"This issue should be viewed from the perspective of making new history and properly showing national identity." (Lee Geon-beom, head of the Hangul Culture Solidarity)
"Whatever the justification, if it goes this way, Gwanghwamun and Gwanghwamun Square will be reduced to a ruler's 'playground.'" (Choi Jong-deok, former head of the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage)
On March 31, a forum at the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History in Seoul highlighted sharp divisions over whether to add a Hangul signboard at Gwanghwamun, the main gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace. Supporters argued for a “creative inheritance of the spirit of the times,” while opponents stressed restoring the gate to its original form.
Lee Geon-beom, a presenter at the forum, said South Korea's modern identity should be expressed at Gwanghwamun, calling it a national symbolic space and the birthplace of Hangul. Hanging a Hangul signboard, he said, would reflect not only past identity but also that of the present and future.
Lee argued that Hangul is central to national identity under the Constitution and that a Hangul signboard would help restore that identity. He cited a 2004 Constitutional Court ruling that described as basic constitutional matters of national identity “making our language the national language and our script Hangul,” along with defining territory and clarifying where sovereignty resides.
Lee said South Korea should show the world the history of Hangul as a national script and an independent culture. He added that the ideals of a democratic republic are rooted in King Sejong's “spirit of serving the people,” and said a Hangul signboard should hang at the center of the country.
Opponents emphasized the importance of restoring the original form. Choi Jong-deok, another presenter, said the past revives memory and shows who people are, arguing that the goal should not be to create something that never existed but to reveal, among the traces of history, what is desirable for the present and future.
Choi said removing the legacy of 36 years of Japanese imperial rule that trampled Joseon palaces and restoring the palace symbol that lasted more than 500 years is a legitimate right for Koreans living today.
Choi pointed to cases including a change to the Gwanghwamun signboard under the Park Chung-hee government and Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon's plan to install 22 sculptures symbolizing countries that fought in the Korean War. He criticized the area around Gwanghwamun as increasingly becoming a “propaganda site” for those in power, and argued that the past should be left to testify to the society and culture of its time.
Hong Seok-ju, a professor of architecture at Seoil University, said it would be appropriate to consider a Hangul signboard after the restoration of Gyeongbokgung is fully completed. He said changes should be made quickly if a plan closer to the original is found, but moving further away from the original requires caution.
Kim Hyeong-woo, head of the Korean Peninsula Culture and Tourism Research Institute, argued that Gwanghwamun, a major tourist landmark, should have a Hangul signboard. He said the gate does not currently convey a strong narrative as the birthplace of Hangul, and that a Hangul signboard would symbolically declare that Gwanghwamun, the main gate of Gyeongbokgung, is where Hangul was created.
Another participant suggested considering new high-tech media rather than a signboard. Lee Kang-min, a professor of architecture at the Korea National University of Arts, said Hangul is among the most scientific writing systems and best suited to a digital environment. He said it would be desirable if Hangul could be implemented in Gwanghwamun Square in a way that contrasts with ink-based culture and presents forward-looking messages about South Korea's future.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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