Hangeul Day is a commemoration of the invention and proclamation of Hangeul, the written form of the Korean language.
Hangeul was included in the UNESCO’s Memory of the World List in 1997.
South Korea, North Korea and China use Hangul, that is the alphabet for writing their words.
The alphabet was created in 1446 and now this anniversary is known as Hangul Day, that is celebrated in South Korea on October 9.
Hangul was introduced in Korea by King Sejong on the ninth month of the lunar calendar in 1446.
The alphabet was published in Hunmin Jeongeum, the document that depicted an entirely new system of writing for the Korean language.
Celebration of Hangul Day appeared in South Korea in 1928, when the term “hangul” became widely accepted among people.
At that time celebration of this holiday was organized according to the lunar calendar.
In 1931 the date of the holiday was fixed on October 29 according to the Gregorian calendar, but in 1934 it was moved to October 28.
The Hangul Society found an original copy of Hunmin Jeongeum Haerye, that stated that the alphabet was announced during the first ten days of the ninth month.
The date of announcement was recalculated and it corresponds to October 9 of the Julian calendar.
October 9 became a fixed date of celebration of Hangul Day in 1945, when the holiday was declared by the government of South Korea.