Lee hails Korean writing system as 'face' of country on 100th Hangeul Day

This will let Google show Yonhap news articles that match or are related to your search

SEOUL, Oct. 9 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung on Friday hailed the Korean writing system -- Hangeul -- as the "face" of the country as he marked the 100th anniversary of Hangeul Day.

"Writing is the face of the country and language is its heart," Lee wrote on Facebook, using South Korea's official name. "The strength of our language and writing is the competitiveness of the Republic of Korea."

Hangeul was invented by King Sejong of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) in 1443 and promulgated three years later to augment the existing writing system based on the Chinese script.

Hangeul Day was established in 1926 by the Korean Language Society as Koreans sought to preserve their language and writing system under the brutal 1910-45 Japanese colonial rule of Korea.

"A century ago, our ancestors devoted all their efforts to preserve our language and writing system," Lee wrote. "It was a determination that even though they had lost their country, they could not lose our spirit and identity."

Lee said the writing system is now learned by people across the world, noting that King Sejong Institute, which teaches Korean language overseas, has expanded to 89 countries since it first launched in 2007.

"While the past century was a time to protect Hangeul and for it to take root in our lives, the next century will be a time to expand its possibilities."

President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a Cabinet meeting at Cheong Wa Dae in central Seoul on Oct. 6, 2026. (Yonhap)

yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr (END)

Sejong Institute's overseas enrollment tops 230,000 for first time

S. Korea adds 11 more King Sejong Institutes to promote Korean language

Lee hails Korean writing system as 'face' of country on 100th Hangeul Day

这将使谷歌能够向您展示与您的搜索匹配或相关的韩联社新闻文章。

首尔，10月9日（韩联社）——韩国总统李在明周五在纪念韩文日100周年之际，称赞韩文是韩国的“门面”。

李在脸书上写道：“文字是国家的门面，语言是国家的心脏。”他使用的是韩国的正式名称。“我们语言和文字的力量就是大韩民国的竞争力。”

韩文是朝鲜王朝（1392-1910 年）世宗大王于 1443 年发明的，并在三年后颁布，以补充以汉字为基础的现有文字系统。

韩文日由韩国语言协会于 1926 年设立，当时韩国人在 1910 年至 1945 年日本残酷的殖民统治下，努力保护自己的语言和文字系统。

李写道：“一个世纪前，我们的祖先竭尽全力保护我们的语言和文字系统。他们决心即使失去了祖国，也不能失去我们的精神和身份。”

李表示，现在全世界的人都在学习这种书写系统，并指出自 2007 年成立以来，教授韩国语的世宗王学院已扩展到 89 个国家。

“上个世纪是保护韩文并使其在我们生活中扎根的时代，而下一个世纪将是拓展韩文可能性的时代。”

2026年10月6日，韩国总统李在明在首尔市中心青瓦台举行的内阁会议上发表讲话。（韩联社）

yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr (完)

世宗学院海外招生人数首次突破23万人

韩国新增11所世宗学堂，以推广韩语

李在韩文日100周年之际称赞韩文是国家的“门面”。