After centuries of repression of Hangul, the Korean alphabet system, USC celebrated Hangul Day, bringing Korean culture to campus with calligraphy, kimbap and traditional games on Wednesday.
“I want to highlight the scientific, systematic way of Hangul and also the beauty of Hangul,” said Seojin Park, a professor teaching Korean at USC Dornsife. “So when [students] use Korean — regardless of their proficiency — I want to make them feel proud that they are using the Korean alphabet.”
Annually on October 9, South Korea observes Hangul Day (한글날) to commemorate the official announcement of the Korean alphabet system in 1446. Before Hangul, Koreans communicated verbally, but there was no way to express themselves in writing.
The educated elite relied on Hanja, or Chinese characters, a complex system that conveyed meaning, but not sound. Hangul, created by King Sejong to increase literacy rates, made the Korean language accessible to the masses for the first time.
Now, in both North and South Korea, Hangul is the official writing system for the Korean language. Hangul Day signifies more than a celebration of language; it is a celebration of Korean culture, identity, and pride.
The USC Korean Language Program, in collaboration with the Korean Heritage Library, the Korean Cultural Center Los Angeles and the King Sejong Institute Center, gathered at Ahn House to connect students, from beginners to native speakers, with Korean culture outside of the classroom.
“In L.A., there are a lot of Korean communities and we have a lot of historical places around USC that are related to Korean culture and history,” said Park. “So I think it’s very important for the Korean community. But not just Korean people, but whoever, to celebrate the invention of the Korean alphabet and to have that spirit.”
From dressing in traditional Korean attire, or Hanbok, and writing family names in Hangul calligraphy to tasting traditional Korean dishes like tteokbokki and kimbap, students were immersed in not only the language but also Korean culture, said Zach Chang, a freshman majoring in health and human sciences who is taking Korean I.
Jessica Bunao, a sophomore psychology major in Korean III, one of many student volunteers at the USC Dornsife Korean Studies Institute, arrived early at Ahn House to help prepare for the celebration.
“People can look forward to badge making, which is really cool. There’s also Hangul bracelet making, so with the Korean letters, you can spell out your name, your favorite K-pop band or anything like that,” said Bunao.
Hangul remains an integral part of Korean culture, regardless of proficiency in the language.
“I think the global popularity of Korean culture is attributed to Hangul [and] our King, Sejong the Great, in the Joseon Dynasty,” said Haedon Lee, Director of the Korean Culture Center Los Angeles. “That’s because [with] Hangul, we Koreans could exactly and easily express concern and convey our tradition, history and culture for a long time.”
Though celebrated now, the use of Hangul encompasses a history of repression. Under Japanese colonial rule in the 20th century, Hangul represented resistance against the erasure of Korean culture. “Koreans used and studied Hangeul in opposition to the Japanese colonial government’s forced assimilation policy,” explained Minjung (Michelle) Hur in the University of Washington International Law Journal.
Sunyoung Park, the director of the Korean Studies Institute, thanked students for attending the celebration and emphasized how Hangul is at the core of Korean culture.
“My professors, one generation, also their teachers, had gone to prison to continue to use Hangul. So at that time, when I was an undergraduate, I learned how sacred [it] is. The time has changed. It has become international. And people, not just in Korea, but outside of Korea too, they play a lot with the Korean language,” said Park. “Regardless of how the status of Hangul changes, from my historical perspective, I think it’s not an exaggeration to say that Hangul … really defines the distinctive cultural character of Koreans.”
While Hangul Day is only celebrated once a year, Seojin Park encouraged students to continue engaging with Korean culture through other events, including K-Trail events and a Korean speech contest, as well as joining the student-led Korean Conversation Club.