Korean belongs to the Koreanic language family and is the official language of both North and South Korea. Hangul has been influenced by neighboring countries including Chinese and Japanese. Many Chinese loanwords were borrowed during Three Kingdom Period. Hangul, the writing system, was created in the 15th century by King Sejong the Great. It allows the Korean language to develop its own unique character. Now, Korean is influenced a lot by English and other Western languages which is evident in contemporary Korean slang.
Understanding the historical development of Korean can help learn the culture and society better. For example, learning the history between China and Korea can help learners better appreciate loanwords. It is also important to know the change in language overtime. Words and phrases that were once used may be obsolete. Many linguistics track and predict these changes by analyzing patterns and applying history.
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