The last decade of the 19th century, in which Hangeul was afloat in the foreground of Korean life, saw almost all the important problems of Hangeul writing appear and concrete attempts related to them be suggested. Of them, leaving a space between words (hereafter, abbreviated as spacing) and marking proper nouns will be discussed below.

As is well known, there was no spacing in the past. It appeared in neither ??nhae?(諺解: Korean translation books from Chinese originals in Middle Korean) nor ancient novels, but it appeared after Kabo-Ky?ngjang(甲午更張, a Korean reform occurring in 1894) as two methods by using periods and blanks.

Spacing with periods first appeared in <Tongnip-S?gomun>(獨立誓告文: A Declaration of Independence, December 12th, in the year 1894). This was written in three styles such as Korean, Chinese, and blend of Korean and Chinese. In the former two, black periods were dotted. In ?Shinj?ngshimsangsohak?(新訂尋常小學) and ?Kungmun-Ch?ngni?(國文正理, 1897) by Lee Pong- Un, circles were drawn. Studying his books, we can conclude that Chu Shi-Gy?ng paid close attention to spacing. He adopted the ‘spacing with blanks’ system in ?W?llam-Mangguksa?(월남망국?, 1907), and used black periods in ?Kungmun-Chohak?(국문초학, 1909) and circles in ?Kug?-Munb?p?(국어문법, 1910) and at last he introduced black periods, circles, and angle brackets altogether in ?Mare-Sori?(말의 소리, 1914). Furthermore, he varied the place of circles. This showed that he, having precisely analysed morphological and syntactical facts, marked them.5)

Meanwhile, ‘spacing with blanks’ system was, above all, widely spread at the same time of the adoption of ?Tongnip-Shinmun?(독립신문, Tongnip daily newspaper). It must have been influenced by the orthography of Western languages including English. The examples of ‘spacing with blanks’ in fact were found in ??nmun-Malchik?(언문말칙, 1887) by British attache Scott and in books written by Western missionaries, including ?Hany?ng-Munb?p?(韓英文法, 1890) by Underwood. In this context it was not surprising that S? Chae-Phil, accustomed to spacing with blanks in English during his stay in America, should adopt this spacing system in Korean writing. He insisted in a leading article(논셜) in the first edition of ?Tongnip-Shinmun? that they should leave a space between phrases, and carried it out. Additionally, in an editorial(논셜)6) on the national language reported in number 92, volume 2 of the same newspaper. the edition of a dictionary of Chinese characters(玉篇) and spacing with blanks were emphasized most heavily. It was clear evidence that he stuck to this spacing system.

With the advent of the twentieth century, of the above-mentioned two methods of leaving a space, the latter won out and at last it was adopted in ‘A Unified Proposal On Hangeul Orthography’ by The Linguistic Society of Chos?n(朝鮮語學會) in 1933. The author would like to add two facts here. Firstly, leaving a space was carried out only in a pure Hangeul style from the latter part of the 19th century. A mixture style of Hangeul and Chinese characters took no notice of leaving a space. Secondly, in so far as leaving a space the disciples of Chu Shi-Gy?ng (周時經) did not follow their master. The fact that there was no leaving a space at all in ?Chos?n-Malbon?(조선말본, 1916) by Kim Tu-Bong(金枓奉), presented a striking contrast with ?Chos?n-?mun-Ky?ngwi?(朝鮮語文經緯, 1923) by Kwon T?k-Kyu (權悳奎). Many other books afterwards and a coterie magazine ?Hangeul?(July 1927-October 1928) adopted leaving a space with blank.

The system of leaving spaces is generally practised today,but it varies from elementary textbooks to newspapers and magazines because of the loose regulations of orthography. It is desirable to prepare unified regulations which all publications are willing to obey.

?Tongnip-Shinmun?(독립신문) used a side-line in the right side of a related word in order to represent proper nouns. Furthermore, this newspaper used a double line for names of states and places and a single line for personal names. A side-lining system(傍線法) was observed in Number 125, Volume 1, and it was abolished afterwards. No reason was given.

This side-lining system was found in the Korean translation (1897) by The Ministry of Learning(學部), of ?Thaes?shinsa?(泰西新史) published in China. In this book it is peculiar that double lines were used at the right side of names for marking names of states and places; they were used at the left side of names for marking personal names. The side-lining system in ?Kugmun-Ch?ngni?(國文正理, 1897) by Lee Pong-Un is identical to that of ?Tongnip-Shinmun?. This system was followed into the 20th century. A magazine ?Sony?n?(少年) published by Choi Nam-S?n was an example of this system. This is not true of ?Ch?ngchun?(靑春). It is interesting that this follows the same change as ?Tongnip-Shinmun?.

As we see it, the side-lining system for proper nouns was partially practised. Yet it is worth noticing a regulation in A Unified Proposal On Hangeul Orthography (Appendix 2, Punctuation) that in representing proper nouns a single line is drawn on the left side of a related proper noun in the case of writing from top to bottom and a single line under a related proper noun in the case of writing from left to right. The need for marking proper nouns requires that this regulation be preserved in the later revised version of A Unified Proposal On Hangeul Orthography, in spite of its troublesome procedure and its ugly appearance.

Recent publications have almost abandoned marking proper nouns. This trend is true of dictionaries ?Kh?n-Saj?n?(A Large Dictionary of Korean, 1947-1957) published by The Hangeul Academic Society(한글학회), adopted an underlining system for proper nouns, but ?Urimal Kh?n-Saj?n?(A Large Dictionary of Our Language Korean, 1992) did not take any measure at all for proper nouns. Even though we sometimes see quotation marks(? ?, “ ”) for proper nouns, it is no more than a patch-up. As a special case, the Korean version of Reader's Digest uses a Gothic typeface for the first appearance of a proper noun.