Volta
Culture1931 (orthography 1933)

Korean Language Society and the Unified Hangeul Orthography

Successor to the Korean Language Research Society, the Korean Language Society fixed a unified spelling system and standard language and prepared a Korean dictionary.

Unified Hangul Orthography, published by the Korean Language Society in 1933
Unified Hangul Orthography, published by the Korean Language Society in 1933

조선어학회 (Korean Language Society) · Public domain · Source

Pupils of Ju Si-gyeong founded the Korean Language Research Society in 1921, created "Gagya Day" in 1926 (today’s Hangeul Day) and published the journal Hangeul. Renamed the Korean Language Society in 1931, it issued the Unified Hangeul Orthography in 1933 and went on to standardize vocabulary and the spelling of loanwords.

Its great dictionary project was halted by the 1942 Korean Language Society incident; the manuscript was recovered after liberation and the dictionary completed in 1957.

Show on the map

The map in 1931

Open the full map

OpenFreeMap © OpenMapTiles © OpenStreetMap contributors

States and rulers at the time
Korea under Japanese rule — Governor-General Saitō Makoto → Governor-General Ugaki Kazushige

People

  • Ju Si-gyeong1876 – 1914

    related figure · Linguist who worked at the Korean Language Research Institute and wrote "Korean Grammar"; his pupils founded the Korean Language Research Society

  • Choe Hyeon-bae1894 – 1970

    participant · Linguist of the Korean Language Society, author of "Urimalbon" and "Hangeulgal", imprisoned from the 1942 society incident until liberation

1 part of this event

  1. 1942 – 1945Korean Language Society Incident

    Japan branded the Korean Language Society an independence organization and imprisoned its members. Yi Yun-jae and Han Jing died in custody and the society was dissolved.

Before and after

Earlier
1929 Gwangju Student Independence Movement
Later
1931 Korean Patriotic Organization

Related works

Dramatized works (films, dramas, novels) may differ from the historical record.