The ABCs of the Korean language begin with **Hangul**, the phonetic alphabet created in the 15th century by King Sejong to make reading and writing accessible. Hangul consists of 14 consonants and 10 vowels, which are combined into syllable blocks to form words. The alphabet is unique for its scientific design, with letters shaped to represent the articulation of sounds. Korean phonology features distinctive sounds, including aspirated, tense, and plain consonants, as well as vowel harmony. Korean grammar is subject-object-verb (SOV), and heavily relies on honorifics and verb conjugations to indicate respect, making context and hierarchy important in communication.