about_ko12.jpg

C. Korean language

The Korean language is classified as a Ural-Altaic language, a group which also includes Mongolian, Hungarian, and Finnish. The Korean character system, Han-gul, is completely different from Japanese. 'Han-gul' was developed by a group of scholars under the patronage of King Sejong in 1443 of the Chosun Dynasty.
Koreans all speak and write the same language, which has been a crucial factor in their strong national identity. Modern Korean has several dialects including the standard one used in Seoul and central areas, but they are similar enough that speakers do not have trouble understanding each other.
It is composed of 10 vowels and 14 consonants. This unique phonetic syllabic system allows great freedom of expression.

about_ko13.jpg