South Korea's alphabet has been used since the 15th century.
The Korean alphabet , known as Hangul in South Korea ( also transcribed Hangeul ) and as Chosŏn ` gŭl / Chosŏn Muntcha in North Korea is the alphabet that has been used to write the Korean language since the 15th century . It was created in 1443 under King Sejong the Great during the Joseon Dynasty . South Korea . Under Sejong the Great in the 15th century , Koreans had one of the highest living standards in the world along with the Han Chinese and Japanese and developed improved versions many advanced innovations such as the metal movable type printing press in 1377 A.D. which was developed based on the previous Han Chinese Porcelain movable type printing press , used to print and publish the Jikji , the world 's oldest extant movable metal type printed paper book using the 8,000 year old traditional ancient Chinese writing system . Additionally , in 1443 Hangul was invented by the Korean King Sejong the Great as an easier alternative to the complex and difficult to learn ancient Chinese writing system which was usually reserved for elite academic scholars preparing for the imperial examinations of China .