Korea of Their Cultural

Hanbok

The traditional costume of Koreans is the hanbok. The harmony of curved and straight lines in the simple design of the hanbok amply express the easy-going and generous nature of the Korean people. A masculine image of strength and order is conveyed by the trouser cuffs tied with jade-green ankle bands, while feminine grace and warmth is suggested by the layers of the long skirt.

Koreans have their own language and writing system. In 1446, King Sejong promulgated a writing system in which Korean could be easily set down, and this is now known as hangeul. Hangeul is a phonemic alphabet with 14 consonants and 10 vowels. The shapes of the consonants resemble those of the speech organs when pronouncing them, while the vowels are modeled on heaven (ㆍ), earth (ㅡ), and man (ㅣ). Hangeul is one of the most logical and scientific writing systems in the world. It is also the only one now in use whose exact origin is known.