Seoul to mark Hangeul Day centennial at Gwanghwamun Square

Seoul will host Seoul Buzzes With Hangeul at Gwanghwamun Square on Oct. 9, marking 100 years since Hangeul Day was established. The 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. program will feature exhibitions, hands-on activities, performances and appearances by actors portraying King Sejong and Haechi. It will also commemorate 580 years since Hunminjeongeum was published and highlight the square’s connection to Hangeul.

The event will take place at Nori Madang beside the statue of King Sejong.

Visitors can make Hangeul postcards, decorate hats, create collaborative artwork and join activities involving Korean consonants and vowels.

The program will display commonly misunderstood Korean expressions and award-winning Korean-language signs from Seoul’s Good Sign Contest.

Hangeul Fountain depicts consonants and vowels through water streams based on the cheonjiin principle.

Visitors completing a stamp tour and satisfaction survey can receive commemorative gifts, including Hangeul-themed pencils.

Published Oct 7, 2026 3:11 pm KST

People stroll under a clear blue autumn sky at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, Sept. 7. Yonhap

Seoul will turn Gwanghwamun Square into a celebration of Korea’s written language Friday, marking 100 years since Hangeul Day was established with exhibitions, hands-on activities and performances.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government will host Seoul Buzzes With Hangeul from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 9 at the square’s Nori Madang, beside the statue of King Sejong.

The event marks the centennial of Hangeul Day and 580 years since the publication of "Hunminjeongeum," while revisiting the square’s long association with King Sejong and Hangeul.

The statue was unveiled on Oct. 9, 2009, and Seoul opened Sejong Story, an exhibition space beneath it detailing King Sejong’s life and the creation of Hangul.

The exhibition hall was later expanded to include Admiral Yi Sun-sin and is now operated as Sejong and Chungmugong Story.

Following Gwanghwamun Square’s reopening in 2022, Seoul added Hangeul Fountain, which uses water streams to depict consonants and vowels based on Hangeul’s “cheonjiin” principle.

Friday’s program will include displays on commonly misunderstood Korean expressions and award-winning Korean-language signs from Seoul’s Good Sign Contest.

Visitors can make Hangeul postcards, decorate hats with messages for King Sejong, create collaborative artwork and take part in activities using Korean consonants and vowels.

Performances ranging from popular music to traditional Korean music will be held on a stage in front of King Sejong’s statue.

Actors dressed as King Sejong and Seoul’s mascot Haechi will appear around the square, where visitors can also take photos and display them on a large electronic screen.

Kang Sun-mi, director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's public relations division, said Gwanghwamun Square has become a major historical and cultural space where visitors can encounter and enjoy Hangeul.

"Gwanghwamun Square — where the statue of King Sejong was erected and Sejong Story exhibition hall opened 17 years ago — has now firmly established itself as Seoul's landmark historical and cultural space where visitors can discover and celebrate Hangeul everywhere," Kang said. "As we mark the centennial of Gagya Day, the precursor to Hangeul Day, we hope citizens will experience the value and beauty of the Korean alphabet firsthand by writing and enjoying our language at the square."

The city said visitors who complete activities and a satisfaction survey through a stamp tour will receive commemorative gifts, including Hangeul-themed pencils.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.

为庆祝韩文日设立100周年，首尔将于10月9日在光化门广场举办“首尔韩文盛会”。活动时间为上午11点至下午4点，内容包括展览、互动体验、表演以及演员扮演世宗大王和獬豸的亮相。此外，活动还将纪念《训民正音》出版580周年，并着重展现广场与韩文的渊源。

活动将在世宗大王雕像旁的诺里马当举行。

游客可以制作韩文明信片、装饰帽子、创作合作艺术作品，并参加与韩语辅音和元音相关的活动。

该节目将展示一些容易被误解的韩语表达方式，以及首尔“好手势大赛”的获奖韩语手势。

韩文喷泉根据天地原理，通过水流描绘出辅音和元音。

完成集邮之旅和满意度调查的游客可以获得纪念礼品，包括韩文主题铅笔。

发布于2026年10月7日下午3:11（韩国标准时间）

9月7日，人们在首尔市中心光化门广场漫步，秋日晴空万里。（韩联社）

周五，首尔将把光化门广场变成韩国文字的庆祝活动场所，以纪念韩文日设立100周年，届时将举办展览、互动活动和表演。

首尔市政府将于10月9日上午11点至下午4点在广场上的Nori Madang（世宗大王雕像旁）举办“首尔韩语快讯”活动。

此次活动是为了纪念韩文日一百周年和《训民正音》出版 580 周年，同时回顾广场与世宗大王和韩文的悠久渊源。

该雕像于 2009 年 10 月 9 日揭幕，首尔在其下方开设了世宗故事展览空间，详细介绍了世宗大王的生平以及韩文的创造。

展览馆后来扩建，加入了李舜臣将军的展品，现在以世宗和忠武公的故事为名运营。

继光化门广场于 2022 年重新开放后，首尔又增添了韩文喷泉，该喷泉利用水流，根据韩文的“天字”原理来描绘辅音和元音。

周五的活动将包括展示一些容易被误解的韩语表达方式，以及首尔优秀标志大赛的获奖韩语标志。

游客可以制作韩文明信片，用写给世宗大王的祝福语装饰帽子，创作合作艺术作品，并参与使用韩语辅音和元音的活动。

在世宗大王雕像前的舞台上，将举行从流行音乐到韩国传统音乐等各种表演。

演员们将装扮成世宗大王和首尔吉祥物獬豸，出现在广场周围，游客们还可以拍照并在大型电子屏幕上展示照片。

首尔市政府公共关系部门主管姜善美表示，光化门广场已成为重要的历史文化场所，游客可以在这里接触和欣赏韩文。

康先生表示：“光化门广场——17年前世宗大王雕像落成、世宗故事展馆开幕的地方——如今已稳固确立其作为首尔地标性历史文化场所的地位，游客可以在这里随时随地发现和体验韩文。值此韩文日的前身——嘎嘎日一百周年之际，我们希望市民们能够亲身感受韩文的价值和魅力，在广场上书写和享受韩语。”

该市表示，游客完成集邮之旅中的各项活动和满意度调查后，将获得纪念礼品，包括韩文主题铅笔。

本文由生成式人工智能协助发布，并由《韩国时报》编辑。