The National Hangeul Museum is opening its largest-ever exhibition on Hangeul culture this year, marking the 100th anniversary of the establishment of Hangeul Day and the 580th anniversary of the promulgation of Hunminjeongeum.
The exhibition "1926 Infinity 2026," which opens on the 2nd at the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History, brings together 121 artifacts across 116 items of Hangeul cultural material, including 15th-century records of the Korean alphabet. The National Museum of Korean Contemporary History, the Korean Language Society and the King Sejong the Great Memorial Society contributed to the exhibition.
One notable feature is how clearly the show lays out the changing names of the Korean script. When King Sejong first promulgated it in 1446, it was called "Hunminjeongeum" and "Jeongeum." From the 15th century onward, it came to be known by names such as "eonmun," "eonja," "eonseo" and "banjeol." It became "gukmun," meaning national script, in 1894 when the government decided to adopt it as the standard script for official documents. Downgraded to "Joseonmun" and "Joseongeul" under Japanese colonial rule, it passed through "gagya" and finally became "Hangeul" through the efforts of Korean language scholars.
The exhibition opens by spotlighting "Gagya Day," which was set for Nov. 4, 1926. As the forerunner of Hangeul Day, it marked the beginning of serious public interest in the Korean alphabet. Also on display are materials from "Hangeulmo Jukbogi," an early document in which the name "Hangeul" appears, and the certificate that Korean linguist Choi Hyun-bae (1894-1970), known by his pen name Oesol, received after completing the secondary course at the Joseon Language Institute. Visitors can also trace how "Gagya Day" was renamed "Hangeul Day" and how the commemoration date was shifted from the 29th day of the ninth lunar month to Oct. 9.
Other highlights include a reproduction of the "Malmoi" manuscript, written by Ju Si-gyeong (1876-1914) and his students to compile a Korean dictionary, and the first issue of "Hangeul," the journal of the Korean Language Society. The manuscript of the "Great Dictionary of the Korean Language," discovered in a warehouse at Seoul Station in September 1945 shortly after liberation, is the final revised version of the Korean dictionary manuscript that the Korean Language Society compiled from 1929 to 1942.
The National Hangeul Museum has declared this year the "Year of Hangeul" and is preparing a series of events. "I hope the 100th anniversary of the establishment of Hangeul Day serves as a meaningful occasion to share the value and excellence of Hangeul with many people," said Lim Sung-hwan, director of the National Hangeul Museum.
