Abstract: A method is for input of Korean characters into an electronic device having a gesture input component. The method includes displaying a minimal set of consonant candidates for a starting or trailing consonant of a Korean character, and selecting character elements based on the gesture detected from a gesture input component. The starting of a gesture selects a consonant, and a vowel is selected or the initially selected consonant is altered as the gesture continues to one of the four basic directions: leftward, upward, rightward and downward. A Korean character is composed and outputted based on the selected consonant and vowel.