The Korean alphabet, Hangul, was deliberately invented by a king in the 15th century.

Most writing systems evolved gradually over centuries through informal use. Hangul is a rare exception: it was designed on purpose, commissioned by King Sejong the Great of Korea and promulgated in 1446, specifically so that ordinary Koreans who couldn’t read the complex Chinese characters then used for writing could become literate.

The system groups simple letters representing consonants and vowels into syllable blocks, and its consonant shapes were designed to visually represent the position of the mouth and tongue used to pronounce each sound. Linguists frequently praise Hangul as one of the most scientifically designed writing systems in the world for that reason. South Korea still celebrates Hangul Day each October to mark its creation.