훈민정음은 세종의 개인적인 창조물로만 인식하는 것보다는 그 시대의 역사 문화적 산물로 보는 것이 합리적이라고 생각한다. 세종 때의 언어 정책 담당자들은 표준음으로서의 ‘正音’과 ‘正聲’을 설정해야 한다고 생각하였다.또 그들은 성인의 도를 옳게 이해하기 위해서는 모든 학문의 기초가 되는 성운학과 문자학에 관한 이론적인 연구부터 필수적으로 시작해야 한다고 인식하고 있었다. 이밖에 조선 건국 초기부터 이웃 여러 나라들과 원활한 외교 관계를 유지하기 위하여 사역원을 설치하여 역학 정책을 폈다. 그 과정에서 외국어음을 정확히 파악하기 위해 이를 옳게 표기할 표음문자의 필요성을 느꼈다.특히 훈민정음의 창제 목적 중에 하나는 표준 한국 한자음 체계를 설정하는 일과, 표준적인 중국 본토 한자음을 충실히 나타낼 수 있는 방법을 찾는 것이었다. 그래서 세종과 그 보필자들은 중국 성운학과 문자학 이론을 바탕으로 하고 여러 나라 문자를 참고로 하여 표음문자인 훈민정음을 창제하게 된 것이다.세종 시대에는 성운학을 바탕으로 한 언어 이론에 관한 연구가 고도로 발달되었으며, 이를 토대로 한 언어 정책이 활발히 전개되었다.이와 같이 세종 시대에 언어 정책을 성공적으로 수행하고, 훈민정음을 제정할 수 있었던 것은 집현전이라는 전문 연구 기관과 정음청 같은 전담 기구가 있었기 때문이다. 또한 세종 시대에 언어 정책을 수행하던 신하들이 세종의 뜻을 충성스럽게 보필하였기 때문이다.

It is rational that the Korean script(Hoonminjeoungum) should be recognized as not the personal creature of the King Sejong but the historical cultural product of that time. The language policy makers in the King Sejong’s age thought that the correct pronunciations and the correct sounds must be decided as a standard sound. Also, they recognized that they should essentially initiate a study as regards the Theory of Phonology and Graphonomy which are elementary knowledges of all studies, in order to understand the teachings of the saint rightly. Besides, they established the Sayeokwon, an institution which provided interpretation and translation service, for maintaining a good relations with many neighboring countries since the early age of the Chosun Dynasty. When it works, they felt the need to make a phonetic symbol which transcribes foreign languages into Chosun’s words accurately. Especially, they searched for some ways to set the standard sound system of Korean Chinese character to express standard Chinese character sound in that process. For these reasons, the King Sejong and his assistants invented the Korean script (Hoonminjeoungum) which is a phonogram (the Korean alphabet) based on the Theory of Chinese Phonology and Graphonomy with reference to many other country’s letters. In the King Sejong’s age, the phonological theory of Chinese characters was highly developed, with based on it, and many language policies were accomplished actively. As described above, successful accomplishments of language policies and invention of the Korean script(Hoonminjeoungum) in the King Sejong’s age could contribute to the existence of ‘Jiphyunjon’ which is a special research institution and ‘Jeongumcheong’ which is responsible for language policies. It also could contribute to scholars who carried out language policies in the Sejong’s age and assisted the King Sejong’s mind faithfully.

It is rational that the Korean script(Hoonminjeoungum) should be recognized as not the personal creature of the King Sejong but the historical cultural product of that time. The language policy makers in the King Sejong’s age thought that the correct pronunciations and the correct sounds must be decided as a standard sound. Also, they recognized that they should essentially initiate a study as regards the Theory of Phonology and Graphonomy which are elementary knowledges of all studies, in order to understand the teachings of the saint rightly. Besides, they established the Sayeokwon, an institution which provided interpretation and translation service, for maintaining a good relations with many neighboring countries since the early age of the Chosun Dynasty. When it works, they felt the need to make a phonetic symbol which transcribes foreign languages into Chosun’s words accurately. Especially, they searched for some ways to set the standard sound system of Korean Chinese character to express standard Chinese character sound in that process. For these reasons, the King Sejong and his assistants invented the Korean script (Hoonminjeoungum) which is a phonogram (the Korean alphabet) based on the Theory of Chinese Phonology and Graphonomy with reference to many other country’s letters. In the King Sejong’s age, the phonological theory of Chinese characters was highly developed, with based on it, and many language policies were accomplished actively. As described above, successful accomplishments of language policies and invention of the Korean script(Hoonminjeoungum) in the King Sejong’s age could contribute to the existence of ‘Jiphyunjon’ which is a special research institution and ‘Jeongumcheong’ which is responsible for language policies. It also could contribute to scholars who carried out language policies in the Sejong’s age and assisted the King Sejong’s mind faithfully.

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Hoonminjeoungum, the historical cultural product, A language letter policy, Chinese Phonology, Graphonomy, phonogram, the standard sound system of Korean, Chinese character sound, Sejong