한국어 문자 언어문화의 제도화와 훈민정음 : 문자 ‘훈민정음’의 창제와 해례본『훈민정음』의 간행을 중심으로

Institutionalization of Korean Written Language Culture and Hunminjeongeum

This paper studies the institutionalization of Hunminjeongeum. In general the process of institutionaliziation should be accompanied by the isomorphism and legitimacy of innovation. The invention of Korean alphabet system Hunminjeongeum was a clear case of innovation. Koreans could communicate their thought in terms of their own new characters in written texts. In order to institutionalize Hunminjeongeum, King Sejong let his bureaucrats create Korean isomorphic written language culture employing new alphabets, and the bureaucrats themselves played a key role in establishing the legitimacy of the new alphabet system by putting their efforts in publishing the manual of new alphabet system, 『Hunminjeongeum』. The invention of new alphabet system and the publication of the manual, 『Hunminjeongeum』 were the essential steps for the institutionalization of Hunminjeongeum.