From: seo@capone.ccsm.uiuc.edu (Jong-Wook Seo)
Subject: Re : Korean writing system (Why question ?)
Organization: Microelectronics Lab - Univ. of Illinios
Distribution: soc.culture.korean
Date: Fri, 10 Apr 1992 22:55:57 GMT


Dear Scott Horne

I'd like to ask some questions because I think it is not appropriate to 
start my engagement without clarifying something.
I hope I am not asking you to spend your time too much.


I think you said that the form of Hangul is the very result of the Chinese 
influences.
You even mentioned that the difficulties we meet when we write Hangul in a 
series form is just because we used to use that form.
My first question is, if you were at the position of development of a 
writing system, what kind of letter form would you choose, and why ?
The reason why ask this question is I am little bit curious about the idea 
you have about the form of a letter.

You said it is possible to write Hangul in a series form.
Even asked us to try it.
Have you tried it by yourself?
Or, if you were not fluent in Korean, have you asked anybody else who is 
speaking Korean fluently (If you don't feel fair to ask it to any Korean 
people.) to try it ?
In my point of view, Hangle has such a high level of flexibility that it 
can be used in both way.
Actually, when we type Hangul on computer, we don't specify whether it is 
the first consonant or the last one.
It is separable by a simple logic.
A computer easily recognizes it.
It means we, human being, can use a serial version of Hangul.
However, we have to suffer some difficulties in that version.
And, I don't see any reason why we have to waist our time to do so.

When I was an elementary school student, our friends enjoyed a funny game.
We wrote some words (basically, bad ones) in a series form to communicate 
with our comrades in secrecy.
That was a sort of secret coding.
Of course, everybody can reads it if he/she can have enough time.
Although, we didn't give enough time to the guys whom we didn't like.
Anyway, even though it is technically possible to write Hangul in series, 
it is not as convenient as the way we are using now.
This is our people, the native Korean speakers, know through our 
experiences.

Do you think any of the people who proposed to use the serial version of  
Hangul or the people who opposed it  were totally crazy ?
I don't think so.
I mean both sides had their own reasons to propose it or to oppose it.
However, our people knew that it is much less convenient to write Hangul 
in a series form.

If you want to use Hangul to write your own language in a series form, we 
don't mind at all.
It's up to you.


Secondly.
I have been in America for about three years.
I have worked in an environment which requires a little bit heavy English 
speaking.
Unfortunately, however, I am not smart enough to speak in English well.
As far as I know, it is much easier for Korean to speak Japanese than 
English.
I don't even expect that I can be a fluent English speaker some time.
It is not only because of my own experience, but also because of many 
other's.

I believe this is due to the differences in the languages, Korean and 
English in this case.
Quite possibly, it is very natural to expect any differences in the 
writing systems for both, isn't it ?
If then, I think it is not a questionable matter which way we write Hangul.
It is solely because of our convenience.
I am not saying to you not to talk about it.
I am just curious why you are saying that the difficulties we may have if 
we write Hangul in a series form is just a matter of being used to.
(Generally speaking, you can claim anything by saying that "It is because 
you are used to do so.".
It is the same as that you are not saying anything before you prove it.)

If you really want to say that Hangul was developed to have it's form 
because the people developed it were under strong influence of Chinese 
letters, please propose any other possible form for us.
I'm not making a joke.
There might be any other possible geometries for a writing system to 
express the Korean language.
However, most simple form I can imagine for a hand writing is a 
rectangular form.
Why did the people who developed the 'seven segment' accept rectangular 
one ?
I think you know that there are many other geometrical forms such as a 
circular, triangular, or polygonal ones.
Please do not over emphasize the influence of the Chinese culture in Korea.
I think you don't know much about it.


Thirdly.
As far as I remember, you once claimed that many (or even single) Chinese 
scholars were involved in the project to develop Hangul, didn't you ?
Where did you get that information ?
If it is not easy to memorize it, please tell me roughly.
I am interested in that matter because what I know is the opposite.
Our people actually felt not so good about China on that issue, the 
development of our own writing system at that time.
Although, it was not a direct politics, but a curiosity.
(At this moment, I don't have any nice supporting materials on that issue, 
though.)
So, you may correct my wrong knowledge.

If you made that comment mistakenly, please tell us that it's the case.
It doesn't hurt you at all.
We are in total charge of the image which foreign people have toward our 
country.


And another.
You wrote :
	>Ah, but if one country gets the bow and arrow from its cultural elder 
brother,
	>then varies the design a bit, you'll suppose that the elder brother 
didn't
	>influence its sibling in the least?  Talk about ridiculous.
Let me talk about this ridiculous.
Please tell me any single inventor who really invented something you may 
know.
I think it might be necessary to make any kind of agreement about what the 
word 'invention' means.
Actually, I don't understand why people made a useless word, 'invention', 
if your claim has meaning.
If you don't want to talk about this issue, that's okay.
I think this is a little bit digress.


Finally.
Please tell me the idea you have about such matters as racism, chauvinism, 
and every other -ism you wrote.
I don't want to hear only that you are at the side of opposition against 
that matters.
(Although, I don't know whether you really are, even.)
The feeling which our people have is not a matter of chauvinism.
I'd rather call it a nervousness.
Many people in the world lost their self esteem and their pride last few 
centuries.
Our people is not an exception.
As you said, it can not justify any chauvinistic feeling of superiority or 
offensive pride.
However, the image I have against your articles is not that general 
warning, but very offensive cynicism.
I don't even feel that your words are under reasonable control.
If you are really interested in the human matters, please pay serious 
attention to what happened last centuries and to what those things left.
Unfortunately, I don't know much about you and your idea.
I hope you are generous enough to tell me about yours.


Thanks anyway.


Jong-Wook Seo