How did King Sejong’s invention of Hangul make vernacular literature possible?

King Sejong’s invention of Hangul in 1443 was an epochal development that made vernacular literature possible by providing an easily learned, phonetic alphabet specifically designed to represent the Korean language.21

Before this, Korean scholars relied on Chinese characters or complex transcription systems like idu and hyangch’al to approximate Korean speech, which limited literary accessibility. By creating a dedicated script, Sejong enabled the direct composition of texts in the vernacular. Early examples of this new literature included:21

• Yongbi ŏch’ŏn ka (“Songs of Flying Dragons”), a narrative poem celebrating the Joseon dynasty founders.1
• Wŏrin ch’ŏngang chigok (“Songs of the Moon’s Reflection on a Thousand Rivers”), a narrative poem concerning the life of the Buddha.1
• Instructional books and translations of Buddhist scriptures, which demonstrated the ease of writing in Korean.1

While Hangul facilitated vernacular expression, it is important to note that Chinese characters remained the dominant medium for the elite class for centuries, and much of Korean literature continued to be written in Chinese until the 20th century.324