Hunminjeongeum Haerye

{{Short description|1446 Korean text on Hangul}}

{{italic title}}

{{Infobox Korean name

|img=Hunminjeongeumhaerye.jpg|160px

|caption=Hunminjeongeum Haerye uses right-to-left vertical writing. Here, Hunminjeongeum Haeryebon, explains the shapes of the basic consonants.

|hangul=훈민정음 해례

|hanja=訓民正音解例

|rr=Hunminjeongeum Haerye

|mr=Hunminjŏngŭm Haerye

}}

Hunminjeongeum Haerye ({{Korean|hangul=훈민정음 해례|hanja=訓民正音解例}}; {{Lit|Explanations and Examples of the Proper Sounds for the Instruction of the People|lk=yes}}), or simply Haerye, is a commentary on the Hunminjeongeum, the original promulgation of the Korean script Hangul. It was first published in 1446.{{Cite web|date=2023-10-05|title=Reprint of 'Hunminjeongeum' Haerye edition|url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/culture/2024/01/142_360529.html|access-date=2024-01-13|website=The Korea Times|language=en}} The Hunminjeongeum Haeryebon ({{Korean|hangul=훈민정음 해례본|hanja=訓民正音解例本|labels=no}}) is the printed edition—bon ({{Korean|hangul=본|hanja=本|labels=no}}) means "book" or "edition".

File:Hunminjeongum.jpg

It was written by scholars from the Jiphyeonjeon (Hall of Worthies), commissioned by King Sejong the Great. In addition to an introduction by Sejong (excerpted from the beginning of Hunminjeongeum) and a colophon by the scholar Chŏng Inji, it contains the following chapters:

1. "An Explanation of the Design of the Letters" (制字解)
2. "An Explanation of the Initials" (初聲解)
3. "An Explanation of the Medials" (中聲解)
4. "An Explanation of the Finals" (終聲解)
5. "An Explanation of the Combination of the Letters" (合字解)
6. "Examples of the Uses of the Letters" (用字例)

The original publication is 65 pages{{Cite web |last=Dong-hee |first=Hwang |date=2023-10-05 |title=Seminal texts on Hangeul reproduced right down to hanji pages |url=https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20231005000725 |access-date=2024-01-13 |website=The Korea Herald |language=en}} printed in Hanja with right-to-left vertical writing, as is the case for all the ancient Korean literature in regular script, except where Hangul are mentioned and illustrated.{{Cn|date=January 2024}} One original copy was made public in 1940 by Jeon Hyeongpil, an antique collector who acquired it from Lee Hangeol (1880–1950), whose family had possessed it for generations.{{Cn|date=January 2024}}

Another copy was reported to be found in 2008. It included detailed footnotes by scholars at the time.{{Cite web |date=2019-07-17 |title=Court ruling re-sparks tug-of-war over priceless Hangeul handbook |url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2024/01/281_272451.html |access-date=2024-01-13 |website=The Korea Times |language=en}}

Now kept in the Gansong Art Museum, it is South Korean National Treasure No. 70 and has been included in the UNESCO Memory of the World international register since October 1997.{{cite web|title=Hunminjeongum Manuscript |website=UNESCO| url=https://www.unesco.org/en/memory-world/hunminjeongum-manuscript|access-date=2024-12-16}}