Our ancestors' hope embedded in 'Hangeul'

On June 10, 1926, the funeral of Korea's final emperor, Yi Cheok, took place. In the days that followed, Koreans once more rallied together to demand independence. Approximately five months later, on November 4, the Korean Language Society and pro-independence groups came together at a restaurant in Seoul to celebrate the 480th anniversary of the introduction of Hunminjeongeum.

At the time, six-decade cycles were more commonly celebrated than centennial milestones. In the days following the ceremony, members of both organizations made a commitment to commemorate this significant event annually. In the following year, the Korean Language Society officially renamed the script to Hangeul and initiated its dedicated journal. Consequently, the holiday was christened Hangeul Day.

Hunminjeongeum, which translates to "the correct sounds to instruct the people," was a groundbreaking innovation in an era of rigid social hierarchy. Developed in a time when Classical Chinese reigned as the language of the elite yangban class, Hangeul was primarily intended as a written medium for commoners, women, and children. In conversational Korean, colloquial expressions such as eonmun (vulgar) were widely used.