Interior ministry to mark 580th Hangul Day with Seoul ceremony

The interior ministry said Thursday it will hold a ceremony at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on Oct. 9 to mark the 580th anniversary of the promulgation of the Hunminjeongeum, the document that introduced the Korean alphabet.

The event, held under the theme "Hangul by My Side," is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. and will draw about 1,200 people, including Hangul-related organizations, representatives from various sectors of society, the diplomatic corps in Korea, citizens and students, according to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. This year also marks the centennial of Hangul Day, which was established in 1926 as "Gagya Day."

Opening performances will feature media art illustrating the principles of heaven, earth and humanity contained in the Hunminjeongeum, followed by a group dance by younger performers. A thematic video titled "Hangul by My Side, Connecting 100 Years" will be screened.

The ceremony will recognize 10 people for their contributions to the development and spread of Hangul with government awards. Seok Geum-ho, the late former chairman of the board of Sandoll who devoted his career to developing and distributing Korean typefaces, will receive the Silver Crown Order of Cultural Merit posthumously. Baek Tae-hyun, vice president of the Central Asian Korean University, who has spent about 30 years training the next generation of Korean studies specialists at universities in Central Asia, will receive the Jade Crown Order of Cultural Merit.

A musical titled "Always, Hangul by My Side" will trace the journey of the alphabet from its creation under King Sejong's care for his people to the present day across four acts. The first act will alternate readings of the original preface of the Hunminjeongeum and its modern interpretation, while the second and third acts use dance and song to show the alphabet spreading through the world and citizens expressing gratitude to King Sejong. The final act brings together the king, the public and a children's choir in a grand chorus.

The closing cheers will be led by Lee Ju-hwa, who developed a Hangul puzzle app to help foreigners learn the alphabet easily; Chung Ye-eun, a student who won the top prize at the 2026 King Sejong National Hangul Calligraphy Contest; and Choi Hong-sik, president of the King Sejong Memorial Society.

The culture ministry, local governments and overseas missions will also hold their own celebrations, cultural performances and writing contests, with about 34,000 people expected to take part.