9 October 2026 · Hangul Day · 한글날

Can you learn to read Korean before noon?

“A wise man can acquaint himself with them before the morning is over; a stupid man can learn them in the space of ten days.” Jeong Inji, in the 1446 commentary that launched the Korean alphabet

Today is the 580th anniversary of that promise. Start the clock at 6:00 AM, learn the letters the way King Sejong designed them, and see what time it is when you can read.

580years since Hangul was proclaimed in 1446
100thHangul Day — first celebrated in 1926
24basic letters in use today (Sejong made 28)
11,172syllable blocks those letters can build
Why today

A double anniversary

Hangul Day falls every 9 October. This one is special: it is 580 years since the alphabet was proclaimed in 1446, and the 100th celebration since the Korean Language Society first marked it in 1926 as “Gagya Day”. South Korea's National Hangeul Museum has named 2026 the Year of Hangeul, and Hangeul Week runs 6–17 October under the theme “Hangeul by My Side.”

The alphabet's own commentary claimed it could be learned in a single morning. We built this site to let you check.