HanGul and Hanja

A Brief introduction
For western Kouk Sun Do
Practitioners

Revision History

Revision
1.0
1.1

Modification
Initial Revision

Author
Don Zickefoose

Added White & Yellow Posture Don Zickefoose

Names

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Date
01/12/201
6
1/14/2016

Contents
Revision History.......................................................................................................... 2
History of the Korean Language................................................................................. 4
Hangul The Korean Alphabet.................................................................................... 5
Consonants............................................................................................................. 5
Vowels..................................................................................................................... 6
Hanja.......................................................................................................................... 7
Relevant Characters................................................................................................ 7
Relevant Phrases................................................................................................... 12
Kouk Sun Do....................................................................................................... 12
The Kouk Sun Do Tenants:...................................................................................... 13
Dan Jun (Elixer Field):............................................................................................. 14
Jung Ki Dan Bup Hoo Pyen............................................................................................. 16
Resources................................................................................................................. 17

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History of the Korean Language

The Korean language has been spoken on the Korean peninsula for more than 2,000
years, however its writing system was not developed until 1440, when King Sejong of
the Yi Dynasty directed a group of scholars to develop a means of writing the Korean
Language that would be simple enough such that anyone could learn to read and
write. The developed alphabet, Hangul, is likely the most scientific alphabet in general
use in the world.
Because loan words from Chinese consist of about sixty percent of the Korean
vocabulary, The Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea directed that 1800
Sino-Korean characters, Hanja, be taught in public schools.

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Hangul The Korean Alphabet

Hangul consists of only 16 basic characters which can be learned in minutes, there
are a few stressed and aspirated consonants, as well as a number of Dipthongs
(Combinations of vowel sounds) which if included in the count, brings the alphabet to
37 characters.

Consonants
Consonants
Basic Consonants

1. k
2. n
3. t
4. r (initial)

L (final)
m
p
s
-ng
(final, no sound
as initial)
9. ch
10.
h
5.
6.
7.
8.

Stressed Consonants

1a.

Aspirated Consonants

gg

1b. k

3a. dd

3b. t

6a. bb
7a. ss

6b. p

9a. jj

9b. ch

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Vowels
Vowels
Basic Vowels

I Dipthongs

Y Dipthongs

Other Dipthongs

1b. ya

(hut)

1a. ae
(hat)
2a. e
(set)

wa
(water)
wa
(water)

3. o
(home)
4. u
(plume)
5.

3a. oe
(wet)
4a. ui
(we)
5a. i

3b. yo

1. a
(father)
2.

(soot)

2b. y

(won)
4b. yu

(we)

6. i
(beet)

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Hanja

Although it is beyond the scope of this document to describe the 1800 Sino-Korean
characters taught in middle school and high school in the Republic of Korea, there are
some basic characters that show up in Kouk Sun Do practice. The intention is to
highlight those characters. Refer to the reference section for a complete study of the
1800 characters.

Relevant Characters

Water, Liquid, lotion, Juice

Fire, flame, burn, anger, rage
Wood, tree, lumber, wooden
- Metal, gold, money
- Earth, soil, items made of earth

- Sun, Day, Daytime

- Moon, Month
- Heaven, Sky, god, celestial
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 - Earth, soil, items made of earth (repeated)

Fire, flame, burn, anger, rage (repeated)
Water, Liquid, lotion, Juice (repeated)
- Mountain, Hill, Peak
- Lake
- Wind, Air
- Thunder

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 Gate, door, entrance, opening

Big, great, vast, large high
- Small, tiny, insignificant
- Path, Road, Street, Method, Way
- Shake, quake, tremor, excite
- Taoist super-being, transcendent, immortal, fairy, genie, wizard
-

Nation, Country or State

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 One
Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten

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 - North
- South
- East
- West

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Relevant Phrases

Kouk Sun Do

Nation, Country or State

- Taoist super-being, transcendent, immortal, fairy, genie, wizard

- Path, Road, Street, Method, Way

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The Kouk Sun Do Tenants:

Hun - Chung Shim, Chung Shi, Chung Gak, Chung Do, Chung Haeng

- Teach, Instruct, Exegesis, Admonish, Decree

- Right, Proper, Correct, Upright, Straight, Adjust, Principal
- Heart, Moral, Intention. Core, Mind, Intelligence, Soul, Center
- Look at, Inspect, Observe, See
- Perceive, Aware, Conscious, to wake up from sleep
- Path, Road, Street, Method, Way, Truth, Principal
- Go, Walk, Travel, Circulate, Do, Action, Behavior
Dan Jun (Elixer Field):

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- Cinnabar,Pill, Elixer
- Field

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Jung Ki Dan Boup Jeon Pyen

Central, Center, Middle, Hit Target, attain
Air, gas, steam vapor, sprit
Cinnabar,Pill, Elixer
Law, rule, regulation, statute
in front, forward, preceding
knit, weave, arrange, compile

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Jung Ki Dan Bup Hoo Pyen

Central, Center, Middle, Hit Target, attain
Air, gas, steam vapor, sprit
Cinnabar,Pill, Elixer
Law, rule, regulation, statute
behind, rear, after
knit, weave, arrange, compile
Kun Gon Dan Boup
Dry, warming principle of the sun, penetrating and fertilizing, heavenly generative
principle (male)

Earth, feminine, female

Resources

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Kim, Hyunmoon. The Tao of Life: An Investigation of Sundo Taoisms Personal Growth
Model as a Process of Spiritual Development, San Francisco, California: Presented to
Saybrook Graduate School & Research Center 2002
Grant, Bruce K. A Guide to Korean Characters Reading and Writing Hangul and Hanja.
Seoul, Korea: Hollym Corp. 2013 - ISBN: 978-0-930878-13-9
Beinfield, Harriet, Between Heaven and Earth: A Guide to Chinese Medicine, New York:
Ballantine Books. 1992 ISBN: 0-345-37074-8
Berkm Wukkuan R. Chinese Healing Arts Internal Kung-Fu, Burbank CA: Unique
Publications 1986 ISBN: 0-86568-083-3
Cho, Lap. http://www.sayjack.com/korean/hanja/characters/
Seattle Washington: 2015

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