Celebrating Hangeul Day

Published on October 16, 2026

Time to read: 8 minutes

What were you doing last Friday night? Well, if you are a student of Korean at �Ӱ�ԭ�� (and/or someone with a passion for all things Korean), then you might have been in 303 St. Patrick’s Building celebrating the invention of Hangeul, the Korean writing system!

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Celebrated every year on October 9th, Hangeul was first created in 1443 by King Sejong the Great and his scholars to help make reading and writing easier for everyday Koreans. Before Hangeul, literacy was limited in Korea because only classical Chinese characters were used. Easy to learn and scientifically designed, Hangeul made literacy more accessible and is deeply tied to the Korean identity. It is also one of the first things you’ll learn when you take a Korean course at �Ӱ�ԭ��!

After a brief introduction from Korean instructor, Soyoung Kang, and a welcome message from School Director, Don Myles, the audience threw themselves into an engaging “Munjado” workshop under the guidance of dynamic local artist, Eunjung Cho.

Instructor Cho wearing an apron explains Munjado to the group.

Munjado is a Korean design technique in which “a picture embodies the meaning of text (or words).” and, once they had their blank canvas bags in hand, students really showed up!

Brody created an Inukshuk-inspired design for the word 춥, the stem of 춥다 (to be cold).

Brody, seen from above, is sketching his character onto the bag in green and blue marker.

Adel created fish swimming through the word 물 (water).

Adel shows a bag with fish swimming through the Korean word for water.

And Aliyah filled her 나비 (butterfly) with butterflies.

Aliyah, Michael, and Serena show off their designs.

And there were many other masterpieces!

Group shot of all participants at the front of the room holding up their tote bag designs.

After everyone had completed their tote bags, the evening moved into fashion show mode with students trying on a variety of 한복, or hanbok (Korean traditional clothing).

Group of students trying on a variety. In the foreground, two students are wearing wide brimmed black hats.

Hanbok comes in a variety of colours and styles and, with help from Korean instructors HyounJeong Yoo and Soyoung Kang, and TA, Seungjun Lee, students had the chance to model 두루마기 (coats), 치마 (dresses), and 바지 (pants) that have been worn by Koreans for hundreds of years.

HJ helps Seungjun put on his pink jacket. She is also wearing hanbok.

Marley wearing a pink dangui and red chima.

The evening wrapped up with kimbap and other snacks all round, much mingling, and a deeper appreciation of Korean culture and language.

Many thanks to Korean instructors Soyoung Kang and HyounJeong Yoo for all their hard work organizing the event, Seungjun Lee for his excellent contributions to the evening, Ms. Cho for such an engaging and enjoyable workshop, and to everyone who attended for their enthusiasm for Korean at �Ӱ�ԭ��!

Course Spotlight: Korean Culture & Society (Winter 2027)

Taught in English, LANG 2010 B offers an immersive introduction to Korea’s dynamic society, rich cultural identity, and Hangeul, its unique writing system.

Korean Courses (Winter 2027)

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