National Archives of Korea marks the 100th anniversary of Hangul Day with a three-part YouTube series tracing the script's creation, standardization and cultural spread

The opening screen of "Opening the National Records Vault — Hangul Edition" [National Archives of Korea]
The opening screen of "Opening the National Records Vault — Hangul Edition" [National Archives of Korea]

A foreign resident helps illuminate the global historical significance of hangul's creation — something many Koreans themselves may not fully appreciate. Through official state records, the series also revisits efforts to preserve and develop the Korean language under Japanese colonial rule and the long journey to establishing Hangul Day as a national holiday.

The Ministry of Interior and Safety's National Archives of Korea announced it has produced three episodes of a YouTube series, "Opening the National Records Vault," featuring records related to Hunminjeongeum and hangul, to be released in sequence to mark the 100th anniversary of Hangul Day.

Hangul Day traces its origins to "Gagya Day," established in 1926. Marking the centennial this year, the National Archives renamed its existing video program — previously called "Unboxing the Archive" — to "Opening the National Records Vault" to better reflect the spirit of Hangul Day, with the aim of promoting the excellence and value of Hunminjeongeum and hangul.

The series is organized around three themes — "Writing Correctly," "Writing Equitably" and "Writing Anew" — and features experts from fields including language, culture, fashion and industry alongside relevant archival records.

The first episode, "Writing Correctly: Hunminjeongeum and Hangul," is hosted by broadcaster Fabien. It focuses on the spirit of love for the people that King Sejong embodied when creating Hunminjeongeum, tracing how that vision gave rise to hangul and examining the script's scientific ingenuity.

The episode follows Hunminjeongeum Haeryebon's inscription on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register and hangul's emergence as a global language, showing how the script carries a universal value that benefits not just Koreans but all of humanity.

The second episode, "Writing Equitably: Our Language Gathering," features Jeong Jae-hwan, head of the Hangul Culture Federation, and KBS announcer Park Ji-won. They introduce the records of the Joseon Language Society's efforts during the Japanese colonial period to compile the "Grand Dictionary of the Korean Language" under extraordinarily difficult circumstances, preserving the roots of the Korean language.

Alongside this, the episode presents archival materials documenting the nationwide literacy campaign of the 1950s, government directives mandating the exclusive use of hangul in administrative documents, and the progression from hangul typewriting competitions to today's personal computer keyboards — capturing the moments when hangul improved the quality of everyday life for the Korean people.

The final episode, "Writing Anew: Hangul Day, a National Celebration," is narrated by voice actor Nam Do-hyeong and reflects on the historical significance of Hangul Day — the world's only national holiday dedicated to commemorating a writing system.

It chronicles in detail the progression from Gagya Day in 1926 to Hangul Day's elevation as one of South Korea's five major national holidays, along with records of commemorative events that have deepened its meaning over the decades.

The episode also honors the contributions of figures such as Ju Si-gyeong and Kong Byeong-u, who devoted themselves to the development of hangul, and includes on-site interviews with experts who continue to expand hangul's reach across various fields — among them Lee Gi-sik, an adviser at ITzen Co., calligrapher Kang Byeong-in and Lee Sang-bong, chairman of the Korea Fashion Designers Federation.

Lee Yong-cheol, director of the National Archives of Korea, said the series aims to show that hangul is more than just "an easy script to learn" — that it is a force and a culture that restored to everyone the right to read and write. "I hope the history of hangul, which began with King Sejong's heartfelt wish and has continued for 100 years, resonates deeply with people today and fills them with a warm sense of pride," he said.


thlee@heraldcorp.com