In 1443, King Sejong the Great of Korea devised Hangul, a new alphabet to bring literacy to the common man. Tired of the complex Chinese characters reserved for the elite, he designed Hangul so its letters resembled the shapes of the spoken sounds. Despite fierce opposition from nobles who saw literacy as their exclusive right, King Sejong introduced the alphabet in 1446. Hangul soon transformed society by empowering ordinary people to read, write, and create, becoming a celebrated symbol of Kor