The Sejong Studies Institute (SSI), launched in January 1998, foresaw that the new millennium would be the era in which the Korean Ortho-phonic Alphabet (OPA) takes over the role of a main writing system for information and communication. The SSI is established to realize this goal according to the design principle of the Korean Alphabet of 1446, known as Hangeul or Nurigeul . It was created by Korean King Sejong (1397-1450) in 1446 as a writing system visualizing the multi-dimensions of speech phenomena (i.e., places of articulation, articulatory configurations, perceived discrete sounds and acoustic correlates) and reflecting the aspects of speech production and perception.

Dr. Sek Yen Kim-Cho Director, Sejong Studies Institute

The official title of this alphabet is “ Hwunmin Cengum ” which means “ The Ortho-phonic Alphabet (OPA) for the Instruction of the People.” The OPA script is truly one of the great achievements of human invention.