What is the Korean alphabet called?

The Korean alphabet is called Hangul.

Hangul is the native writing system of the Korean language and is used in both South Korea and North Korea, although the two countries use different names and spelling conventions. South Korea commonly uses Hangul or Hangeul, while North Korea generally calls the script Chosŏn'gŭl.

The script was created during the reign of Joseon king Sejong the Great. It was announced around 1443 or 1444 and formally introduced in 1446 through Hunminjeongeum, a document explaining the letters and their purpose. Before Hangul, Korean was largely written with Hanja, Chinese characters that were difficult to adapt to Korean grammar and pronunciation.

Hangul is an alphabet, not the same thing as Hanja, Kana, or Kanji. Its consonant and vowel letters are combined into compact syllable blocks, which can make the writing look logographic even though the underlying system is alphabetic. The name’s original historical context is tied to Hunminjeongeum, the script’s first official name.