The History, Formation, and Future of the Korean Language

By Hannah Whiting, Former HRNK Research Intern
Edited by Greg Scarlatoiu, President & CEO of HRNK

          What started with the compassionate heart of the King has seen its way through challenge and triumphed once again.[i] The Korean language, in its differing forms and journeys, holds the heart of over eighty million people today.[ii] Language can form a person's identity. The ability to adequately express oneself builds human connection. Kind and true words foster unification. Can a simple understanding of language bridge the gap between two enemy countries? Are the languages of North and South Korea the same or different? How might this affect the future of Korea? The history and evolution of the Korean language lights understanding into the past and breeds questions about the nearing future. 

King Sejong and the compassionate creation of Hangul

          With difficulty communicating, the common Korean lived their life as they watched only the elite communicate with the written word of the Hanja script. Hanja Chinese characters could not accurately depict the full sounds of the spoken Korean.[iii] Many of the Koreans did not endeavor to learn it which created a divide.  

         Much to the benefit of the country, King Sejong portrayed understanding to the fact that the Classical Chinese characters felt hard to learn by the common person (which made up most of the population). Through scientific understanding and compassion, King Sejong and a group of scholars endeavored to create Hangul. This 28-letter language blessed the Korean people with the option to more easily learn to read, write, and accomplish King Sejong’s desire for greater ability to express their feelings (Milwaukee Independent, 2025).

Hangul banned and revived again

           In the Joseon Dynasty, fear took over. They did not approve or like the fact that all the commoners knew Hangul. They also felt that Hanja took more of a respectable stance in terms of language and writing. As a result, in 1504 they banned Hangul. It stayed banned for many years after.

          In the 16th and 17th centuries Hangul began to creep back in. Finally, in 1849, King GoJong requested it back for the writing of important documents. Such occurrences brought back the use of Hangul. Finally, in 1894 teachers began to teach it in schools (The Korea Herald, 2025).

The Japanese rule and banning of the language

          Just under twenty years later in 1910, the Japanese took over and declared Japanese as the official language. They did not, however, eliminate Hangul ... yet. During this time, Ju Si Gyeong helped to name and partially standardize some of the Korean language. In 1938, however, the Japanese removed all the Korean education in schools. They strove to eliminate the entire Korean culture.

          While it continued to stay in use, the language did not officially come back for almost ten whole years.[iv] When the United States finally defeated the Empire of Japan, at the end of World War II,[v] the Koreans renewed their pride in the language and Hangul received full standardization. The Koreans’ preservation, memory, and protection of the language and alphabet carried through. Their endurance paid off as they retrieved their beautiful culture again (Linguatute, 2025).

North and South Korea split, affecting the language

          Despite the joyful liberation from colonial rule, Koreans experienced conflict within their own country. Toward the end of World War II in the Pacific, the Soviet Union occupied much of the north side of Korea and the United States assumed control of the south. They helped to create the line between North and South Korea as they both supported different governments. The Soviet Union left the North overwhelmed by communism and the United States instituted in the South an incipient democratic government.[vi]

          This resulted in the infamous official split of North and South Korea in 1948.[vii] That next year, North Korea created Chosŏn’gŭl (조선글). This language took out Hanja and kept the Hangul (Linguatute, 2025). The South Koreans, on the other hand, kept both. Korean dictionaries use Hanja to explain words.[viii]

North and South Korean language in the modern day

          In the modern day, South Korea has continued to experience language influence from the outside world. When asking a North Korean escapee what she found most distinct about the current South Korean language she responded “loanwords.” Due to history, 60% of the language consists of Sino-Korean.[ix] Many wonder why we use two different number systems in Korea. Sino-Korean owns one number system. There are two because China influenced Korea many years back. This evolved into Sino-Korean.[x] Currently there are many loanwords that come from the United States.[xi] Completing a quick search will provide English-Korean words such as “pizza, computer, television, ice-cream, shopping, jogging” and more.

          North Koreans are known to use some Russian and Chinese loanwords.[xii] North Korea has also striven to eliminate language from South Korea. In 2023 the Pyongyang Cultural Language Act stated that they will put someone for at least ten years in a labor camp if they spread the “puppet language,” a term North Korean propaganda uses to describe the South Korean dialect.[xiii] This type of desire for negative talk about the South dates to the end of World War 2.[xiv] 

A present and potential future, marked but not defined by differences

          If the North and South came back together, they would need to consider and agree upon how to use the language. Would they choose to take Hanja out altogether throughout the whole country? Who would decide this? The current app “Univoca” helps to bridge the gap between North and South Korean words by providing continually evolving translation.[xv] North Koreans have found it useful. South Korean teachers hope it will help the escapees to integrate well.[xvi]

Concluding remarks

          In conclusion, the Korean language and Korean writing have evolved overtime. From Hanja to Hangul creation, to elimination, to the rise again, to the Japanese rule, and to the revival of Hangul. Hangul survived despite the leadership that desired its extinction. Currently North and South Korea benefit from the uses of its creation.

          With knowledge of South Korea accepting more new words, one may conclude that in the future the dialects of the North and the South will differ even more. To what degree might this produce problems? If the language difference continues to increase and the North and South reunite, the country may need more translators. The younger generation of Koreans may need to look to their older generations who better remember the traditional language. Expressions of patience and humility may need to take place as the people regain their understandings and form the future official Korean language.

Hannah Whiting is a former HRNK intern and an aspiring marriage and family therapist with a Bachelor's degree in Marriage and Family Studies and a certificate in Child and Family Advocacy. Her love for the people of Korea developed while living as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Seoul, South Korea. While there, the Korean people and experience won her heart and changed her life forever. 

Endnotes
[i]. Milwaukee Independent, “The Creation of Hangul: A Linguistic Masterpiece Designed by King Sejong to Increase Korean Literacy,” Milwaukee Independent, accessed August 30, 2025, https://www.milwaukeeindependent.com/articles/creation-hangul-linguistic-masterpiece-designed-king-sejong-increase-korean-literacy/.

[ii]. The Korea Herald, “Korean Has 81.7 Million Speakers, Driven by Global Pop Culture Superpower from Asia,” Korea Herald, accessed August 30, 2025, https://www.koreaherald.com/article/3032661#:~:text=Korean%20has%2081.7%20million%20speakers,pop%20culture%20superpower%20from%20Asia.

[iii]. The Anthrotorian, “The Hangul Revolution: How the Creation of a New Written Language Changed South Korea Forever,” The Anthrotorian, accessed August 30, 2025, https://theanthrotorian.com/culture/the-hangul-revolution-how-the-creation-of-a-new-written-language-changed-south-korea-forever.
 
[iv]. Linguatute, “Symbols of Identity: The Role of the Hangul Writing System in Korean History,” Linguatute, accessed August 30, 2025, https://linguatute.com/symbols-of-identity-the-role-of-the-hangul-writing-system-in-korean-history/.

[v]. The National WWII Museum, “End of World War II (1945),” The National WWII Museum, accessed August 30, 2025, https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/topics/end-world-war-ii-1945.

[vi]. Encyclopædia Britannica, “Aftereffects: Korean War,” video, Encyclopædia Britannica, accessed August 30, 2025, https://www.britannica.com/video/aftereffects-Korean-War/-255378.

[vii]. History.com Editors, “North and South Korea Divided: Reasons and Facts,” History.com, accessed August 30, 2025, https://www.history.com/articles/north-south-korea-divided-reasons-facts.

[viii]. 90 Day Korean, “Hanja,” 90 Day Korean, accessed August 30, 2025, https://www.90daykorean.com/hanja/.

[ix]. Duolingo Blog, “History of the Korean Language,” Duolingo Blog, accessed August 30, 2025, https://blog.duolingo.com/history-of-korean-language/#:~:text=The%20impact%20of%20Chinese%20on,similar%20to%20spoken%20Chinese%20today.

[x]. YouTube, “Short Video,” YouTube Shorts, 2025, accessed August 30, 2025, https://youtube.com/shorts/ezfE9gEdQic?si=Q3YyUMkHNNTodbeF.
 
[xi]. Young Pioneer Tours, “Korean Language,” Young Pioneer Tours, accessed August 30, 2025, https://www.youngpioneertours.com/korean-language/.

[xii]. KBS World, “Content View,” KBS World, accessed August 30, 2025, https://world.kbs.co.kr/service/contents_view.htm?lang=e&board_seq=362271.

[xiii]. Daily NK, “Daily NK Obtains Full Text of Pyongyang Cultural Language Protection Act,” Daily NK, accessed August 30, 2025, https://www.dailynk.com/english/daily-nk-obtains-full-text-pyongyang-cultural-language-protection-act/.

[xiv]. The Guardian, “North and South Korea: Tensions, Relations, Issues, Conflict, Division Explained in 30 Seconds,” The Guardian, August 15, 2022, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/aug/15/north-and-south-korea-tensions-relations-issue-conflict-division-explained-in-30-seconds.

[xv]. WorldCrunch, “App Helps North Korean Defectors Learn Southern Slang,” WorldCrunch, accessed August 30, 2025, https://worldcrunch.com/tech-science/app-helps-north-korean-defectors-learn-southern-slang/.

[xvi]. The Borgen Project, “Univoca,” The Borgen Project, accessed August 30, 2025, https://borgenproject.org/univoca/.