Skip to Content

Celebrating Hangeul Day

Published on October 16, 2026

Time to read: 8 minutes

Korean

News

What were you doing last Friday night?  Well, if you are a student of Korean at Carleton (and/or someone with a passion for all things Korean), then you might have been in 303 St. Patrick’s Building celebrating the invention of Hangeul, the Korean writing system!

[photo]

Celebrated every year on October 9th, Hangeul was first created in 1443 by King Sejong the Great and his scholars to help make reading and writing easier for everyday Koreans. Before Hangeul, literacy was limited in Korea because only classical Chinese characters were used. Easy to learn and scientifically designed, Hangeul made literacy more accessible and is deeply tied to the Korean identity.  It is also one of the first things you’ll learn when you take a Korean course at Carleton!

After a brief introduction from Korean instructor, Soyoung Kang, and a welcome message from School Director, Don Myles, the audience threw themselves into an engaging “Munjado” workshop under the guidance of dynamic local artist, Eunjung Cho.

Instructor Cho in a green apron explains Munjado.

Munjado is a Korean design technique in which “a picture embodies the meaning of text (or words).” and, once they had their blank canvas bags in hand, students really showed up!

Brody, seen from above, is sketching his character onto the bag in green and blue marker.
Brody creates an Inukshuk-inspired design for the word 춥, the stem of 춥다  (to be cold).
Adel shows a bag with fish swimming through the Korean word for water.
Adel creates fish swimming through the word 물 (water).
Aliyah, Michael, and Serena show off their designs.
Aliyah fills her 나비 (butterfly) with butterflies.

There were many other masterpieces!

Group of all participants displaying their finished tote bags.
Student holding up her tote bag.
Students showcasing their tote bags
Group of students working on their designs.
Aerial shot of students working on their designs.
Student pair posing with V for victory fingers.
Student works on her bag design. Large pink characters.
Happy student holding up her bag with a big grin.
Nicole working on her design. We see a large black star on the tote bag.
Student peering through handle of her bag. Decoration shows rabbit eating a carrot.
Jaimie showcases her Stray Kids inspired bag.

After everyone had completed their tote bags, the evening moved into fashion show mode with students trying on a variety of 한복, or hanbok (Korean traditional clothing). 

Group of students trying on a variety. In the foreground, two students are wearing wide brimmed black hats.

Hanbok comes in a variety of colours and styles and, with help from Korean instructors HyounJeong Yoo and Soyoung Kang, and TA, Seungjun Lee, students had the chance to model 두루마기 (coats), 치마 (dresses), and 바지 (pants) that have been worn by Koreans for hundreds of years.  

HJ helps Seungjun put on his pink jacket. She is also wearing hanbok.
Marley wearing a pink dangui and red chima.
Three students wearing black po. One is wearing a black gat.
Instructor Cho tightens po for student.
Student wearing a red dangui and red chima.
Student wearing a pink dangui and deep red chima.
Two dudes wearing black po. Arms crossed.
Katarina wearing a pink dangui and red chima.
Student wearing a pink dangui and red chima.
Student in cream hijab and purple chima.
Michael and Mike wearing po and gat. Mike looks grouchy.
Student wearing pink hanbok with a purple bow.
Three students wearing multicoloured dangui and chima. Navy blue, red, pink, purple, and yellow.

The evening wrapped up with kimbap and other snacks all round, much mingling, and a deeper appreciation of Korean culture and language.

Many thanks to Korean instructors Soyoung Kang and HyounJeong Yoo for all their hard work organizing the event, Seungjun Lee for his excellent contributions to the evening, Ms. Cho for such an engaging and enjoyable workshop, and to everyone who attended for their enthusiasm for Korean at Carleton!

Poster advertising LANG 2010 B, Korean Culture & Society Course. Includes photos from Korean daily life and K-Pop.

Course Spotlight: Korean Culture & Society (Winter 2027)

Taught in English, LANG 2010 B offers an immersive introduction to Korea’s dynamic society, rich cultural identity, and Hangeul, its unique writing system.

Poster advertising KORE 1020 and 2020 courses for the Winter semester. Includes photos of instructors.

Korean Courses (Winter 2027)

Keep your Korean journey moving forward with a KORE 1020 or 2020 course during the winter semester.

Poster advertising KORE 1020 and 2020 courses for the Winter semester. Includes photos of instructors.

Korea-Canada Youth Exchange Seminar Inspires Students to Go Global

Networking event highlights exchange, career pathways, and working holiday opportunities.

This site uses cookies to offer you a better browsing experience. Find out more on how we use cookies and how you can change your settings.