10월 9일 한글날, October 9 Hangeul Day

한글날이란?

What's Hangeulnal?

한글날은 세종대왕이 훈민정음을 반포한 것을 기념하고, 우리나라 고유 문자인 한글의 연구와 보급을 장려하기 위하여 정한 날 입니다. ^-^

(한글의 로마자 표기법은 Hangeul 입니당♡)

Hangeul is Korean Alphabet and Hangeulnal is the day we commemorate the invention and the proclamation of the Korean alphabet, HanGeul. The following is some more detailed information on our alphabet found in Wikipedia here and there and summarized by me. 

Hangeul was promulgated by Sejong the Great, the fourth king of the Joseon Dynasty. The project was completed in late December 1443 or January 1444, and described in 1446 in a document titled Hunmin Jeongeum ("The proper sounds for the education of the people"), after which the alphabet itself was named. The publication date of the Hunmin Jeongeum, October 9, became Hangeul Day in South Korea.

King Sejong explained that the Korean language was fundamentally different from Chinese; using Chinese characters (known as HanJa) to write was so difficult for the common people that only privileged aristocrats, usually male, could read and write fluently. The majority of Koreans were effectively illiterate before the invention of Hangeul. Hangeul was designed so that even a commoner could learn to read and write.

Hangeul faced opposition by the literary elite, who believed hanja to be the only legitimate writing system, and perhaps saw hangeul as a threat to their status. However, it entered popular culture as Sejong had intended, being used especially by women and writers of popular fiction.

Learn Hangeul's consonant and vowel and its formation!  

한글날에 뭐 하세요 ^^?

What are you doing on Hangeulnal?

I found few things you can do If you are in Seoul and looking for a way to celebrate it with us.

1.국립한글박물관 한글날에 개관 

National Hangeul Museum 

Three stories Hangeul Museum is opening up in YongSanGu just in time for Hangeul Day.

 

위치

Location

2. 대학생 연합광고동아리 애드플래쉬의 한글날 홍보행사

Get your Korean Henna tattoo in Hongdae on Hangeul Day!

When? October 9, 1-6 pm. 

Where? see the map below

3. 광화문 문광부 한글문화큰잔치

Hangeul Festival

I guess this should the official Hangeul Day event.

Couldn't find any English website or translation.

Basically there will be many concerts going on mainly at GwangHwaMun area from Wednesday to Thursday. 

Also there will be exhibitions (see the dates below)

Fireworks festival in Seoul 2014 불꽃축제

Marching went on along the HanGang River by people who were trying to get to the fireworks festival as close as possible. 'Interesting' I thought. It looked as if a war broke out that people were evacuating the city with backpacks full of emergency supply. (We were one of them.) As we went closer and closer we saw mountains of garbage here and there, people fighting, people trashing the snack shop area even though there were garbage cans available. I HATE people who litter. I remember going to HanGang River in 2008 with some friends from EM including foreigners, and walked along the river picking up garbage. Number of Koreans came up apologizing a few times. I think they were embarrassed how foreigners were cleaning up the mess that supposedly Koreans made.

But they outnumbered us last night. 

Despite of the chaos, we still could enjoy nice breeze, pizza&beer, Ramen, Cranberry vodka&some snack  by the river while watching fireworks from afar.

We saw some motorcycles running on the bike path where it was already full of people instead of bikes. Phil asked, "Isn't that illegal?" 

I said jokingly, "What? Nothing's illegal in Korea." 

He answered, "Well, Protesting/demonstrating is." 

and I thought, "Really Korea? Is this how you wanna be seen?".

 아름다운 한국, 아름다운 서울을 사랑하고 자랑스러워 하는 나도 내가 태어나고 자란 곳이 부끄러운 날이 있다.

적어도 이 곳에는 초록불이라고 마음놓고 건널 수 있는 횡단보도따위는 없다는 것 이미 잘 알고 있다. 경찰 앞에서 신호위반을 하는 차들도 보고 술 취한 사람들 베이비시터 역할이나 하는 권위없는 경찰도 본다. 심지어 내 소원은 단 하루라도 길거리에서 가래침 뱉는 소리를 안 들어 보는 것이다. 신경질적으로 울려대는 자동차 경적소리를 듣기 싫다면 시골로 이사가는 것이 빠르다. 2008년 언젠가 외국 친구들과 한강에 갔다가 같이 쓰레기를 주우며 걸어다닌 적이 있다. 우리가 버린 쓰레기를 외국인들이 줍는다며 한국 사람들이 우리에게 여러번 다가와 영어로 사과를 했다. 

 하지만 며칠 전 불꽃축제에서 우리는 쪽수가 밀려도 단단히 밀렸다. 쓰레기더미가 여기 저기 산을 이루었고 특히 편의점 주변은 쓰레기통이 바로 옆에 있는데도 불구하고 발 밑이 디딜 틈 없이 쓰레기로 덮여있었다. "뭐 이런 것이 대수랴.. 내가 24년동안 살면서 한 두번 본 것도 아닌데.. 또 실망해서 뭐하나..." 라고 생각하던 찰나에 사람과 자전거로 붐비던 자전거 도로로 오토바이 몇 대가 들어왔다. 그 때 필이 물었다, "저건 불법아니야?" 내가 농담조로 대답했다, "한국에 불법이 어딨어." 그러자 필이 무덤덤하게 말했다. "데모하는거?".

우리의 안전에 위협이 될 수도 있는 습관적인 무질서가 부끄러운것인지 아니면 안전이고 뭐고 데모만큼은 확실히 불법이라고 인식시켜준 정부가 부끄러운건지 참 헷갈리는 밤이었다. 

Korean band TransFixion 2002

 트랜스픽션, 내게 돌아와, 2002

Wow that was 12 years ago...