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Hi, I’m SeoulAslanHangul Week 2026 in Seoul: Gwanghwamun Light Show and Events (Oct 6–17)
Checked Oct 5, 2026
Hangul Week 2026 runs from Oct 6 to 17, and the part worth planning around is in central Seoul: three days of stage shows and hands-on booths at Gwanghwamun Square (Oct 6–8), an eve concert on Thu Oct 8 at 19:00, and a light show projected on Gwanghwamun Gate every night from Oct 8 to 11, 20:00–23:00. Oct 9 is Hangul Day, a public holiday, and this year it is the 100th one. The square events are outdoors and you don't buy a ticket to walk in.
I'm the kind of person who goes looking up where words come from. I once went digging into where the Korean word 바캉스 ("vacation") came from. So when the 100th Hangul Day came round, I started with the name of the day itself, and then read the Ministry of Culture's Korean announcement for everything else on this page.
Jump to: What is Hangul Day? · Gwanghwamun Square, Oct 6–8 · Eve concert and light show · Oct 9 holiday · Exhibitions · Outside Seoul · Day-by-day plan · FAQ
What is Hangul Day, and why is 2026 special?
Hangul (한글) is the Korean alphabet. King Sejong (세종대왕) published it in 1446 under the name Hunminjeongeum (훈민정음), "the correct sounds for teaching the people". That makes 2026 the 580th anniversary.
The day itself is younger. In 1926, for the 480th anniversary, a group of Korean language scholars (조선어연구회) held the first celebration. They called it Gagya Day (가갸날), after the first syllables children chanted when learning to read: ga, gya. Two years later, in 1928, it was renamed Hangul Day. So Oct 9, 2026 is the day's 100th birthday.
What's on at Gwanghwamun Square, Oct 6–8?
The main event is called Hangul Hanmadang – Gwanghwamun (한글한마당-광화문). It runs from Tue Oct 6 to Thu Oct 8 on the square in front of Gwanghwamun Gate, the main gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace.
On the stage:
- Musical By My Side, You in a Dopo (내 곁에, 도포를 입은 그대) — a dopo is a scholar's long coat
- Musical Gat-geul (갓-글)
- A poetry, song and story concert, Read, Walk, Sing (읽고 걷고 노래하고)
- Indie bands Far East Asia Tigers (극동아시아타이거즈) and Yangbandeul (양반들)
Around the stage there are about 20 hands-on booths: a Hangul playground for children, calligraphy (멋글씨) displays and workshops, a Hangul garden, and programs by the National Hangeul Museum.
On the same square and the same three days, the National Hangeul Museum runs the Hangul Cultural Industry Exhibition (한글문화산업전): furniture, homeware and stationery designed with Hangul, on show and for sale.
When is the eve concert and the light show?
Thu Oct 8, 19:00, on the square stage. The night before Hangul Day, the show opens by switching on 100 lights for 100 years. K-pop group AtHeart (앳하트) and indie band Broccoli, you too? (브로콜리너마저) perform. International students from the King Sejong Institute (세종학당) and Seoul residents of different ages read on stage what Hangul means to them.
The concert ends by turning on a light show on the walls of Gwanghwamun Gate, called Twenty-Four, the Universe (스물넷, 우주). Hangul has 24 basic letters. In the film they appear out of ink-black darkness, turn into constellations, spread into mountains and rivers, and finish as the painted patterns of the gate itself.
- Dates: Oct 8, 9, 10, 11
- Time: every night 20:00–23:00 KST
- Where to stand: the north end of Gwanghwamun Square, facing the gate
If you're in Seoul over the holiday weekend, this is the one to put in your evening. It runs three hours a night, so you don't have to be there at 20:00 sharp.
What happens on Hangul Day, Oct 9?
Oct 9, 2026 is a Friday, so Koreans get a three-day weekend (Oct 9–11). Note that the square festival itself ends the day before, on Oct 8.
One thing travelers sometimes expect: free palace entry on Hangul Day. In 2026 the free opening on Oct 9 is for the King Sejong sites (세종유적) only — the royal tombs of Yeongneung and Nyeongneung in Yeoju (여주), managed by the King Sejong office of the Royal Palaces and Tombs Center. The four Seoul palaces charge their usual fee that day. Seoul's palaces become free later, Oct 29 – Nov 15. Also, the Royal Culture Festival runs at the palaces Oct 7–11, the same week.
Which exhibitions can you see?
"1926 to Infinity" (일구이륙 무한이륙) tells the 100 years of Hangul Day, from Gagya Day in 1926 to now.
- Where: National Museum of Korean Contemporary History (대한민국역사박물관), 3rd floor. It's the modern building on the east side of Gwanghwamun Square.
- Until: Feb 9, 2027
- Price: the museum is free
- Organized together by the National Hangeul Museum, the Contemporary History museum, the Korean Language Society (한글학회) and the King Sejong Memorial Society
Don't head to the National Hangeul Museum (국립한글박물관) in Yongsan expecting to go in. It's closed for fire repairs and an extension until the second half of 2028, with reopening aimed at October 2028. During Hangul Week it runs hands-on programs at the former officers' housing, Complex 5, in Yongsan Park (용산공원 장교숙소 5단지) until Oct 11, except Oct 6.
On Mon Oct 12 there's an academic conference for the 100th Hangul Day at the National Museum of Korea. That one is for specialists.
Anything outside Seoul?
- Sejong City (세종특별자치시), named after the king: Sejong Hangeul Festival, Oct 9–11, and the Hangul Run on the morning of Oct 9
- Incheon, Songdo: the National Museum of World Writing Systems (국립세계문자박물관) opens Hunmaengjeongeum (훈맹정음), an exhibition on Korean braille, from Oct 7.
- 22 Korean language culture centers around the country run workshops and contests (mostly in Korean)
A simple day-by-day plan
| Day | Where | What |
|---|---|---|
| Tue Oct 6 – Thu Oct 8, daytime | Gwanghwamun Square | Stage shows, ~20 booths, Hangul design market |
| Thu Oct 8, 19:00 | Square stage | Eve concert, 100 lights, first light show |
| Oct 8 – 11, 20:00–23:00 | Gwanghwamun Gate | Twenty-Four, the Universe light show |
| Fri Oct 9 | Everywhere | Hangul Day holiday, 3-day weekend starts |
| Any day until Feb 9 | Contemporary History museum | "1926 to Infinity", free |
| Sat Oct 17 | — | Hangul Week ends |
Getting there: Gwanghwamun Station (광화문역, Line 5), Exit 2, is the stop Seoul City gives for the square. Gyeongbokgung Station (경복궁역, Line 3) is a short walk to the west. Tap your T-money or contactless card, no ticket needed. Show a taxi driver "광화문광장".
FAQ
Is Hangul Week free?
The square festival and light show are outdoors on public space, so you walk in without a ticket. The "1926 to Infinity" museum is free too.
What time is the Gwanghwamun light show?
Oct 8 to 11, 20:00 to 23:00 KST, on the walls of Gwanghwamun Gate.
Is Oct 9 a holiday in Korea?
Yes. Hangul Day is a national public holiday. In 2026 it's a Friday, so it makes a three-day weekend.
Are palaces free on Hangul Day 2026?
No. The free opening on Oct 9 is for the King Sejong royal tombs in Yeoju. Seoul's palaces are free from Oct 29 to Nov 15.
Is the National Hangeul Museum open?
No, it's closed until the second half of 2028. Its Hangul Week programs are in Yongsan Park until Oct 11.
Crowds after the holiday weekend
A 100th anniversary on a three-day weekend could pull big crowds to the light show. I'll watch how busy the square gets after Oct 9, and add a note here.
More autumn festivals and events
Sources
- Korea Policy Briefing, Ministry of Culture announcement (Oct 2, 2026, Korean)
- Korea.net: events for the centennial Hangeul Day
- National Hangeul Museum: closure, Yongsan Park programs, "1926 to Infinity"
- Royal Palaces and Tombs Center notice, Sept 30, 2026 (free openings, Korean)
- Korean news: Asia Economy and Aju Business Daily (Gagya Day history), Newspim, ZDNet Korea, Gosiweek (event details)
- Photos: Korea Tourism Organization photo gallery, Korea Open Government License Type 1
— SeoulAslan
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