Promulgation of Hunminjeongeum

Overview

Hunminjeongeum (訓民正音) means "the correct sounds for instructing the people." It is both the name of the new script created by King Sejong and the name of its explanatory treatise. The entry for the 30th day of the 12th month of the 25th year of King Sejong (1443) in the Veritable Records of King Sejong states, "This month the king personally created 28 vernacular letters," recording its creation. Three years later, in the early part of the 9th lunar month of 1446 (the 28th year of Sejong), the explanatory treatise Hunminjeongeum (Haerye edition) was completed and promulgated.

About the dates

• Creation: The Veritable Records entry is dated the 30th day of the 12th lunar month of 1443 (19 January 1444 in the Julian calendar), but because it says "this month," the event took place sometime within the 12th lunar month. The preface by Jeong In-ji to the Haerye edition also states that the 28 letters of the correct sounds were made in "the winter of the year Gyehae."
• Promulgation: At the end of Jeong In-ji's preface to the Haerye edition is written "the first half (上澣) of the 9th month of the 11th year of Jeongtong." It is therefore understood that the book was completed in the early part of the 9th lunar month of 1446 (days 1 to 10). In the Julian calendar this corresponds to the late part of September. The present-day Hangul Day of 10 October is the Gregorian conversion of the 10th day of the 9th lunar month, the last day of the early part of that month. The Veritable Records entry for the 29th day of the 9th lunar month of the same year records that "this month Hunminjeongeum was completed," and includes the king's preface and Jeong In-ji's preface.

Background of creation

In his preface, Sejong stated that because "the speech of our country differs from that of China and does not correspond with the written characters," many ignorant people who wished to express something ended up unable to convey their intentions. Pitying them, he declared that he would create 28 new letters. Chinese characters were difficult to learn, and the idu and gugyeol used since the Silla period had limits in fully recording the Korean language. Jeong In-ji's preface pointed out that Seol Chong's idu was difficult and incomplete because it borrowed characters.

Opposing memorial

On the 20th day of the 2nd lunar month of 1444 (the 26th year of Sejong), Choe Man-ri, Vice Director of the Hall of Worthies (Jiphyeonjeon); Sin Seok-jo, Director of Academic Affairs; Kim Mun, former Director; Jeong Chang-son, Associate Director; Ha Wi-ji, Associate Lecturer; Song Cheo-geom, Assistant Compiler; Jo Geun, Writer; and others submitted a memorial opposing the creation of the vernacular script. Its main points were as follows.

1. Creating separate characters at a time when the same writing as China is used runs counter to the duty of serving the great (sadae).