Hangul Proclamation Day2026 · Date · History · Messages
Republic of Korea Ministry of Personnel Management; Act on National Holidays
About Hangul Proclamation Day
Hangeul Day, represented in the portable corpus as Hangul Proclamation Day, is observed in the Republic of Korea on 9 October.
The observance began in 1926 as Gagya Day, organized by the Korean Language Research Society, and was renamed Hangeul Day in 1928.
Why Hangul Proclamation Day matters
The day commemorates Hangeul and the publication tradition associated with Hunminjeongeum.
The modern October 9 date derives from dating evidence in the Hunminjeongeum Haerye, and the day is now a Korean national day and public holiday.
History of Hangul Proclamation Day
On 4 November 1926, the Korean Language Research Society held the first Gagya Day celebration, using the lunar ninth month’s 29th day converted to the solar calendar.
The name changed to Hangeul Day in 1928; the date later moved through October 29 and October 28 before being fixed at October 9.
The National Hangeul Museum records later status changes: public-holiday recognition after liberation, removal from the public-holiday calendar in 1990, elevation to a national day in 2005, and restoration as a public holiday from 2013.
How the observance developed
This timeline uses documented milestones from reviewed sources. Missing stages are left out rather than guessed.
Korean Language Research Society (조선어연구회)
The National Hangeul Museum says the society declared and celebrated the first Gagya Day in 1926.
Korean Language Research Society (조선어연구회)
The institutional history attributes the original observance to the society.
First documented observance
The National Hangeul Museum identifies 4 November 1926 as the first Gagya Day celebration.
The observance’s name changed from Gagya Day to Hangeul Day.
Korean Language Research Society · Recorded organizational naming change
Post-liberation observance used October 9, the date that remains current.
Korean-language commemoration organizers · Date standardization documented by the National Hangeul Museum
Hangeul Day was elevated to national-day status, effective from 2006.
Republic of Korea · Amendment to the Act on National Holidays
Hangeul Day was restored as a public holiday beginning in 2013.
Republic of Korea · Public-holiday regulation change
Republic of Korea Government and national cultural institutions
Current government public-holiday systems and the National Hangeul Museum maintain official observance and educational information.
What the evidence establishes
Confirmed institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Details that could not be established from the reviewed sources are listed separately below.
2 fields not established in reviewed sources
Later institutional actions
Later recognition, renaming, mergers or date changes are kept separate from original establishment.
Also known as
South Korea Hangul Day
How to Observe Hangul Proclamation Day
Learn about the design principles and history of Hangeul.
Visit or use educational resources from the National Hangeul Museum and other Korean cultural institutions.
Read about Hunminjeongeum and how the October 9 date was determined.
Practice Korean writing or explore Korean-language literature and culture.
Hangul Proclamation Day Facts
The first Gagya Day celebration took place on 4 November 1926.
The observance was renamed Hangeul Day in 1928.
October 9 became the enduring date after publication evidence in the Hunminjeongeum Haerye was considered.
Hangeul Day became a national day through a 2005 legal change.
Public-holiday status was restored from 2013 after a 2012 decision.
Hangul Proclamation Day Messages
Wishing everyone a meaningful Hangeul Day and an opportunity to appreciate the history of the Korean script.
May Hangeul Day inspire curiosity about language, literacy and Korean cultural history.
Celebrating the creativity and enduring cultural importance of Hangeul.
May October 9 be a day for learning about the history and use of Hangeul.
Topic and context
What this page does not assume
- Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
- Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
- Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
Evidence & sources
Sources used across the guide are gathered here. Labels show how each source supports the page, and contextual references are kept separate from primary evidence.
Korea Ministry of Personnel Management — Public Holiday System (opens in a new tab)
National Government Holiday Registry
National Hangeul Museum — Gagya Day/Hangeul Day history (opens in a new tab)
National Hangeul Museum — Hangeul Day chronology (opens in a new tab)
Understand it, compare it, then explore further
Start with the most common factual questions, then compare closely related observances and explore useful connections.
Frequently asked questions
When is Hangul Proclamation Day?
9 October The documented recurrence rule is: 9 October.
Does Hangul Proclamation Day fall on the same date every year?
Yes. It uses a fixed annual date unless stronger evidence changes the pattern.
Is Hangul Proclamation Day an official public holiday?
The reviewed sources verify it within this scope: Republic of Korea national holiday. That recognition does not by itself make it a statutory public holiday; the site only makes public-holiday claims when reliable evidence explicitly does so.
Who established or recognizes Hangul Proclamation Day?
The reviewed sources identify Korean Language Research Society (조선어연구회) as the proclaiming or establishing body. Current facilitation or coordination is recorded as Republic of Korea Government and national cultural institutions.
Is Hangul Proclamation Day international or country-specific?
No single country is assigned to this observance. Its documented scope is: Republic of Korea national holiday. Use that scope rather than assuming worldwide or country-specific status.
How is this page verified?
The factual information is checked against reviewed sources, including the date pattern, scope and institutional history. This page was checked on 2026-09-05.
When is Hangeul Day?
It is observed on 9 October in the Republic of Korea.
What was Hangeul Day originally called?
The first 1926 observance was called Gagya Day; the name changed to Hangeul Day in 1928.
Why is Hangeul Day on October 9?
National Hangeul Museum material explains that dating evidence in the Hunminjeongeum Haerye led to October 9 becoming the commemorative date.
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