Hangeul Day, observed every Oct. 9 in South Korea, commemorates the creation and promulgation of Hangeul, the writing system used for the Korean language. King Sejong completed the new script in 1443, and Hunminjeongeum, the document introducing and explaining it, was promulgated in 1446.
The modern observance began in 1926 as Gagyanal, or “Gagya Day,” and was renamed Hangeul Day two years later. Oct. 9 became the commemorative date after Korea’s liberation in 1945. Hangeul Day was designated one of Korea’s national celebration days in 2005, and its status as a public holiday was restored in 2013.
The date marks the promulgation of Hunminjeongeum, rather than a precisely documented day on which Hangeul itself was invented.
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