A century of Hangeul Day: From cultural independence to AI challenge
When King Sejong of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) created “Hunminjeongeum,” the Korean alphabet now known as Hangeul, in 1443, it did not immediately replace the Chinese characters which Koreans had used for centuries. For centuries afterward, it was largely shunned by the dynasty's aristocrats and intellectuals, who favored the use of Chinese characters. It wasn't widely popular among ordinary…
On September 29, 1926, a group of Korean linguists and independence activists gathered to commemorate the creation of Hangeul, the Korean alphabet, marking the beginning of what would later become Hangeul Day. The Korean alphabet, known as Hangeul, was introduced by King Sejong of the Joseon Dynasty in 1443. However, it wasn't immediately adopted by the Korean aristocracy and intellectuals, who continued to favor Chinese characters for centuries. Ordinary citizens also did not widely embrace Hangeul.
A significant shift occurred in 1894 when King Gojong declared Hangeul as the country's official writing system. Three decades later, in 1926, a group of Korean linguists and independence activists gathered and proclaimed Gagya Day, with "gagya" being the starting sounds of people learning the alphabet. This marked the beginning of what would later be known as Hangeul Day.
The date was initially set in accordance with the lunar calendar, but it was moved to the current October 9 in 1940. Hangeul Day, now celebrating its 100th anniversary, symbolizes Korea's pursuit of cultural independence and linguistic pride.
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- A century of Hangeul Day: From cultural independence to AI challenge koreatimes.co.kr
