The HWP (Hangul Word Processor) file format is the native document format used by Hancom Office's word processing application, Hanword (formerly known simply as Hangul). This format is critically important and widely adopted in South Korea, serving as the de facto standard for official government, educational, and corporate documents, often taking precedence over international standards like DOCX or ODT within that region. HWP files are designed to handle complex text formatting, advanced layout features, embedded objects, tables, and images, specifically optimized for the intricacies of the Korean language and character sets. Historically, the format was proprietary and binary (e.g., HWP 97, HWP 2002). However, newer iterations, particularly HWPX (Hancom Word Processor XML), have moved towards an Open XML standard to improve interoperability and accessibility, though the older binary HWP files remain common. Compatibility with the HWP format is essential for any individual or organization dealing with official Korean documentation.