Hangul Day Celebration Ceremony to Be Held Oct. 9; 10 Honored for Contributions to Hangul's Development

580th Anniversary of the Promulgation of Hunminjeongeum and 100th Anniversary of Hangul Day
A Variety of Events, Including a Celebratory Performance and Group Sing-Along

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety will hold the Hangul Day Celebration Ceremony at 10 a.m. on October 9 at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Jongno-gu, Seoul, marking the 580th anniversary of the promulgation of Hunminjeongeum.

More than 1,200 people, including representatives of Hangul-related organizations and various sectors of society, members of the diplomatic corps in Korea, citizens and students, will attend the ceremony and reflect on the significance of Hangul Day. This year's theme, "Hangul by My Side," expresses gratitude for Hangul, which has helped people easily communicate with one another in their everyday lives. This year is especially significant as it marks both the 580th anniversary of the promulgation of Hunminjeongeum and the 100th anniversary of the establishment of Hangul Day, which was first designated as "Gagyanal" in 1926.

The ceremony will proceed with an opening performance, opening remarks, the national ceremony, a theme video, congratulatory remarks, a celebratory performance, a group sing-along of the Hangul Day song and three cheers. The opening performance will feature a media-art video depicting the energy of Hunminjeongeum's principles of heaven, earth and humanity forming a giant wave, as well as a synchronized Hangul dance performed by members of the next generation.

During the national ceremony, actor Choi Suhyeong, who played Choi Hyeon-bae in the original musical "Oesol," will recite the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by a rendition of the national anthem with a children's choir. The theme video, "Hangul by My Side, Connecting 100 Years," will then be screened, reflecting the significance of the 580th anniversary of the promulgation of Hunminjeongeum and the 100th anniversary of the establishment of Hangul Day, and looking back on the everyday lives of people who have shared them with Hangul.

Yonhap News Agency

Government awards will then be presented to 10 people who have devoted themselves to the promotion and development of Hangul. The Silver Crown Order of Cultural Merit will be posthumously awarded to the late Seok Geum-ho, former chair of the Sandoll board of directors, who devoted his life to developing and promoting Hangul typefaces. Baek Taehyeon, vice president of the Central Asian Korean University, will receive the Jade Crown Order of Cultural Merit for his work over approximately 30 years training the next generation of Korean studies experts at universities in Central Asia.

The celebratory performance, "Always, Hangul by My Side," will portray in four musical scenes the journey of Hangul, created through King Sejong's compassion for his people, across hundreds of years to the present day. In the first scene, the original preface to Hunminjeongeum and its translation will be read in turn. In the second and third scenes, dance and song will depict Hangul spreading throughout the world and express the gratitude of today's citizens toward King Sejong.

In the final scene, King Sejong, members of the public and a children's choir will join in a grand chorus, bringing the performance to a close with a pledge to build a bright future for Hangul. The three cheers will be led by Lee Juhwa, who developed a Hangul puzzle app to help foreigners learn the language; student Jung Yeeun, who won the grand prize at the 2026 King Sejong National Hangul Calligraphy Contest; and Choi Hongsik, chair of the King Sejong Memorial Society.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, local governments and overseas diplomatic missions will also hold their own Hangul Day ceremonies, cultural performances and writing contests, among other events. More than 34,000 people in total will have the opportunity to reflect on the significance of Hangul.

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