October 9 | A Special Holiday in Korea 🌸 Have you ever wondered about the Korean alphabet, Hangeul? Hangeul is a truly unique writing system. In fact, it is the only writing system in the world whose creator, purpose, and underlying principles are explicitly documented in historical records. Created by King Sejong the Great in 1443 and promulgated in 1446, Hangeul was designed with a noble mission: to make reading and writing accessible to everyone, especially ordinary people who struggled with Chinese characters. Beyond being easy to learn, Hangeul is a masterpiece of science and philosophy. 🌸 **Scientific design** The shapes of the basic consonants are modeled on the speech organs used to pronounce them. 🌸 **Philosophical harmony** The original vowel system is based on three philosophical elements: Heaven (ㆍ), Earth (ㅡ), and Human (ㅣ). 🌸 **A world-recognized heritage** In 1997, the *Hunminjeongeum Haeryebon*, the historical document explaining the principles behind Hangeul, was inscribed on UNESCO's Memory of the World Register. **And 2026 is an exceptionally special year for Hangeul!** This year marks two important milestones: 🎉 580 years since the promulgation of Hunminjeongeum. 🎉 100 years since Hangeul Day was first established. I hope this sparks your curiosity about Korean language and culture. To everyone around the world learning Hangeul today, thank you for being part of its ongoing story! 🌸

기후 (climate) 나쁘다 (to be bad) 날씨 (the weather) 기후 변화가 빠르게 진행되고 있습니다. Climate change is progressing rapidly. 오늘은 기분이 나쁘다. I am in a bad mood today. 오늘 날씨가 참 좋습니다. The weather is really nice today.

봄 (spring) 사계절 (four seasons) 여름 (summer) 한국은 사계절이 뚜렷해요. (Korea has four distinct seasons.) 따뜻한 봄에는 꽃이 피어요. (Flowers bloom in warm spring.) 더운 여름에는 바다에 가요. (I go to the sea in hot summer.)

가을 (autumn) 겨울 (winter) 계절 (a season) 나는 가을 날씨를 가장 좋아해요. I like autumn weather the most. 겨울에는 눈이 와서 추워요. It is cold in winter because it snows. 한국에는 네 개의 계절이 있어요. Korea has four seasons.

수집하다 (to collect) 즐기다 (to enjoy) 춤 (a dance) 취미로 옛날 동전을 수집해요. I collect old coins as a hobby. 주말에는 보통 음악을 듣거나 산책을 즐겨요. On weekends, I usually enjoy listening to music or taking a walk. 친구들과 함께 신나는 음악에 맞춰 춤을 췄어요. I danced to exciting music with my friends.