100th Anniversary of Hangeul Day - 한글날 100주년을 축하합니다!

Every year on October 9, Korea celebrates Hangeul Day, a national holiday dedicated to celebrating the Korean alphabet and its importance.

Hangeul was created under the guidance of King Sejong the Great in the 15th century. Before Hangeul was created, Koreans used Chinese characters to write, which could be difficult for ordinary people to learn and use. King Sejong wanted to create a writing system that would allow everyone to express their thoughts and communicate more easily.

Hangeul was introduced in 1443 and officially announced to the public in 1446 through a document known as the Hunminjeongeum Haerye. The name Hunminjeongeum means “the proper sounds for the instruction of the people.” It explained how Hangeul was created and how each letter should be used.

One of the most remarkable features of Hangeul is its systematic and logical design. The shapes of many consonants were inspired by the position of the speech organs when producing sounds, while the basic vowels were created according to the concepts of heaven, earth, and people. Because of this thoughtful design, Hangeul is often recognized as a unique and highly scientific writing system.

Today, Hangeul is used not only in Korea but also learned by people around the world. For many Korean language learners, learning Hangeul is the very first step toward understanding the Korean language and discovering Korean culture.

2026 marks the 100th anniversary of Hangeul Day. On this special occasion, let’s take a moment to appreciate the beauty and value of Hangeul and the important role it continues to play in connecting people through language.

We hope you have a meaningful day celebrating Hangeul.

Happy Hangeul Day!