Happy 578th Hangul Proclamation Day!

The name hangeul (한글) was coined by Korean linguist Ju Si-gyeong in 1912. The name combines the ancient Korean word han (한), meaning great, and geul (글), meaning script.

Hangeul Proclamation Day is a day of pride in the history of the Korean nation - it is observed in the Republic of Korea on October 9 every year. Hangeul Day is a celebration of the promulgation of the Korean alphabet, or Hangeul.

King Sejong the Great worked personally with his Hall of Worthies (Jiphyeonjeon in Korean) to create a writing system that was much simpler than the Chinese writing system that had been in use. In 1446, Sejong the Great promulgated this new alphabet and published it along with a guide to its use in the book Hunminjeongem (Correct Sounds for Instructing the People).