong wanted the people to use a calendar that was based on the Korean capital, today's Seoul. So he had his astronomers create a new calendar. That lead to the accurate prediction of lunar and solar eclipses. 

Of course, one of his greatest achievements is what we're talking about today, the Hangeul alphabet.

King Sejong oversaw the creation of the Hangeul alphabet in order to ease the process of reading, writing and learning in general for all the people. As a result, Korea today has a very high literacy rate.

The Hunminjeongeum (훈민정음) was published to introduce the newly invented letters to the people. The name Hunminjeongeum means “The proper sounds for instructing the people.” It's also worth noting that the Hunminjeongeum is Korea’s National Treasure No. 70 and was registered as part of UNESCO’s Memory of the World in October 1997. 

What makes Hangeul so special?

Hangeul has 24 letters, which makes it very easy to memorize. As the famous quote goes, “A wise person can acquaint himself with them before the morning is over. A stupid man can learn them in the space of 10 days.”

Of course, no one is stupid. We only learn things by using different methods, and our learning journeys can be long or shorter depending on many circumstances. Even if you have a hard time learning new things in general, you don’t need to worry. Learning Hangeul will only take two weeks at the most. All in all, learning Hangeul is very easy. You can learn it in a few days, which means you'll be able to read in a totally new and different language in no time at all. It may sound too good to be true, but it's true.

The easiness of the Korean alphabet is one of the reasons why non-Koreans aren't afraid of learning Korean. The Korean language doesn’t looks scary. To me, it looks really easy, friendly and I'm never worried that I might forget a letter or a symbol when writing or reading in Korean, which makes me feel more relaxed when studying Korean.

Let’s take a look at Hangeul.

- 14 consonants: ㄱ g, ㄴ n, ㄷ d, ㄹ l/r, ㅁ m, ㅂ b, ㅅ s, ㅇ(null), ㅈ j, ㅊ ch, ㅋ k, ㅌ t, ㅍ p, ㅎ h

- 6 vowels: ㅏ a, ㅓ eo, ㅗ o, ㅜ u, ㅡ eu, ㅣ i

- 4 iotized vowels:ㅑ ya, ㅕ yeo, ㅛ yo, ㅠ yu

Also, it's said that many of the Hangeul letters were designed to emulate the shape of the speaker’s tongue or mouth when pronouncing the letter.

Did you know that Hangeul Day used to be called Gagya Day (가갸 날)? 

This is because the Hangeul alphabet starts with the letter giyeok (ㄱ). That’s why it used to be called Gagya Day (가갸날).

My name is written in Hangeul at the Sejong Institute in Cairo.

Don't hesitate to learn Korean! Once you start, you'll be exposed to a whole new world, mindset and set of traditions.

If you don’t know where or how to start, you can become a student at a Sejong Institute where you can learn about Korean traditions and, of course, the language itself.

Sejong Institutes were established by the Korean government all over the world in order to help people who can’t go to Korea to study, helping them to learn Korean in their home country.

Now it’s time to share my story of Hangeul with you.

Arabic and non-Arabic names are written in Hangeul on handmade keychains.

As you know, with the rapidly increasing number of Egyptian youth who are interested in Korea, owning something that represents Korean or which reminds them of Korea is definitely on their check list.

What is one of the most unique things about Korea? It’s Hangeul, of course! That's what encouraged me to start making Hangeul keychains for these people.

It all started a few months ago when I wanted to give one of my favorite teachers a farewell gift when she was leaving to continue her studies in Korea.

I made her a small pillow with her name in Korean embroidered on it.

I was then encouraged by many people to make different names and shapes, and to make similar gifts.

I started making keychains and I attached different names to them.

I made handmade keychains with names written in Hangeul on them.

Many of my friends wanted to see their names written in Hangeul, while others wanted their siblings or friends to have their own Hangeul names attached to a keychain.

Hangeul writing looks quite attractive! Even if the person doesn't study Korean or can’t read or write Korean, they often find the embroidered Hangeul imagery to be quite eye-catching.

Hangeul looks geometric, so it makes it easy to learn and also easy to be embroidered! I'm glad I got to make and give people something inspired by Hangeul that will last them for a long time.

I will continue to produce new designs and ideas that’re inspired by Hangeul. It makes me happy and it makes Hangeul-lovers happy, as well.

If the Korean alphabet inspires you, make sure to take part in the annual Hangeul Idea Award contest held by the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) and share your Hangeul-inspired ideas with the world!

http://www.hangeulaward.co.kr/

If you like art in general, make sure to use Hangeul to add a special touch to your creations.

Celebrate the Korean language in your own special way, either by learning Hangeul and Korean yourself, or by making a simple piece of art using Hangeul.

Also, if you're interested in calligraphy, make sure to check out some of the wonderful Korean calligraphy artists who have started to use Hangeul letters, along with Hanja characters. You'll be surprised at how simple yet artistic their calligraphy art can be.

wisdom117@korea.kr

Korean language survived history

By Korea.net Honorary Reporter Yomna Magdy 

Photos = Wikipedia

Korea.net Honorary reporter Baradise El Deeb has written about the story of Hangeul, showing the purpose behind its invention and its effects on Korea in decreasing the illiteracy rate. I could not help but to second her last sentence: "King Sejong, thank you for creating Hangeul!"

After reading her article, I wanted to thank the Koreans as well for preserving their language and traditions until now, in spite of the challenges that were against this preservation.

Korea has kept its language against all odds, even under colonization. 

Korea's language was threatened twice. This first happened when Japan colonized Korea following a policy of eradicating Korean traditions and replacing them with Japanese ones. Under Japanese rule, Koreans struggled to maintain their traditions and literature, as the Japanese had burned many historical documents and even banned the teaching of the Korean language and of Korean history. Not only had they tried to erase their history, but they forced the Japanese language to be used, too, and prohibited the usage of Korean language. Speaking Korean in Korea was no longer allowed. It was officially illegal.

The Japanese language is taught in Korean public schools during colonial times. 

Despite the efficiency of Japan's policy, the Koreans did not fall for it. They did not let go of their history or their language and traditions. In March 1919, the Koreans organized a demonstration that took place across Korea to proclaim their rights and to fight for independence. During this movement, over 7,000 people were killed by the Japanese soldiers, yet this did not stop them as they knew how valuable their country was. Neither the movement nor their lives were in vain, as in 1945 Korea has finally granted its independence when Japan had lost control over Korea.

Later on, Korea was occupied by the U.S. for a trusteeship, yet the Koreans carefully preserved their traditions, their language and their literature, regardless of whoever the colonizer was. This can be traced down to present times, too, as Korea is now facing a sharp increase in the number of tourists and non-Koreans who want to pursue their career in Korea. You will notice that the Koreans are not that shaken by the West, but instead it is the non-Koreans who are learning Korean and following Korean customs.

Therefore, Korean traditions and language are still alive thanks to the people who were aware of the importance of their heritage and were determined to hold on to it and to pass it down to following generations.

wisdom117@korea.kr

A Korean tree in Egypt

By Korea.net Honorary Reporters Sara Mohamed Saber Embaby and Soad Mostafa El-Fiky

Photos = The Namu

In the center of Cairo, there's a place called The Namu. The Namu is a Korean cultural longue where you can have a unique experience and learn about a different culture and a new people.

The idea of The Namu is to create a lovely and cozy atmosphere for various activities. The main aim of the place is to share Korean media, TV shows, music, arts and movies.

                  

The owners of The Namu are a married Korean couple who lives in Egypt. The husband is a teacher, teaching Korean language to Egyptian students.

They have chosen Arabic names for themselves so that they can interact more easily with their Egyptian friends. The wife chose the name Amira while the husband chose the name Yousef.

Together with their Egyptian friends Areej and Joe, this is the team that runs The Namu.

So, what do people do at this amazing place?

First, you can study the Korean language here with a native speaker. You can freely interact with them and try to catch new Korean words and expressions.

It's also a great place to study, as The Namu provides a quiet and comfortable environment to study, for either Egyptian or Korean students.

It doesn't end there.

This is a place where you can find a variety of delicious Korean foods.

              

         

There are drinks here, too. 

The Namu is an Egyptian portal to everything Korean. We're lucky to have such a place in our city that can keep us connected with Korea.

Korea known for its high-quality beauty products and, guess what? You can buy them right there at The Namu! 

As well as beauty products, you can even buy some K-pop music or some merchandise from Korean soap operas or movies. 

   

For what more could you ask?

This place is heaven~

It's a place where you can easily interact with people and make new friends. You can participate in many activities here, like making kimchi, for example.

The Namu is like a second home to us, as we spend most of our time there studying, eating Korean food, studying Korean and making new friends. It's like a second home to us.

We haven't had the chance to visit Korea yet, but every time we visit this place, we feel like we're travelling to Korea. This makes us very happy.

wisdom117@korea.kr

How learning Korean changed my mind about learning foreign languages in general

My love for Korean changed my mind about learning languages. (Emilia Atanasova)

By Korea.net Honorary Reporter Emilia Kircheva

I remember my first encounters with foreign languages. I was very little. All those unfamiliar letters on the labels of the candy bars I ate, or on the juices I drank, seemed so pointy, disproportional and generally ugly, while the Cyrillic alphabet that I knew was round, harmonious and pretty. The notion that in these unknown letters hid a message that was unobtainable by me because I didn't know the secret to understanding them got me frustrated. I wanted to know all the letters and their meanings. Whenever I heard foreign language on TV, it gave me a shock. They were people, just like the ones I encountered every day, but the unfamiliar words they spoke made them so distant and unreachable, almost alien-like. Because I wanted to be able to understand and know everything, the boundaries set by my limited knowledge of languages were maddening.

As I grew older, this burning childish curiosity toward the unfamiliar and all of its secrets started to quickly fade. I found that it takes many years to learn just a single one of those languages, in which the labels of products that astonished me so much were written; like, five or even more years! That was half my life at that time and seemed like an eternity.

I started to learn English. All of my teachers assured me that this was the most important language to learn. Every self-respecting person was learning it or already spoke it, so if I knew English, I basically didn't need to know any other language to understand everything important outside my mother tongue. At that time, this seemed unbelievable in a great way. All of my fears about not being able to comprehend all I wanted to were reconciled by this one mighty language that ruled them all. Finally, I found myself  somewhat at peace. I was on the road toward obtaining this one powerful tool for decoding the world outside my comfy mother tongue.

Later, I started to learn German. To be honest, now that I see it, that was more out of vanity and because everybody else was learning a second foreign language, too, than for any other reason. English did give me a key to most things I wanted to know, so I still couldn't get my head around why I need to learn a second, third or fourth language. My regard toward language learning was like that for a long, long time, until I got a wake-up call.

I really wanted to fully understand what made Koreans tick, not just understand the Korean words through subtitles on Korean TV shows. (Dramacool)

I got this in the most unusual place: no other place, but through a Korean soap opera! One sunny day, I fell in love with all things Korean and started listening to Korean pop music, and watching a lot of Korean soap operas and other Korean TV shows. After some time, I noticed something was different. There were subtitles and I did understand the grand ideas about everything, but something thin and precious was slipping through my sight. I started searching on Google like crazy. Why are Koreans addressing one another like this or that? Why do they get offended by this or that? How strong is this word in Korean?

Then it hit me! Language learning is not about simply being able to understand the words, but about truly, madly, deeply perceiving one society through written and spoken speech. I would never be able to truly understand the lyrics of my favorite songs, get the jokes of my favorite celebrities or be able to get the true sense of Korean literature. The essence of Korean would be sealed off from me until I learned the language. I wanted to do those things and see the true colors of Korea so badly! 

So my journey began. I can personally testify that learning a new language and the whole culture sitting behind it is hard and time consuming. However, where's the rush? If you don't need the new language knowledge for a job position immediately, then why hurry? The 22-year old me sees the language-learning-takes-time dilemma quite differently from  the 10-year old me. Even in the worst case scenario, if it takes me 10 or more years to learn a new language, for the rest of my life I can still learn six more languages, on top of the three I already know! How amazing is that?

The message on the cover of my notebook says, 'Change your thoughts and you`ll change your world.' (Emilia Atanasova)

Here I am now, one year since my love for Korean changed my mind about language learning. My handwriting isn't the best, but I'm on my way to finishing my second notebook. It's true that passion can do wonders for learning. I decided to try my best on my own. I researched all the possibilities to learn Korean alone, and guess what? They were countless! Also, they didn't lose their value because they aren't based on a classroom. Before, I had this prejudice that online learning somehow is not very reliable, but now all of that is gone.

I started with an introduction course that's provided by Yonsei University (https://www.coursera.org/learn/learn-korean). I can't tell you how happy I was that in a way I was being tutored by such a renowned Korean institution. People say that it's hard to learn on your own, without any supervision. I believe that this only means they are not driven enough to learn; their passion toward the subject is not great enough. I finished the course with a grade of 95.7 percent. 

I managed to study Korean on my own, online. (Coursera)

Then I started the second part of the course, which is focused on speaking (https://www.coursera.org/learn/learn-speak-korean1/home/welcome). Although the course was again great, in the middle of it I decided I wanted to learn more grammar and then come back, this time to truly understand how the words I'm speaking are formed and why. I tried different textbooks, found an amazing website where I can learn grammar and do listening (https://www.howtostudykorean.com) and combined that with a website focused only on learning words, by implanting them in my long-term memory (https://www.memrise.com/home). I'm still constantly looking for new sources and, of course, continue to listen to Korean music, watch soap operas and TV shows, and try to read the posts by my favorite idols on social media. I try hard to catch as many words as I can, and to really comprehend their meaning.

The immediate goal of my journey in learning the Korean language so far has been my attempt to obtain TOPIK 1 certification. Although I don't learn via a "regular" program, which provides the knowledge specifically necessary for the exam, when I heard the exam was being held in my hometown I signed up without hesitation. I think it went well, but the sole fact that I was there made me so happy. The rest doesn't matter that much. If it turns out I didn't pass, that would be OK. I can go next year, or the year after that, because I'm doing this for myself and at my own pace.

I took the TOPIK as part of my journey toward learning the Korean language. (Emilia Atanasova)

You know what? Six months ago I signed up for a French class at my university and I also have my eye on a beginner's course for Mandarin and simplified Chinese writing. We shall see. 

wisdom117@korea.kr