Calligrapher Kang Byung-in and Sejong City officials paint on a banner during the official opening ceremony for its Hangeul celebration programs at the National Museum Complex of Korea in Sejong, Monday. Korea Times photo by Jhoo Dong-chan By Jhoo Dong-chan SEJONG — Sejong, the city named after King Sejong the Great (1397-1450) who is the inventor of Hangeul, is holding various events this month to celebrate the birth of the Korean writing system. The events were endorsed by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism earlier this year after the city submitted its plan to refurbish itself as the country’s "culture city" to promote Hangeul under its slogan of “Sejong, the Hangeul city connecting the world.
” In celebration of Hangeul Day, a national holiday on Oct. 9, the city has organized a series of programs throughout the month to promote Hangeul and its cultural heritage at three different venues. “Hangeul is the very core that embodies the spirit of Koreans,” Sejong Mayor Choi Min-ho said in a press release upon the opening ceremony for the month-long events.
“Now, Hangeul isn’t something only for Koreans. It is not new that many people around the world enjoy hallyu and learn the writing system. The number of people using Hangeul is growing and it is being highlighted as the alphabet for future generations.
We need to recognize Hangeul not only as Koreans' language legacy but as the root of our culture and creativity," he said. "Sejong will be reborn as a .
