Hangul Day - When, What, Why
Why Hagul
Worldwidely, Hangeul is often called a mysterious character. This is because Hangeul is only one language in the world that knows its creator, date of initial distribution and the principles of creation.
With this, "Hunminjeongeum Haeryebon"(Korean National Treasure No.70) which covers the purpose/process of Hunminjeongeum(original version of Hangul) project and the language's formation principles has registered as a world heritage in UNESCO. The name "Hangul" was started to be used by Korean scholars including Ju Sigyeong in the early 1910s.(Reference: Naver Encyclopedia of Knowledge - Hangul)
In this naming, 'Han' means 'Huge' generally, also it is the first character of "한국"(Hanguk) - the Korean word for "Korea". So "Hangul" can mean "The huge Language" or "The language of Han nation".
In Korea, a national holiday "Hangul Day" was established to commemorate the foundation day of 'Hangul', which is of great cultural importance. In following content, a brief facts of Hangeul Day will be described.
What is Hangul day
|
Original Name |
한글날 (Hangul-nal) |
|
English Name |
Hangeul Day / Korean Alphabet Day |
|
Abstract |
Korean national holiday commemorating the creation of the Korean language, 'Hangul' |
|
Date |
October 9th annual (South Korea) |
|
Establishment year |
1949 (South Korea) |
Origin of Hangul day
In the Annals of Sejong, it says that King Sejong and a royal research institute called "Jip-hyeon-jeon" have made Hunminjeongeum and promulgated in September 1446 (the 28th year of Sejong) on the lunar calendar. Based on this, in 1926, the Korean Language Research Society and Shinminsa, the predecessors of the Korean Language Society, held an event to commemorate the 480 years old anniversary of the distribution of Hunminjeongeum on September 29 (November 4 of the solar calendar). This day was called the 1st "Gagyanal" which was after 'Gagagul'(the name of Hangul at that time). In 1928, after Korean language scholar Ju Si-gyeong renamed the language “Hangul”, the anniversary day was renamed to “Hangul Day” too.
Hangul day events
On Hangeul Days, an event is organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to commemorate King Sejong's virtue and feat and to promote the excellence of Hangeul, while individuals raise national flags at home.
Beautiful Hangul Souvenirs
These days, many modern and sophisticated Hangul design goods are coming out. Not only individual designers and traditional design shopping malls, but also large corporations such as Starbucks are releasing a series of hangul-designed items emphasizing the formative beauty of Korean. These souvenirs are pretty "want to have" products that both appeals to local residents and tourists.
▲ [Left] Hangul shirts - Designed by Lie Sang Bong (ⓒLie Sang Bong facebook) [Right] Hangul shirts ⓒtoxoxo.com
▲[Left] Name stamps (ⓒb-contents.com) ▲ [Middle] Smart phone accessories (ⓒmans) ▲ [Right] Necktie with Korean Consonants design (ⓒ이건만 쇼핑몰)
EPILOGUE
Attractive countries in tourism tend to have their own language along with their beautiful culture. It brings frustration sometimes but also mysterious feelings about the culture. Interestingly the language itself is one of the important cultural assets in Korea. It is also an important factor in forming the unique atmosphere created by Koreans when they speak it out. In that reason, if you want to understand Korea, it is no exaggeration to say that understanding the Korean language itself is the first priority. I bet if you are reading this last line, you already have the primary understanding about them. Thank you for reading my writing. Cheers !
More readings for Korea enthusiasts
- What’s difference in Hangul(hangeul), Hangukmal and Hangukeo ?
- Alphabet in Korean : Hangul Combination
- Alphabet in Korean : Hangul Consonants (자음)
- Alphabet in Korean : Hangul Vowels (모음)