The (on-going) construction of a Korean classical language

The question of the national classical language is contested in Korea, and there is ongoing conflict over what should be regarded as the nation’s classical language (and classical writing system). Two candidates have been proposed for this status: Korean and Literary Sinitic (hanmun). The debate continues in South Korea and, in a more limited form, in North Korea, both within academic circles and in discussions involving political actors and the general public. The question of a national classical language is also an important ideological factor in nation-building and in the representation of Korean identity, which features prominently in the shaping of public spaces and in representations of the Korean nation.