Personal names[edit]
Korean personal names, including all Korean surnames and most Korean given names, are based on Hanja and are generally
written in it, although some exceptions exist.[5] On business cards, the use of Hanja is slowly fading away, with most older people
displaying their names exclusively in Hanja while most of the younger generation using both Hangul and Hanja. Korean per-
sonal names usually consist of a one-character family name (seong, 성, 姓) followed by a two-character given name (ireum,
이름). There are a few two-character family names (e.g. 남궁, 南宮, Namgung), and the holders of such names—but not only
them—tend to have one-syllable given names. Traditionally, the given name in turn consists of one character unique to the indi-
vidual and one character shared by all people in a family of the same sex and generation (see Generation name).[5]
During the Japanese administration of Korea (1910–1945), Koreans were forced to adopt Japanese-style names, includ-
ing polysyllabic readings of the Hanja, but this practice was reversed by post-independence governments in Korea. Since the
1970s, some parents have given their children given names that are simply native Korean words. Popular ones include Haneul
—meaning 'sky'—and Iseul—meaning 'morning dew'. Nevertheless, on official documents, people's names are still recorded in
both Hangul and in Hanja.[5]
Toponymy[edit]
Due to standardization efforts during Goryeo and Joseon eras, native Korean placenames were converted to Hanja, and most
names used today are Hanja-based. The most notable exception is the name of the capital, Seoul, a native Korean word mean-
ing 'capital' with no direct Hanja conversion; the Hanja gyeong (경, 京, 'capital') is sometimes used as a back-rendering. For ex-
ample, disyllabic names of railway lines, freeways, and provinces are often formed by taking one character from each of the two
locales' names; thus,
The Gyeongbu (경부, 京釜) corridor connects Seoul (gyeong, 京) and Busan (bu, 釜);
The Gyeongin (경인, 京仁) corridor connects Seoul and Incheon (in, 仁);
The former Jeolla (전라, 全羅) Province took its name from the first characters in the city names Jeonju (전주, 全州)
and Naju (나주, 羅州) (Naju is originally Raju, but the initial "r/l" sound in South Korean is simplified to "n").
Most atlases of Korea today are published in two versions: one in Hangul (sometimes with some English as well), and one in
Hanja. Subway and railway station signs give the station's name in Hangul, Hanja, and English, both to assist visitors (including
Chinese or Japanese who may rely on the Hanja spellings) and to disambiguate the name.
Academia[edit]
The Veritable Records of the Joseon Dynasty, an annual record of
the Joseon dynasty throughout its entire history, was written in Classical Chinese.
Hanja are still required for certain disciplines in academia, such as Oriental Studies and other disciplines studying Chinese, Ja-
panese or historic Korean literature and culture, since the vast majority of primary source text material are written
in Hanzi, Kanji or Hanja.[35]
Art and culture[edit]
For the traditional creative arts such as calligraphy and painting, a knowledge of Hanja is needed to write and understand the
various scripts and inscriptions, as is the same in China and Japan. Many old songs and poems are written and based on Hanja
characters.
On 9 September 2003, the celebration for the 55th anniversary of North Korea featured a float welcoming Kim Il-Sung, including
a banner with Kim Il-Sung's name written in Hanja.[36]
Popular usage[edit]
See also: Korean mixed script
This Korean War propaganda leaflet created by the US Army as
part of Operation Moolah uses Hangul–Hanja mixed script.
Opinion surveys in South Korea regarding the issue of Hanja use have had mixed responses in the past. Hanja terms are also
expressed through Hangul, the standard script in the Korean language. Hanja use within general Korean literature has declined
since the 1980s because formal Hanja education in South Korea does not begin until the seventh year of schooling, due to
changes in government policy during the time.
In 1956, one study found mixed-script Korean text (in which Sino-Korean nouns are written using Hanja, and other words using
Hangul) were read faster than texts written purely in Hangul; however, by 1977, the situation had reversed.[37] In 1988, 65% of
one sample of people without a college education "evinced no reading comprehension of any but the most common hanja"
when reading mixed-script passages.[38]
Gukja[edit]
See also: Chữ Nôm
