President Lee marks 100th anniversary of Hangul Day's establishment: “Our language and writing are South Korea's competitive edge”

[Financial News] On the 9th, marking the 100th anniversary of Hangul Day's establishment, President Lee Jae-myung said, “If the past 100 years were a time of protecting Hangul and rooting it in our lives, the next 100 years will be a time of expanding its potential even further.” This year marks the 580th anniversary of the promulgation of Hunminjeongeum and the 100th anniversary of Hangul Day's establishment under the name “Kagyanal” in 1926. Lee honored the dedication of the ancestors who safeguarded Hangul, saying, “The power of our language and writing is South Korea's competitive edge,” and stressed that Hangul, which has supported the country's development, is now reaching out to the world.
In a Facebook post that day, President Lee wrote, “Today is Hangul Day, marking the 580th anniversary of King Sejong the Great's creation and promulgation of Hangul so that the people could express their thoughts easily and comfortably. This year is especially meaningful: exactly 100 years have passed since our ancestors first created ‘Kagyanal’ in 1926, during Japanese colonial rule, to protect our language and writing.”
He said, “Writing is the face of a country, and speech is its heart. One hundred years ago, our ancestors, whose country had been taken from them, did everything they could to protect our language and writing,” adding, “Many pioneers and scholars, including Ju Si-gyeong, researched, documented and taught our language and writing despite Japanese oppression. It was a resolve that, even if the country had been taken from them, they could not let their spirit and identity be lost as well.”
He also explained, “We can now use the Hangul our ancestors protected freely. Since liberation, Hangul has become the foundation on which all citizens learn and share knowledge, and has supported South Korea's growth and development.”
President Lee said, “Hangul has now become a script that people around the world learn and love, reaching beyond South Korea. The King Sejong Institute, which began in 2007 with 13 locations in three countries, has reportedly expanded this year to 273 locations in 89 countries.” He added, “In honor of the purpose behind Hangul's creation and in keeping with the hopes of the ancestors who safeguarded it, I believe our people will join forces in their love of Hangul so South Korea can continue as a cultural powerhouse. I sincerely celebrate the 100th anniversary of Hangul Day.”
[email protected] Choi Jong-geun Reporter