In this blog post, we’ll examine the significance and necessity of designating Hangul Day as a public holiday, and consider together why it should be reinstated as one.
Every New Year, search terms related to “public holidays” invariably appear on internet portals. Many people check the public holidays first thing when they open their new calendars. For many people leading busy lives, public holidays are a precious time to catch their breath, and those that fall on weekends are especially welcome. That’s why a day off on a weekday holds such special significance. Every year, after Hangul Day on October 9 passes, discussions ensue regarding whether it should be designated as a public holiday. While Hangul Day is now once again a public holiday, allowing many people to take the day off and reflect on its significance, there was a time in the past when it was excluded from the list of public holidays, and people had to go about their daily lives as usual.
A public holiday is a day officially designated by the state to commemorate a specific occasion. Currently, public holidays in the Republic of Korea are governed by relevant laws and regulations and include Sundays, New Year’s Day, the Lunar New Year holiday, March 1st Movement Day, Children’s Day, Buddha’s Birthday, Memorial Day, Liberation Day, the Chuseok holiday, Foundation Day, Hangul Day, and Christmas. Hangul Day was once excluded from the list of public holidays but was reinstated as a public holiday in 2013 and has remained so ever since.
Looking back through history, the origins of Hangul Day can be traced to 1926, when the Korean Language Research Society and others commemorated “Gagya Day.” Subsequently, in 1928, the name “Hangul Day” began to be used following a proposal by linguist Ju Si-gyeong. Initially, the date of the commemoration was not fixed, but based on the “Hunminjeongeum Haerye” discovered in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, in 1940, the date was converted from the 10th day of the 9th lunar month of King Sejong’s 28th year to the Gregorian calendar, resulting in October 9 being established as Hangul Day. Subsequently, Hangul Day was designated as a statutory public holiday in 1970.
However, in 1991, Hangul Day—along with Armed Forces Day—was removed from the list of statutory holidays. At the time, the rationale given was that the more public holidays there were, the lower labor productivity would be and the greater the economic burden on businesses. Subsequently, in 2005, Hangul Day was elevated to a national holiday but was not a public holiday. After lengthy discussions, it was redesignated as a statutory holiday in 2013 and has remained so to this day.
In the past, survey results were released showing that quite a few people did not even know the exact date of Hangul Day. This reality demonstrates that there was insufficient public interest in Hangul and Hangul Day. To elevate South Korea’s cultural standing, it is important not only to emphasize cultural achievements abroad but also to make a concerted effort for all citizens to reflect on the value and significance of Hangul, which is the foundation of our culture.
Accordingly, to elevate the status of Hangul and widely promote its value, Hangul Day must remain a public holiday. First, Hangul is the foundation and core of South Korean culture. Today, South Korea is recognized as a cultural powerhouse, and its diverse cultural content attracts global attention. However, it is difficult to call ourselves a true cultural powerhouse if we do not cherish our own writing system—the very foundation of our culture—and take pride in it. It is extremely rare worldwide to find a writing system with such unique characteristics, and Hangul is highly valued precisely because its purpose, principles, and date of creation are clearly documented. Furthermore, the *Hunminjeongeum* is inscribed on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register, acknowledging its excellence and historical value on a global scale. The excellence of Hangul holds even greater significance in that it is not merely a source of national pride but a cultural heritage highly regarded worldwide.
Second, Hangul is also a crucial foundation that has enabled the development of the Republic of Korea today. Hangul is widely recognized as a scientific and systematic writing system, a fact known to many. However, the more familiar something is, the easier it is to forget its value. If King Sejong had not created Hangul, we would have had to learn and use Chinese characters for a long time, and it might have been difficult to achieve the high literacy rate and widespread access to education that we enjoy today. During the Joseon Dynasty, Chinese characters symbolized the power of the ruling class; consequently, Hangul—created for the common people—was long referred to as “Eonmun” and did not receive the respect it deserved. Today, however, anyone can read and write Hangul, which has led to a reduction in illiteracy rates and expanded educational opportunities. A society has been created where anyone can easily learn and acquire knowledge. The Republic of Korea, which has grown on the foundation of a high level of education, needs to publicly acknowledge and commemorate the value of Hangul.
Third, excluding Hangul Day from the list of public holidays on the grounds of economic logic is difficult to justify. In the past, it was argued that an increase in public holidays would lead to decreased productivity and economic losses. However, today, the economic benefits of rest and leisure—which stimulate consumption and revitalize the tourism and cultural industries—are also taken into account. In fact, research findings consistently show that public holidays play a positive role in expanding cultural and tourism spending and revitalizing local economies. Therefore, it is difficult to conclude that maintaining Hangul Day as a public holiday hinders economic development. Rather, a balanced approach that considers both cultural value and economic benefits is necessary.
Finally, although working hours in South Korea have steadily decreased compared to the past, they remain relatively long when compared to major countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The era when working hours directly determined productivity—as was the case during the industrialization era—is long gone. Today, creativity, quality of life, and cultural enrichment are recognized as key factors in national competitiveness. Therefore, there is no need to view Hangul Day as a public holiday negatively simply because it means one more day off. It is now time to shift our focus from the debate over whether Hangul Day should be designated as a public holiday to how we can more fully embrace its significance.
The significance of a public holiday lies not merely in having a day off. Its true meaning lies in the fact that, by not going to school or working, all citizens take the opportunity to reflect on the historical significance and value of that day. This experience naturally helps foster an awareness that this day is important to Korean society. In particular, maintaining Hangul Day as a public holiday is meaningful for naturally conveying the value of our cultural heritage and the excellence of Hangul to the younger generation, who represent our future. This is because it is difficult to fully reflect on the significance of Hangul Day amidst the routine of everyday life.
When you open a new year’s calendar, you’ll find countless commemorative dates marked on it. It is practically impossible to designate every state-designated commemorative day as a public holiday. However, among the many days the Republic of Korea should commemorate, Hangul Day holds such great significance that it must never be pushed down the priority list. Hangul is a precious cultural heritage that symbolizes the roots and identity of Korean culture. In today’s era, where the influx of foreign cultures and changes in the online environment are leading to an increase in new forms of expression and the use of foreign languages, it is all the more necessary to reaffirm the value of Hangeul. In this regard, Hangeul Day is not merely a public holiday for taking a day off, but a meaningful day when all citizens collectively remember the importance of Hangeul and pass it on to future generations. We hope that, centered around Hangul Day, various cultural events and educational programs will become even more active in the future, allowing many people to naturally reflect on the value and significance of Hangul.
