Interesting Facts
- North Korea marks its own ChosΕn'gΕl Day on January 15, apparently honoring Hangul's 1443 announcement.
- In China's Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, a Day of the Korean Language is celebrated on September 2.
Hangul Day
π°π· South Korea
- Public Holiday
- Countrywide
- Fixed date
Overview
Hangul Day, called Hangeul Day in South Korea, celebrates the creation and promulgation of Hangul, the native Korean alphabet. South Korea marks it on October 9 as a public holiday, while North Korea holds its own version of the commemoration in January, reflecting how closely the script is tied to national identity.
What It Is
Hangul Day falls on October 9 each year in South Korea and is a public holiday, so schools and most workplaces close. The day centers on celebrating the Korean writing system and the language it records, through commemorative events and cultural programs focused on Hangul. Its official status has changed over time: it became a public holiday in 1949, was reduced to a commemoration without time off in 1990, became a national holiday in 2005, and was elevated again to a full public holiday in 2012.
Why It Matters
Hangul was created in the fifteenth century under King Sejong the Great, giving Koreans a writing system designed for their own language instead of relying on Chinese characters. It was introduced to the public in a text called the Hunminjeongeum, published in 1446. The holiday itself was established in 1926 by the Korean Language Society, which chose the date to mark the Korean calendar anniversary of that publication. The day honors a script that is widely seen as a symbol of Korean cultural identity and of learning made accessible to ordinary people.
Did You Know?
October 9 is only a best guess at when Hangul was first published. The actual date is not known with confidence.
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