한글전용 위헌소원 변론질문 검토소견

Abstract

In 2012, a constitutional appeal seeking to amend parts of the Framework Act on the National Language(an alternative legislation regulating Hangeul-only policy for Korean language writing) was filed, and the Constitutional Court held its public hearing on 12th May, 2016. This is a very important issue on the history of Korean writing. The testimony on the day was well-prepared and sufficient, but the questions and answers with the Constitutional Judges were done on the spot, so they may not be enough for being legal grounds of constitutional decisions. Especially, the questions of the Constitutional Judges may be further reviewed from perspectives of linguistics and studies on scripts. This article thoroughly examines the 47 questions from the Constitutional Judges in the form of opinion, aiming to achieve the following three goals. First, this article is written to aid this constitutional decision, which would be the first and the last ever in the history. Second, as this issue has a massive significance on the history of Korean writing regardless of the final decree, the examination on the issue should be a motivation or the basis for further study on Chinese-character-aided writings. Third, this article re-analyze the negative effects and unconstitutionality of Hangeul-only policy, in pursuit of academic grounds for improvement of language policy of Korea.