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Last updated: September 2025.
The Korean alphabet, Hangul (한글), has a legitimate claim as being the world’s best writing system. Language learners and linguists widely recognize Hangul for its intuitiveness and ease of learning. Let’s explore in more detail why many consider Hangul as the world’s best writing system!
How the Korean alphabet was developed
Most modern writing systems were first developed thousands of years ago and have evolved and changed, often beyond recognition over time. As a result, we cannot credit the creation of most scripts to any particular time or certainly, any person. In contrast, the origin of the Korean alphabet Hangul can easily be traced back to 1446 and King Sejong. History, for the most part, has left Hangul untouched from its original, intended form.
Today, modern Hangul includes 24 letters (reduced from the original 28): 14 consonants and 10 vowels. These letters combine into syllable blocks, each forming a complete sound. The beauty of Hangul is in its simplicity. Consonants logically represent the position and shape of the mouth and tongue when making the sounds associated with them.
Unlike the Roman alphabet, which often creates confusion with silent letters and inconsistent pronunciation, Hangul is refreshingly straightforward. Every letter has one sound, with little room for ambiguity.
Following romanization, 한글 itself is commonly written in two different ways. Sometimes it is written as ‘Hangeul’, other times as ‘Hangul’. As there are multiple systems of romanization, it’s best to use 한글 itself when writing Korean words in order to pronounce them correctly!
Why the Korean alphabet does not use Hanja?
While there are many benefits to studying Hanja (한자, Chinese characters), it is notoriously no easy task. Hanja is a potentially intimidating roadblock to introducing yourself to Korean. The process of learning to read and write hanja is a gradual process that even for native speakers takes thousands of hours of study, up until and beyond adulthood.
The Korean alphabet Hangul allows a beginner to bypass such difficulties and start understanding, reading, and writing Korean from the very start. Because of the influence of Hangul, Korea has consistently enjoyed one of the highest literacy rates in the world at over 99%, for decades.
These days, Hanja is rarely used in everyday life. You might occasionally see it in newspapers, legal documents, or medical texts.
Hangul Proclamation Day
Hangul holds such an important place in Korean culture that it has its own holiday, Hangul Day (한글날). Celebrated every year on October 9, it marks the official proclamation of the alphabet in 1446.
On this day Korea puts on all kinds of events and exhibitions, showing how much Hangul means to the country and the population. The country goes so far as to declare this as a national public holiday. Children and many adults alike will have the benefit of a day off to enjoy this day to it’s fullest.
Not only in Korea, but Korean Centres around the globe will host Hangul related events on this day. From calligraphy to stories, to history, you will surely be able to find something that fits your particular interest.
Hangul Quest: Learn Hangul the fun way
If you’re not yet familiar with the Korean alphabet, there’s no better time to start. Many learners are surprised by how quickly they can grasp the mechanics.
To make the process even easier, try Hangul Quest, an interactive app designed to help learners master the Korean alphabet in a fun and engaging way. The app features playful lessons, interactive challenges, and step-by-step methods that make studying feel less like a chore and more like an adventure. With Hangul Quest, you can build a strong foundation in Hangul confidently and enjoyably, turning the first step of your Korean learning journey into an exciting experience.
Whatever stage you are at, have a look at the services Go! Go! Hanguk can offer to further your Korean learning journey! Follow our blog and TikTok account for information about living in Korea.
