Hangul and the Void: Bayesian and Combinatorial Evidence for a Design Motif (Preprint v2 — not peer reviewed)

Hangul, the Korean alphabet, is widely recognized as a rational script designed for ease of learning, yet its form also resonates with philosophical traditions of Joseon Korea. This paper re-examines Hangul through a two-part “void” motif: the Hangul syllable 무 (mu, nothingness) and the classical character 無. I use two complementary chance models. First, a minimal two-cue Bayes factor (void semantics + anthropomorphism) yields conservative evidence in the strong to very strong range (BF ∼125–250). Second, a transparent combinatorial baseline over all 19 × 21 × 28 = 11,172 Hangul blocks defines explicit “human-like” templates; the exact 무 shape (ᄆ over ᅮ, no coda) occurs with probability 1/11,172, giving BF ∼5,600 (looser templates: BF ∼200–1,900). Read together, these baselines favor a structured pattern over coincidence. Substantively, I advance a moderate claim: the motif plausibly helped organize minimal graphical primitives (axis line and dot-derived stroke) in a way consistent with the Hunminjeongeum Haerye. Methodologically, the paper offers an auditable protocol that pairs qualitative cues with explicit sample spaces, priors, and look-elsewhere adjustments.