Hangul Syllable Pen

It is Hangul’s normal syllable layout, not a ligature.

In Korean, what does 펜 mean? It is the English loanword for a pen. The Korean Basic Dictionary also uses it figuratively for writing or an author’s work, so context decides whether it means the object or the act of writing.

Hangul, Korea’s alphabet, groups its letters, called jamo, into square syllables. It was created in 1443 for accessible reading and communication, then explained in Hunminjeongeum in 1446. Before Hangul, Korean writing used Chinese-character systems such as idu, gugyeol, and hyangchal, and Hangul became the national script in 1894. This research pass does not establish 펜’s earliest written attestation.