Changes

==Language and Writing==

==Language and Writing==

[[Image:Korean Shaman Painting of The White Horse General.jpg|thumb|Shaman Painting of The White Horse General]]

[[Image:Korean Shaman Painting of The White Horse General.jpg|thumb|Shaman Painting of The White Horse General]]

Although some spelling or words are slightly different between countries, the official language of both South Korea and North Korea is Korean. Five major dialects in South Korea and one in North Korea are mutually understandable among speakers from different areas.<ref>http://www.todaytranslations.com/index.asp-Q-Page-E-Korean-Language-History--31760371</ref> For more than 2,000 years a Chinese system of writing has been known to Koreans. The Chinese system of writing was widely used during the ancient times. After the fifth century AD, Koreans devised three different systems for writing Korean with Chinese characters. (The Japanese systems were similar to these thus Japanese writing is probably modeled on the Korean system.) King Sejong (r.1418-1450) invented the Korean alphabet in 1444. The Korean alphabet has been called many different names but it is currently known as Hangul or Hangeul (depending upon transliteration). Originally called "The correct sounds for the instruction of the people", (''Hunmin jeongeum''), or "national writing" (''Gukmeun''.) the alphabet was also known as "vulgar script", or ''Eonmeun'' by Korea's nobility who felt it was simple next to the traditional Chinese characters. It didn't catch on in Korea until the mid 1800's.<ref>http://library.thinkquest.org/20746/non/info/history.html</ref> Ju Si-gyeong (Korean linguist b. 1876 d. 1914) coined ''Hangul(한글)'' the modern name for the Korean character set.<ref>http://www.omniglot.com/writing/korean.htm</ref> Today, Hangul is honored in South Korea on Hangul Day, on October 9.<ref>http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/002529.html</ref>

Although some spelling or words are slightly different between countries, the official language of both South Korea and North Korea is Korean. Five major dialects in South Korea and one in North Korea are mutually understandable among speakers from different areas.<ref>http://www.todaytranslations.com/index.asp-Q-Page-E-Korean-Language-History--31760371</ref> For more than 2,000 years a Chinese system of writing has been known to Koreans. The Chinese system of writing was widely used during the ancient times. After the fifth century AD, Koreans devised three different systems for writing Korean with Chinese characters. (The Japanese systems were similar to these thus Japanese writing is probably modeled on the Korean system.) King Sejong (r.1418-1450) invented the Korean alphabet in 1444. The Korean alphabet has been called many different names but it is currently known as Hangul or Hangeul (depending upon transliteration). Originally called "The correct sounds for the instruction of the people", (''Hunmin jeongeum''), or "national writing" (''Gukmeun''.) the alphabet was also known as "vulgar script", or ''Eonmeun'' by Korea's nobility who felt it was simple next to the traditional Chinese characters. It didn't catch on in Korea until the mid 1800s.<ref>http://library.thinkquest.org/20746/non/info/history.html</ref> Ju Si-gyeong (Korean linguist b. 1876 d. 1914) coined ''Hangul(한글)'' the modern name for the Korean character set.<ref>http://www.omniglot.com/writing/korean.htm</ref> Today, Hangul is honored in South Korea on Hangul Day, on October 9.<ref>http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/002529.html</ref>

==Current status==

==Current status==

==Korean Airlines==

==Korean Airlines==

The national air carrier of the South Korean state is Korean Airlines. The most famous incident involving the airline is the shooting down by the Soviets of [[Korean Airlines Flight 007]] near [[Moneron Island]] just west of the Soviet [[Sakhalin]] Island on Sept. 1, 1983. Among the 269 people on board this flight was a sitting conservative congressman (Democratic) from the state of [[Georgia]], [[Larry McDonald]], a younger cousin of General [[George Patton]]. Staunchly anti-communist, Larry McDonald , just three months earlier, had been elected the second head of the [[John Birch Society]]. Senator [[Jesse Helms]] was scheduled to also be aboard KAL 007 but was spared by boarding the sister flight for the trip from the U.S.to Korea, KAL 015. Both McDonald and Helms, with other congressmen, were on their way to Korea to celebrate the 30th year anniversary of the U.S.-Korea Mutual Defense Treaty.

The national air carrier of the South Korean state is Korean Airlines. The most famous incident involving the airline is the shooting down by the Soviets of [[Korean Airlines Flight 007]] near [[Moneron Island]] just west of the Soviet [[Sakhalin]] Island on Sept. 1, 1983. Among the 269 people on board this flight was a sitting conservative congressman (Democratic) from the state of [[Georgia]], [[Larry McDonald]], a younger cousin of General [[George Patton]]. Staunchly anti-communist, Larry McDonald, just three months earlier, had been elected the second head of the [[John Birch Society]]. Senator [[Jesse Helms]] was scheduled to also be aboard KAL 007 but was spared by boarding the sister flight for the trip from the U.S.to Korea, KAL 015. Both McDonald and Helms, with other congressmen, were on their way to Korea to celebrate the 30th year anniversary of the U.S.-Korea Mutual Defense Treaty.

==See also==

==See also==