Should Gwanghwamun get a hangul sign? Government to hold public forum with 200 citizens

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Ministry of Interior and Safety announced Thursday that they will hold the first "Forum for All" on Sunday at Baekyang Nuri Hall at Yonsei University in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, on the topic of adding a hangul signboard alongside the existing one at Gwanghwamun gate.

The forum is a cross-ministry policy communication event designed to incorporate diverse public views into the decision-making process. Some 200 citizens selected through advance registration will attend to share opinions and gain an understanding of differing perspectives. The event aims to go beyond a simple for-or-against debate, examining the issue from multiple angles — including history and culture — to explore concrete policy directions.

The forum will consist of expert presentations, small-group discussions and a plenary session open to all participants, drawing specialists from fields including cultural heritage, history, hangul studies and urban landscape.

Lee Sang-yeol, a director at the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute, will open with a presentation on the progress of public deliberations and the results of opinion surveys gathered so far. Park Hyeon-mo, president of the Sejong National Governance Institute; Jeong Jae-hwan, co-chair of the Hangul Culture Alliance; Kim Hyeon-gyeong, a professor at the Korea National University of Cultural Heritage; and Bae Ung-gyu, a professor at Chung-Ang University, will then take part in the discussion. Yang Hyeon-mi, a professor at Sangmyung University, will serve as moderator.

Key questions on the agenda include whether Gwanghwamun should be regarded as a symbolic national space or as a cultural heritage site whose original form must be preserved, and whether adding a hangul signboard alongside the existing Chinese-character one is appropriate.

The event will be livestreamed on KTV's YouTube channel, and participants will be able to express their views in real time through a mobile on-site vote. The government plans to draw on the range of opinions presented at the forum when reviewing future policy options.