A Public Holiday for an Alphabet — Epoche A2
Q: Why is the school closed on Thursday 9 October? A: 9 October is Hangeul Day, a national holiday in South Korea. It is the holiday of the Korean alphabet. Banks, offices and schools close, and this school closes with them. Classes start again on Friday morning. Q: A public holiday for an alphabet? A: Yes, because hangeul has a birthday. Most alphabets grew slowly, and nobody can give them a date. Hangeul was different: King Sejong's court announced the new letters in a book in 1446, and the book explains the letters and how to use them. Because the book survived, Korea knows when its alphabet was born. The holiday's date comes from the date in that book. Q: Was it always a holiday? A: No. It was a public holiday for many years, but in 1991 it was taken off the holiday list, because October had too many days off. In 2013 it became a public holiday again. Q: What can students do on the day? A: Many people visit Gwanghwamun Square, where the statue of King Sejong stands, and the National Hangeul Museum holds special events. The museum has explanations in easy Korean, so it is a good trip for Level 1 and Level 2 students.