Before Hangeul, Koreans primarily relied on Chinese characters for written communication. Because the system did not match the structure of spoken Korean and was difficult for ordinary people to master, King Sejong sought a writing system that could be learned more easily.
He completed the new script in 1443. Some Confucian officials, including Choe Manri, opposed it, arguing that Korea should continue using the Chinese literary tradition. Despite the resistance, Hunminjeongeum was promulgated in 1446 together with explanatory material describing how the letters worked.
The original system contained 28 letters, 17 consonants and 11 vowels. Modern Hangeul uses 24 basic letters. Several basic consonant forms were designed with reference to the speech organs used to produce their sounds, while the original vowel system drew on symbols representing heaven, earth and humans.
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