Including Hangul on Gwanghwamun Signboard Divides Opinion... 8 Out of 10 Support "Maintaining Original Form"

First “Everyone’s Debate” with Over 200 Citizens
104 Support Dual Signboards, 101 Oppose
155 Agree with Alternatives Such as Exhibitions and Digital Content

A public debate was held involving around 200 citizens regarding whether to display both the existing Chinese character signboard and a Hangul signboard at Gwanghwamun, but opinions were evenly divided. However, approximately 8 out of 10 participants agreed with the opinion that it would be preferable to maintain the current, historically-restored state, and instead to promote the value of Hangul through other means—such as exhibitions or digital content.

Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Hwee-young Choi is giving a greeting at the "Should the Gwanghwamun Signboard Include Hangul? A Discussion for Everyone" held on the 26th at Baekyang Nuri Hall, Yonsei University, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety held the first "Everyone's Debate" on July 26th at Baekyangnuri Hall, Yonsei University, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, with the main agenda of "Including Hangul on the Gwanghwamun Signboard." More than 200 citizens, selected in advance based on gender, age, and regional distribution, as well as experts in history, cultural heritage, Hangul, and urban landscape, took part in presentations by experts, panel discussions, and small group dialogues.

In a survey conducted after the debate, 104 respondents agreed and 101 opposed the statement: "Including Hangul alongside the Chinese character signboard would allow us to honor both the value of the cultural heritage and the symbolism of Hangul." The margin between support and opposition was only three people.

On the other hand, 170 out of 205 respondents—approximately 83%—agreed, with 107 answering “strongly agree” and 63 “agree,” with the statement: “It is desirable to maintain a cultural heritage in the form restored through historical verification.” Additionally, 155 people agreed and 49 opposed the idea that “even without including a Hangul signboard, it is sufficient to promote the value of Hangul through exhibitions, events, and digital content.”

There was little change in participant opinions before and after the debate. In the item regarding maintaining the original form, “agree” responses decreased from 64 to 63 and “disagree” increased from 23 to 24, but the overall strong support or opposition remained unchanged. For the item on including a Hangul signboard, 104 people remained in favor and 101 against, which was nearly identical to before the debate.

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hwee-young Choi (left) and Minister of the Interior and Safety Hojung Yoon are entering the "Should Gwanghwamun Signboard Include Hangeul? Everyone’s Discussion" held on the 26th at Baekyang Nuri Hall, Yonsei University, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Those in favor argued that, since Gwanghwamun is not only the main gate of the Joseon dynasty’s royal palace but also a contemporary national symbol of South Korea, it should reflect current identity by incorporating Hangul. Hyunmo Park, Director of the Sejong Institute for Global Governance, proposed including a Hangul signboard, stating, “The aim is not to remove existing cultural heritage, but to create new value for the future.”

Jaehwan Jung, co-head of the Hangul Culture Solidarity, cited the glass pyramid at the Louvre Museum in France as an example of tradition and modernity coexisting, saying, “Adding a Hangul signboard would clarify the identity of South Korea.”

Opponents argued that the issue of a Hangul signboard should be separated from the value of Hangul itself. Hyunkyung Kim, professor of National Heritage Management at Korea National University of Cultural Heritage, said, “The intention to add new meaning cannot be sufficient justification to alter the form of cultural heritage,” and proposed instead utilizing exhibitions, guided tours, and educational activities.

Unggyu Bae, professor of Urban Systems Engineering at Chung-Ang University, pointed out that the addition of a Hangul signboard could create unnecessary conflict between the authenticity of the cultural heritage and the symbolism of Hangul. Regarding the Louvre example, Professor Kim countered, “The form of the Louvre Palace itself was not changed during the construction of the glass pyramid,” calling this different from the Gwanghwamun signboard issue.

On the 26th, at Baekyang Nuri Hall, Yonsei University, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, the results of the on-site survey were announced during the forum titled "Should Gwanghwamun Signboard Include Hangul? A Discussion for Everyone." Photo by Yonhap News

In group discussions, which were conducted in 21 teams, a number of alternative suggestions emerged in addition to installing a Hangul signboard—such as drone shows, LED displays, media facades, permanent exhibitions, and digital informational content. Participants also proposed modern reinterpretations of the historic function and meaning of Jiphyeonjeon, the royal research institute, in order to highlight the symbolism of Hangul.

Currently, Gwanghwamun displays a Chinese character signboard based on the calligraphy of Im Taeyoung, who was the military training commander during the 1865 reconstruction of Gyeongbokgung Palace. When Gwanghwamun was restored with a concrete structure in 1968, a Hangul signboard written by former President Park Chung-hee was installed. In 2010, as part of the restoration to a wooden Gwanghwamun, the signboard was replaced with a Chinese character version—black characters on a white background. In 2023, as a result of further historical research, a new signboard with gold lettering on a black background was installed.

This survey is not a conclusive vote on whether to install the signboard, but rather a process for gathering public opinion to aid in policy development. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism plans to comprehensively review opinions and survey results from the debate and reflect them in future policy decisions.

Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Hwee-Young Choi said, "This discussion is an opportunity to examine how our citizens view the historical significance of Gwanghwamun, and the symbolism of both Hangul and Chinese characters today."

Minister of the Interior and Safety Hojung Yoon added, "Everyone's Debate is a platform where citizens and experts can deliberate together to achieve better policy outcomes. Because Gwanghwamun is a symbolic space representing the history and identity of South Korea, differing opinions are to be expected."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.