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Korea has experienced one of the largest rates of emigration, with ethnic Koreans residing primarily in China (1.9 million), the United States (1.52 million), [[Japan]] (681,000), and the countries of the former [[Soviet Union]] (450,000).

Korea has experienced one of the largest rates of emigration, with ethnic Koreans residing primarily in China (1.9 million), the United States (1.52 million), [[Japan]] (681,000), and the countries of the former [[Soviet Union]] (450,000).

The Korean language is related to Japanese and [[Mongolian]]. Although it differs grammatically from Chinese and does not use tones, a large number of Chinese cognates exist in Korean. Chinese ideograms are believed to have been brought into Korea sometime before the second century BC. The learned class spoke Korean, but read and wrote Chinese. A phonetic writing system ("hangul") was invented in the 15th century by [[Sejong|King Sejong]] to provide a writing system for commoners who could not read classical Chinese. Modern Korean uses hangul almost exclusively with Chinese characters in limited use for word clarification. Approximately 1,300 Chinese characters are used in modern Korean. English is taught as a second language in most primary and secondary schools. Chinese and Japanese are widely taught at secondary schools.  

Korean uses the Korean Alphabet, Han'gul. King Sejong created Han'gul (Hunmin chong'um) in 1443 and promulgated it to the world in 1446.

In the past, Chinese characters were used in Korea to write. However, Chinese characters could not adequately express Korean words. Thus, early Koreans used, Idu which was a system based on sounds and meanings of Chinese ideographs, but there were many inconveniences in using this system as well. Because Choson lacked its own particular national alphabet, except for the intelligentsia, the general people could not understand the written language and thus experienced inconveniences in their lives. During the initial stages of the Choson Dynasty, as national consciousness rose, Choson took up the great cultural task of creating its own alphabet which came to be known as Han'gul (Hunmin chong'um).

 

King Sejong made great efforts to create a system of letters which would be easy to learn and write. After a long period of research, he succeeded in creating the alphabet Han'gul, and in 1446 he promulgated it to the world, referring to it as Hunmin chong'um. Hunmin chong'um means "the correct sounds for the instruction of the people." It was named as such with the spirit of the King's love for his people. After the completion of Hunmin chong'um, the King made efforts to promote it by ordering his scholars to publish the Yongbi och'on-ga (The Dragon Flies to Heaven) and the Worin ch'ongang-jigok (The Moon Shines on a Thousand Rivers) in Hunmin chong'um. Han'gul is easy to learn and systematic. It can, not only give expression to sounds, but its form is beautiful and was created on the basis of scientific theory. Thus, Koreans consider it to be one of the most superior systems of letters in the world. As a result of the creation of Han'gul, the Korean people were able to possess pride as a cultured nation with its own unique national alphabet, thus boosting the national culture. For these reasons, Han'gul and King Sejong had a deep impact on the world. Thus, UNESCO presents the King Sejong Literacy Prize to outstanding persons or organizations that have contributed to the advancement of literacy to honor his noble aim, to deliver his people from the pains of illiteracy.

 

 

*Population (2006): 48,846,823.

*Population (2006): 48,846,823.