EMBASSY
580 YEARS OF LETTERS
An alphabet born from a king’s ambition to teach his people to read. Nearly six centuries later, Hangeul is still celebrated.
More than 580 years after a Korean king set out to give his people a writing system, his alphabet is finding new admirers in the Philippines.
The Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines recently celebrated Hangeul, the Korean alphabet, with an eight-day program of exhibitions, music and interactive activities.
Hangeul was developed in 1443 under King Sejong the Great, with the assistance of scholars, and officially introduced in 1446.
Originally called Hunminjeongeum, the writing system was designed to make reading and writing more accessible to ordinary Koreans.
Its historical significance earned the Hunminjeongeum Manuscript a place on Unesco's Memory of the World Register in 1997.
In Manila, visitors tried writing their names in Korean calligraphy, making lamps inspired by Korean letters and playing traditional games.
An installation called the Hangeul Tree invited participants to hang personalized bookmarks like leaves.
The celebration also featured a 2 October concert by Groove &, a Korean percussion ensemble whose members Sang-kyung Lee, Min-ju Sohn and Ha-gyeon Kim performed traditional music for Filipino audiences.
Korean Cultural Center director Kim Myeongjin described the event as an opportunity to deepen cultural ties between the Philippines and South Korea.
The celebration offered Filipinos a look at Korean culture beyond the television dramas and pop music that have made the country a familiar presence in Philippine entertainment.