Chapter 9 Korea 361ally allowing religions like Buddhism, Christianity, and indigenous traditions
to grow in popularity (Walraven 2012).
Writing the Korean Language
The long Choson dynasty included some of the most legendary figures of
Korean history, such as King Sejong the Great (1397–1450) in the early fif-
teenth century, who was committed to Confucian teachings and wished to
propagate them more widely among the population than just the privileged
scholar-officials of the court. Most of the people of Korea were illiterate, how-
ever, and for good reason. Literacy required knowing Chinese and learning the
very difficult Chinese script. King Sejong the Great oversaw the creation and
promulgation of Hangul, with the help of court scholars.
The Korean written language of today is striking in its simplicity. A student
of the language can learn the basics of the phonetic writing system in a matter
of hours or days. Written Korean, like English, represents sounds, not ideas,
made up of 40 symbols. It is considered one of the most scientific scripts ever
devised, highly consistent with the actual phonemes of the Korean language.
Because Hangul was simple to learn, some elites saw its potential to spread
literacy among the wider population as a threat to their status and privilege.
The Confucian “capping ritual.” At the Jeonju Hyanggyo or Jeonju Confucian School,
a ritual marks the passage of initiates into adulthood. The initiate is dressed in pre-
scribed new clothing, given wine and food, and a new name, discarding his childhood
name. By the time of the Choson dynasty (1392–1897), Confucianism became an essen-
tial and sometimes inextricable element of Korean culture.