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Cherishing and polishing a national language is a noble endeavor for a nation. So it is a moving event when the Korea Language Society, which has safeguarded and fostered our language and studies, celebrates its centenary and looks toward the future. Under the theme "Future-oriented Korean Language and Studies," the KLS is sponsoring a Hangeul exhibition at the King Sejong Memorial Hall from Aug. 18 through Oct. 18 and an international academic forum and celebration at the New Millennium Building, Konkuk University on Aug. 29 and 30.
The KLS originated in the Society for Research in the Korean Language, a private association established on Aug. 31, 1908 for the purpose of systematically researching our language. Led by linguists Han Hin-saem and Ju Shi-gyeong, it consisted mainly of educators. Following several rechristening, the Korea Language Society has existed since 1949.
The preservation of Hangeul -- the Korean alphabet -- has had a bumpy history over the past century. Rules were devised for spelling, differentiating standard and dialect Korean words, and a uniform system for transcribing foreign words in the early 1930s. They provide the frameworks for the current use of the language. On Oct. 1, 1942, a number of KLS members involved in the compilation of the nation's first Korean dictionary were arrested by the Japanese colonizers. Because they attempted to uproot the use of the Korean language and alphabet as a means of obliterating the Korean nation, the Japanese regarded a drive to safeguard Hangeul as an act of sedition.
King Sejong's creation and propagation of Hangeul, a writing system designed to express the language of our everyday speech, is one of the crowning glories of our heritage. We can never be too proud of a scientific phonetic writing system that is recognized by the world.
I always remember what the Greek writer Odysseus Elytis, winner of the 1979 Nobel Prize in literature, told a Korean reporter upon receiving the award, "Greek deeply embrace the soul of the Greeks. In Korea, which has a long history, I believe Korean language and literature will likewise be inherited as a language of its soul.Ħħ
A language is the soul and life of a nation. It's a spiritual girder and an asset the whole nation owns in common. Our posterity has a mission to develop Hangeul more effectively.
France lets primary schoolchildren write and recite poems in their mother tongue in an effort to nourish their cultural sensibility. The practice is said to be an engine of today's vibrant French culture.
Korea, steadily developing as a powerhouse of the Internet, sports and industry, also takes pride in the globalization of Hangeul. Korean language programs have been established at 600-plus universities in 50 countries. Varying Korean language educational institutions are also on the rise. The government needs to provide them with systematic and continual support.
But we need substantive education in the Korean language. Through it, our youngsters must be encouraged to enjoy their culture and love their alphabet. Though English is essential to boost our international competitiveness, I hope that our next generation will absorb the Korean language perfectly.
The task of the Korean Language Society as it greets another century in the 60th year of the republic is enormous. Let us hope that the government gives more support to the KLS so that it may enhance its status and fulfill its responsibilities.
The column was contributed by the poet Kim Hu-ran.
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