[우리문화신문=김슬옹 교수]  

한자는 조선을 비롯해 중국과 일본에서도 사용되는 것에 비해 한글은 조선만의 글자이며 조선인만 소통할 수 있는 글자였다. 그러다 보니 한글은 조선의 비밀을 담는 글자로도 사용되었다. 그런 상황에서 1539년(중종 34년), 역관 주양우가 중국 북경에서 중국인에게 한글을 가르쳐 주는 사건이 일어났다. 나중에 그 사실이 밝혀져 주양우는 나라 기밀을 누설했다는 죄목으로 추국을 받았다.

Preventing the Spread of Hangeul in China

While Chinese characters were used in China, Japan, and Korea, Hangeul was unique to Korea and could only be used by Koreans for communication. Because of this, Hangeul was also used to encode Korea’s secrets. In 1539 (the 34th year of King Jungjong’s reign), an incident occurred where a Korean interpreter named Ju Yangwoo taught Hangeul to Chinese people in Beijing. When this came to light, Ju Yangwoo was arrested for leaking state secrets. This event highlights the importance of keeping Hangeul as a tool for national communication, as it was a means of preserving Korea’s unique cultural and political identity. The punishment for Ju Yangwoo reflected the significance of this matter in maintaining national security.