Just as the sun and moon rise and illuminate the world, the cultural achievements of the new nation of Joseon shone brightly across the land. In accordance with their Confucian ideals, the people of Joseon studied the cultures and civilizations of the past, helping them to forge a distinct new culture and art that was unlike any from previous times or neighboring countries. The spirit of creativity and innovation that pervaded the era gave birth to the Hunminjeongeum, an entirely new and native script for the Korean language, which allowed people to easily write what they heard and speak what they wrote. Consonants and vowels were combined to form syllables, providing a new way to document the world. The invention of this script was led by scholar officials as part of their efforts to enact the ideal Confucian state. Common people, including the artisans who crafted ceramics and Buddhist statues, were now able to read and write more easily, and Buddhist teachings were translated from Chinese characters into Hangeul and widely distributed among the masses. Arising from the brilliance of a new age, the Hunminjeongeum continues to shine in every corner of our lives today. Like light that reaches everywhere and touches all, the art of early Joseon remains closely connected to us after 500 years, and will surely persist long into the foreseeable future.