실록의 훈민정음 간행 기사의 비밀

• Published in: 언어와 정보 사회 Vol. 20; pp. 51 - 91
• Main Authors: 임홍빈, Hong Pin Im
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Korean
• Published: 서강대학교 언어정보연구소 30.11.2013; 언어정보연구소
• Subjects: Hunminjeongeum; Jeongeum; New Korean Alphabet; Sejong Sillok; wrong characters; 世宗實錄; 正音; 訓民正音; 새로운 한글 자모; 세종실록; 실록의 오자; 언어학; 정음; 훈민정음
• ISSN: 1598-1886; 2713-6817
• DOI: 10.29211/soli.2013.20..003

This paper attempts to make it clear that there appear not a few wrong characters (漢字), misshapen and/or grotesque characters, and wrong arrangement of the New Korean Alphabet, etc., not yet clearly perceived and well understood by Korean linguists, in the articles on publication of Hunminjeongeum (訓民正音) of Sejong Sillok (世宗實錄). Though some characters are pointed out to be mere errata in the literature, as the let-ter ‘두 (a tadpole)’ to be inserted instead of similar but different character 규 (a small dragon) in the context of 如규字初發聲 ‘like the initial sound of kuy’, and the character 崇 (to worship) to be inserted instead of 終 (to end) in the context of 不終朝而會 ‘to catch the letters before the breakfast ends’. The total amount of the characters of these types exceeds our usual expectations concerning usual errata. These are not typo, but intentional uses of wrong characters for the purpose of collecting colleagues, and to insult King Sejong by tricky characters and/or queer character shapes, and to imply stabbing King`s throat with some long weapons, which could be construed by analyzing the wrong characters and the unusual character shapes. Who did attempt such literal treachery in the articles of Sejong Sillok? Why did they show such extreme abhorrence towards King Sejong through wrong characters, etc. The Confucian officials at the time who engaged in editing Sejong Sillok seems to have been extremely furious to King Sejong who held intimate relations with a brilliant Buddhist priest like Sinmi (信眉), a Buddhist official like Kim Suon (金守溫), and Princess Jeongeui (貞懿). These characters seem to have played some important roles at creating the New Korean Alphabet Jeongeum (正音). However, they had never appeared at the surface of history. Instead, King Sejong stood alone against Confucian officials protesting the New Korean Alphabet.