Korean alphabet turns 563 years old

By Shin Hae-in
SEOUL, Oct. 1 (Yonhap) -- Celebrating the upcoming 563rd birthday of its
alphabet, "Hangeul," South Korea will hold exhibitions, forums and performances
by top scholars and artists next week, the culture ministry said Thursday.
Setting Oct. 6-12 as "Hangeul week," the government will invite some 300 Korean
language teachers from 63 different countries for the anniversary and discuss
ways to spread Hangeul around the world, the ministry said.
The letters were named the official alphabet of the country by King Sejong of the
ancient Joseon Dynasty on Oct. 9, 1446. North Korea, however, celebrates Hangeul
day on Jan. 15 when the king is said to have completed the creation of the
alphabet.
"This year has more meaning as Hangeul was selected as an official writing system
of an Indonesian tribe," said Park Gwang-moo, arts director at the culture
ministry, during a press briefing Thursday. "Many people are feeling proud of the
language."
In August, the Cia-Cia, a minority tribe in Indonesia, chose Hangeul as their
official writing system in the first case of the Korean alphabet being used by a
foreign society.
Considered a result of South Korean government efforts have the Korean alphabet
adopted by tribes lacking their own writing system, some linguists say the case
will become a stepping stone.
From Oct. 8-11, a special exhibition composed of media art installations, letters
using the old version of the Korean alphabet and poetry recitation sessions by
local novelists, poets and calligraphers will be held in the front yard of
Gyeongbok Palace in central Seoul.
During a gathering of teachers from different countries, set for Oct. 7-9,
including Canada's Ross King, participants will share their experience and views
on how to better teach the Korean language.
Ten recipients of this year's UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize, including Indian
female education group Nirantar, will be attending the anniversary on Oct. 9,
which will feature plays and musical performances by Korea's national dance and
music troupes. The prize, funded by the South Korean government and established
in 1989, is awarded to individuals and groups that make noticeable contributions
to promoting their mother tongue.
South Korea has one of the world's lowest illiteracy rates at 1.7 percent. It
launched the "King Sejong Project" earlier this year, aiming to establish a
single Romanization system, publish an all-Hangeul dictionary for the younger
people and foreigners unfamiliar with Chinese characters, and increasing the
number Korean language academies across the globe.
Renewing the plan, the culture ministry announced it will be increasing the
number of state-run "King Sejong Institute" language schools to 500 worldwide by
2015.
The government has also pushed existing language institutes to change their name
to King Sejong Institute by 2012, and recommended foreign students obtain
language qualifications through state-sponsored exams.
Largely due to the popularity of Korean pop culture in Asia, more than 6.15
million people from 133 countries are learning the Korean language through
institutes or private tutors each year, according to state data.
hayney@yna.co.kr