It's early October, at Gwanghwamun Square. In front of the huge statue of King Sejong the Great, a foreign friend asked me. "Is this the person who created the alphabet? Really?" Koreans take it for granted, but it's rare for a country to have a record of who created its writing system and when. ## Who Made It, When, and Why King Sejong created it in 1443 and announced it to the world in 1446. The book published at that time, 『Hunminjeongeum Haeryebon』, records why it was created. Korean is different from Chinese, so it was hard to write it with Chinese characters. So they say many commoners couldn't put into writing what they wanted to say. King Sejong created the new letters so that everyone could learn them easily and use them comfortably. Hangul Day on October 9 was set based on the record in this book. Check your calendar for this year to see whether it's a day off. ## The shapes of the mouth are built into the letters The book also records how it was made. The consonants imitate the shape of the mouth and tongue when making each sound. ㄱ is the shape of the back of the tongue blocking the throat, and ㄴ is the shape of the tip of the tongue touching the upper gums. The vowels were made by imitating the sky (ㆍ), the earth (ㅡ), and a person (ㅣ). Because its principle is so clear, it's known as an easy letter to learn. ## Try It Now Stand in front of a mirror and say "na, na, na." Can you feel the tip of your tongue touching your upper gums? That feeling is exactly the shape of ㄴ. You can also visit the exhibition space beneath the statue of King Sejong at Gwanghwamun Square. Be sure to check the opening hours before you go.