Language & Landmarks: Namdaemun Gate

Annyong ha shimnikka, and welcome to the Namdaemun Gate located in Seoul. This structure, made of wood and stone, was completed in 1398 and was used to greet foreign emissaries. It was built in a wall protecting Seoul from invaders and Korean tigers, the latter of which are no longer a threat. This gate is also known as Sungnyemun meaning “Gate of Exalted Ceremonies.” An inscription indicating this title is written in hanja a Chinese script used in Korea until the 15th century. Up to that time, only scholars could read or write, as Chinese characters were very difficult to learn and use. The Josean ruler, King Sejong, (1397-1450) wanted more of his people to become literate. Consequently he is credited with developing a much more simplified, useable script called Hangul, which became Koreas’ own. At first only women and common people used this new language. Today, however, it is the official language of Korea even though in South Korea some two thousand Chinese characters are also used in newspapers and academic writing. The Koreans are so proud of this unique and practical language that they actually celebrate it every year. October 9 is Hangul Day in South Korea. The Hangul alphabet has 10 vowels and 14 consonants and has no letters or sounds for F, Q, V, W, X, and Z. There are as many as 7 speech levels in Korean which are used to indicate the level of formality of a situation and to show respect to a speaker or a writer’s audience. Wouldn’t it make sense to learn some basic Hangul words, titles and phrases of respect to address your Korean associates?

Sadly, Namdaemun gate was nearly destroyed by fire on February 1, 2008. The Cultural Heritage Administration says that it will take at least three years to fully restore the landmark.

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