Hangul Day 2021

In Korea, citizens and scholars alike take great pride in their unique writing script known as Hangul. So much so, in fact, that there is an annual holiday in its honor! Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Seoul, South Korea-based guest artist Soman, commemorates Korea’s Hangul Day (한글날), the only holiday in the world for an alphabet! 

So what makes Hangul important enough to warrant a holiday celebrating it? In the 15th century, many Koreans could not effectively put their thoughts down on paper as the Korean language had no dedicated writing system to express the intricacies of its spoken word. This all changed when the Korean government developed an innovative written script called Hangul that represented the sounds of spoken Korean. 

Thanks to the implementation of this efficient writing system, literacy increased dramatically. Today, Korea boasts near 100% literacy nationwide! With a growing global interest in learning about Korean culture and its language, a phenomenon known as “Hallyu” or the Korean Wave, what better time than Hangul Day to try learning it for yourself?

Happy Hangul Day, Korea! 

Guest Artist Q&A with Soman 

Today’s Doodle was illustrated by Seoul, South Korea-based guest artist Soman. Below, she shares her thoughts behind the making of this Doodle:

Q. Why was this topic meaningful to you personally?

A.  Everything around me is based on Hangul, the Korean alphabet. It is the most convenient and easiest character system which exists naturally in every content I make since I am a Korean. So it was such a meaningful experience to work on a topic which is so natural that I am not aware of in my daily life. 

Q. What were your first thoughts when you were approached about working on this Doodle?

A. I thought of the consonants and vowels of Hangul, its system. The image was meant to be a fairy-tale expression including its scientific aspect and philosophical sense. 

Q. Did you draw inspiration from anything in particular for this Doodle? 

A. The Korean vowels include elements meaning ‘sky( · )’, ‘land(ㅡ)’, and ‘human(ㅣ)’. Each story of them containing the universe became special to me. So I tried to express that Hangul takes a role to shine on people like stars in the night sky.

Q. What message do you hope people take away from your Doodle?

A. I hope people remind themselves of the unique story of Hangul and dream of eternal Hangul in the future.