2026 Hangul Day

Hangul Day on October 9 celebrates the promulgation of the Korean alphabet by King Sejong the Great in 1446, when it was published under the name Hunminjeongeum, 'the correct sounds for the instruction of the people'. Hangul is the only writing system in use today whose creator and creation date are documented, and the Hunminjeongeum Haerye, the manual explaining its design, is inscribed on UNESCO's Memory of the World register. The day was a public holiday from 1970 to 1990, lost that status, and was restored as a public holiday in 2013; a substitute day off now applies when it falls on a weekend. Events include an official ceremony, calligraphy and writing contests, and exhibitions at the National Hangeul Museum in Seoul, while the statue of King Sejong in Gwanghwamun Square draws crowds. Coming six days after National Foundation Day, it frequently forms part of an early-October travel peak. This countdown ticks to midnight Korea Standard Time on October 9.