Why was the invention of Hangul a turning point in Korean literary history?

The invention of Hangul by King Sejong in 1443 was a monumental turning point in Korean literary history because it made the creation of a true vernacular literature possible.1

Prior to this development, Korean scholars relied on Classical Chinese or complex transcription systems—such as idu, hyangch’al, and kugyŏl—to record the Korean language using Chinese characters. Because these systems were cumbersome and the elite class remained heavily invested in Chinese-language scholarship, the invention of an accessible, phonetic alphabet was essential for broader literary expression.234

By providing a dedicated system for writing the Korean language, Hangul allowed for the emergence of new literary forms and the documentation of works in the vernacular. Early examples, such as the dynastic poem Yongbi ŏch’ŏn ka and various instructional texts, demonstrated the ease of composition in Korean and the language's unique potential for literary depth. This innovation fundamentally shifted the trajectory of Korean literature, eventually enabling a wider range of voices and themes to be captured beyond the constraints of the Chinese writing system.14