Centennial of Hangeul Day's Establishment: '2026 Hangeul Week' to Be Held Nationwide from the 6th to the 17th

[Financial News] Gwanghwamun Square will be transformed into a venue for performances and hands-on activities centered on Hangeul to mark the centennial of Hangeul Day's establishment. A nighttime video featuring Hangeul consonants and vowels will be projected on Gwanghwamun's exterior walls.
According to MCST on the 2nd, '2026 Hangeul Week' will take place from the 6th to the 17th at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul and locations nationwide. The event will be held under the theme 'Hangeul by My Side' to commemorate the 580th anniversary of the promulgation of Hunminjeongeum and the centennial of Hangeul Day's establishment.
The main event, '2026 Hangeul Hanmadang—Gwanghwamun,' will take place at Gwanghwamun Square from the 6th to the 8th. Musicals including 'You in a Dopo, by My Side' and 'Gat-Geul' will be staged, while more than 20 types of activity spaces will be operated, including a Hangeul playground for children and creative-lettering exhibitions and hands-on programs.
At the eve-of-event ceremony at 7 p.m. on the 8th, 100 lights symbolizing the centennial will be illuminated. The program will also feature celebratory performances by AtHeart and the band Broccoli, You Too?, along with a reading stage featuring foreign students from King Sejong Institute and members of the public.
The exterior-wall video at Gwanghwamun, 'Twenty-Four, the Universe,' will be screened from 8 to 11 p.m. from the 8th to the 11th. It depicts the 24 Hangeul letters, or jamo, transforming into constellations, nature and life before blending with the dancheong designs of Gwanghwamun.
On the 9th, the Seoul Metropolitan Government will hold 'Seoul Buzzes with Hangeul' at the Nori Madang at Gwanghwamun Square. Visitors can enjoy musical performances, make hats featuring Korean letters and doodle in the Hangeul area.
Different events with separate organizers and programs will continue at Gwanghwamun Square around Hangeul Day. Because the schedules for hands-on activities, performances and nighttime video screenings vary by date and time, visitors should check them separately when planning their visits.
The '2026 Hangeul Culture Industry Fair,' hosted by the National Hangeul Museum, will be held at the same square from the 6th to the 8th. It will showcase furniture, household goods and stationery incorporating Hangeul. The fair will also present media art reinterpreting 'Cheongguyeongeon' and K-pop content, as well as a consultation space connecting domestic and international buyers with companies.
An academic conference marking the centennial of Hangeul Day's establishment will be held at the National Museum of Korea on the 12th. Scholars from Korea and abroad will discuss the future direction of Hangeul and the Korean language amid the spread of K-culture and the age of artificial intelligence (AI).
Nationwide events will include the Sejong Hangeul Festival and the Hangeul Run race. Twenty-two Korean language and culture centers will also hold Hangeul cultural experiences and contests. Detailed schedules are available on the official Hangeul Week website.
MCST Minister Choi Hwi-young said, "Hangeul is the driving force that has allowed our culture to blossom," adding, "I hope Hangeul, which has stood by our side, will move into a new future beyond its first 100 years."
[email protected] Jang In-seo Reporter