Seoul marks 100th Hangul Day with festivities at Gwanghwamun Square

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced it has organized a series of events for Friday — the 100th Hangul Day — at Gwanghwamun Square, home to the statue of King Sejong, who created the Korean alphabet, giving citizens a chance to write and enjoy hangul firsthand.

This year marks both the 580th anniversary of the proclamation of Hunminjeongeum, the original document introducing hangul, and the 100th anniversary of the establishment of Hangul Day. The city has prepared a wide range of programs, from exhibitions on hangul spelling and signage to hands-on activities and Korean-language song performances.

Exactly 17 years ago, on Oct. 9, 2009, the city unveiled the statue of King Sejong to the public. Beneath the statue, it also established "Sejong Story," a permanent exhibition space chronicling the king's people-centered philosophy and the process of creating hangul.

The event, themed "Seoul Buzzing with Hangul," will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the plaza in front of the King Sejong statue. It will feature a diverse lineup spanning hangul spelling and signage exhibitions, participatory activities and Korean-language song performances.

In the exhibition area, visitors can explore "Correct Spelling," a display highlighting commonly confused expressions in everyday Korean, alongside "Beautiful Hangul Signs," which showcases winning entries from the city's Good Signage Competition.

The exhibitions offer a chance to sharpen Korean-language skills while appreciating the aesthetic beauty of hangul as rendered in outdoor advertising design.

Hands-on programs inviting citizens to write and draw hangul will also be on offer. Activities include a hangul consonant-and-vowel sticker experience, a make-your-own hangul hat where participants write messages to King Sejong, a collaborative hangul mural featuring consonants, vowels and the king as its theme, and a stamp-rally postcard activity in which visitors collect stamps at stations around the venue to complete a portrait of King Sejong.

On the stage in front of the King Sejong statue, a Korean-language song concert spanning genres from pop to traditional music will celebrate the beauty of the Korean language across generations.

Visitors can also meet actors dressed as King Sejong and Haechi, the city's official mascot, at various points around the venue. A photo zone featuring Haechi and hangul motifs will be set up, along with a digital display board where visitors can upload photos taken on-site.

Each activity is organized as part of a stamp tour, and participants who complete the activities and a satisfaction survey will receive commemorative gifts such as hangul pencils.

"As we mark 100 years since the establishment of 'Gagya Day,' the precursor to Hangul Day, we hope citizens will come to Gwanghwamun Square to write and enjoy our script firsthand, and feel again the value and beauty of hangul," said Kang Seon-mi, the city's public relations officer.