Of course we have to define “practical problem” in here. You say that Korean language is functional without hanja and it’s true. The same could be said of Japanese which would work well without kanji. BUT, there would be a loss in meaning, a loss in culture, and a loss in the ability of the people to read the country’s history.

You write that Latin is not used anymore in western countries. Which is true. But comments against the learning of Latin, for example, would mostly come from people who have a low culture. It could be argued that when Europe (and the west) was really growing to rule the world, the learned classes DID know Latin and Greek rather well, and the situation remained so until the 60’s and education reforms in many countries (I will go as far as tell you that those very – can I say – Marxist influenced – education reforms started a dumbing down of Western countries which I think is responsible for a part of the decline you will have noticed the West is suffering). Still, most people with an education in Europe and America would tell you that knowing Latin or Greek is a positive, not negative thing. I come from a country (not an English speaking country) where luckily, some schools still teach Latin from high school, and I am glad I had to learn Latin (as a kid I did complain about it). It’s much easier for me to learn a new language (learning English, a language with a very simple grammar, does not really develop you language abilities so much) and I can understand in part a written text in other latin languages like French or Spanish, even if I never studied those languages. Besides when in our travels around Europe we find inscriptions in churches or monuments, I can understand them, which is usually marvelled at, not frown upon like you in your overnationalistic reasoning imagine.

I think indeed Korea can work well with just hangul. I also think hangul is a wonderful script. On the other hand I think the decision to do away with hanja was a wrong one and that it will do some long term damage to korean culture (which however is so rich it will survive even without hanja). Japan was much wiser in its own decisions.

This is a variant on the much-used formula 與小野大 or 與大野小, describing the relative sizes of the ruling party and the opposition (in the National Assembly, for example). When quantities (number of candidates, campaign funds, etc.) are to be compared, the forms 與少野多 and 與多野少 are heard. 與多野多 would be a playful variant of this.

There are a number of compounds following the same pattern that can’t possibly date back to the pre-modern period, like 投高打低 and 打高投低, describing the relative strengths of pitching (投) and hitting (打) in baseball.

@Korea4one, I have to say, English and German belong to the same language branche and both derived from Latin and Greek Roots, thats also the reason, why these both languages have sometimes very similiar words with the same meaning, but also a lot of false friends, you could also link it up with French, beacause same is there. Intersting fact in French is, which I didn’t knew before is, that French has still some grammar rules, which directly derived from Latin and still is used in the writing. So after all, yes it would be good if more western people would know more about greek or latin, as it is the same wish, which have western foreigner for the Japanese, Korean and Chinese.

Also the fact, that Japanese would not work well without the Kanji is not exactly right, beacause if Japanese would make space between words, and just juse Hiragana and Katakana, you would become the same system as it is in Korea, or the western language.
And it does work, see just the beginner textbooks which are very common written in Romaji and then with one sylable system Hiragana, and think about the Japanese school pupils, who don’t know at the beginning the Kanji and have to learn.

I for myself, who is still studying the three Asian languages (CJK), would prefer the Hanja, beacause you can make the same link, which you can make in the western languages. My mother language is German (Swiss!) but I also speak French, English and even Polish as a second mothertounge, so I know what I am talking about.^^,

At last, about the Hanja, I prefer them and it really helps me for a better understanding not only for the Korean, but it brings also an interesting view to Chinese and Japanese. Despite this, I read in the Internet on Epoch Times, that South Korea organizes sometimes a conference, and in the latest, South Korea made the suggestion, to make a standard rule for the Hanzi/Hanja/Kanji Usage, which means, they want a list with about 5000 words from all three languages (CJK) and make a writing standard in the chinese characters.

If you so fascinated toward Chinese characters. What would English speaker say about ” Latin” dependence. You would probably hear negative remarks. Yes, Koreans should not use Chinese characters. Better yet leave out the Chinese characters in Korean language.

This may sound as a child-like question, but if you want a complete knowledge of the language, you must know the answer to this and many other questions,
One example would be like saying a word with a latin root, and you may have an idea of the meaning, but the real one may not be the same.
This knowledge is kind of useless in western languages, but in a language like Korean, all the Sino-korean words can end like this, with little knowledge of what you are saying.

At least with hanja we can do that. Not only for this reason, but also because Chinese characters give a special identity to East Asia, even if a language already has its own script, like Kana in Japanese, and Hangul in Korean.

한한대사전(漢韓大辭典)

http://news.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2008/01/09/2008010900050.html

Also, the 표준국어대사전 (標準國語大辭典), the largest Korean dictionary, is excellent. I have my own beautifully made three-volume set, but it’s available on-line here:

http://www.korean.go.kr/08_new/index.jsp

Regarding the history of Korean dictionaries, read ‘우리말의 탄생’ by 최경봉.

Also, things like Word Smart, imo, are a poor way to learn use of a language, but that it is there to help iron out any deficiencies in the basics (either from poor schooling or immigrants who lack experience).

This is evident as though it may help one not lose ‘marks’ for some English test, it also hampers creative word usage; it is quite painful to see these days how metaphors/similes are so bluntly expressed.
Thus, I actually like the flexibility one has with Hangul, it’s just a shame that creative literature isn’t really taught that well in classrooms.