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October 9 is Hangeul Day (한글날) in Korea
October 9 is Hangeul Day, a national holiday in Korea celebrating the Korean alphabet and commemorating the publication of Hunminjeongeum by King Sejong.
And in 2026, it has been exactly 100 years since Hangeul Day first began to be celebrated.
Back then, however, it was not yet called “한글날.”
It was originally known as 가갸날 (Gagyanal), named after the traditional sequence used when learning Hangeul: “가갸거겨…”
Honestly, “Gagyanal” is a pretty cute name on its own.
The name 한글날 (Hangeul Day) began to be used in 1928.
So, in honor of Hangeul Day, let’s take a closer look at Kang Haneul ’s handwritten（손글씨) Hangeul.
Kang Haneul Often Leaves Handwritten Messages
Kang Haneul is known not only for his autograph, but also for writing fairly long handwritten messages to fans and staff.
One recent example was a message packed with everything from newer internet slang to retro expressions, full of his playful sense of humor:
The content itself is fun to read, but his handwriting is also interesting in its own right.
There is a warmth to his writing, along with several distinctive habits that make it especially fun to look at.
He has even contributed handwritten lettering for song lyrics, so he clearly has a great sense of lettering and design🩵
Here is one example:
His handwriting was used for the lyric captions in “꽃은 따라서” from the OST of Traveler – Argentina.
The Distinctive “하” in Kang Haneul’s Autograph
First, let’s look at his usual autograph.
This is my Gill (아가미) poster that I won at an event 💙
It is such a beautiful design that it works perfectly as wall art.
If you look closely at the “하,” you may notice something unusual.
In modern Hangeul:
하 = ㅎ + ㅏ
But in his autograph, the ㅏ is replaced by something that looks more like a dot.
This resembles an old Korean vowel called 아래아 (arae-a), written as “ㆍ”.
Its historical pronunciation was not exactly the same as modern 아, but for a general introduction, it is reasonable to think of it as being relatively close to an “a”-type vowel.
The “하” in Kang Haneul’s autograph appears to be designed in a way that evokes this old letter.
A well-known modern example of the arae-a shape can also be seen in Hancom, the Korean software company behind one of the country’s best-known word-processing programs.
The logo is read as “한.”
Reading His Actual Handwriting
The Very Looooong “다” at the End of a Sentence
One especially distinctive feature of Kang Haneul’s handwriting is the way he writes 다 at the end of a sentence.
As you can see, the ㅏ becomes extremely long when it appears at the end.
It almost looks as if the word itself is saying:
다～～～～☺
The consonant ㄷ is normally written with separate strokes.
But when written quickly, the strokes can flow together and the shape becomes much looser.
Then the long ㅏ continues straight out from it.
That stretched-out “다” gives his handwriting a lively, stylish rhythm 🖌
ㄷ ↔ ㄹ Can Be Confusing — Quiz Time 💡
Because ㄷ can become distorted when written quickly, it can sometimes be difficult to tell whether a shape is supposed to be ㄷ or ㄹ when seen on its own.
This is not unique to Kang Haneul’s handwriting.
In fast Korean handwriting, the two letters can sometimes end up looking surprisingly similar.
That means learners often have to rely on the surrounding word and sentence to work out what is actually written.
Let’s try reading some examples from Kang Haneul’s handwriting.
These are taken from a letter written by Kang Haneul to Kim Yo Han, his character in Insider.
Pay attention to ㄷ and ㄹ. 🔍
① What does this say?
② What does this say?
③ And this one?
Could you read them?
The answers are:
① 즐거웠다. (I had a good time. had a good time.）
② 잠시동안 (for a while)
③ 모르겠지만 (I’m not sure, but…)
고 Can Be Surprisingly Tricky Too
Another surprisingly difficult syllable is 고.
고 = ㄱ + ㅗ
In handwriting, ㅗ can sometimes look almost exactly like ㄴ.
Of course, one is a vowel and the other is a consonant, so logically they are completely different.
But visually, fast handwriting can still make you hesitate.
For example:
This says:
고마웠어. (Thank you for that.)
His ㄱ is also quite rounded rather than sharply angular, so the whole word can take a second to recognize.
And the ㅗ, purely in terms of shape, really does look like ㄴ 💦
With handwriting like this, it is often easier to read in this order:
word → context → Kang Haneul’s personal handwriting habits
rather than trying to decode every single letter one by one.
His 요 Is Adorable
Kang Haneul’s 요 has such a flowing shape that it almost looks like a piece of modern art.
Here is an example from a handwritten letter he wrote to poet Yun Dong-ju in connection with the film Dongju: The Portrait of a Poet.
He begins from the first stroke of ㅇ and writes the whole shape in one flowing motion.
The movement from stroke ③ to ④ is especially distinctive.
At some point, it started looking to me like a tiny person bouncing across a cloud💙
This is just my own imagination, illustrated with an AI-generated image:
His 우 has a similar feeling.
Here is another example from the guestbook message he left at a place he stayed during Youth Over Flowers: Iceland.
It looks like a little person spinning around👦
Final Kang Haneul Handwriting Quiz 💡
Now that we have looked at shapes such as ㄷ, ㄹ, and 고, let’s try reading a full sentence. 💙
Were you able to read it?
The answer is:
우리는 오로라도 보고, 멋진 밤들을 보내고 있습니다.
“We’ve seen the aurora, and we’re spending some wonderful nights.”
Clementine’s Note 🍊
Kang Haneul’s handwriting has appeared in articles and has also been mentioned on TV programs and social media.
During his trip to Iceland, Jung Woo even complimented his handwriting💑
And considering that his handwriting has even been used as on-screen lyric lettering, it is clear that people appreciate the distinctive character of his writing.
There is something warm and uniquely Kang Haneul about his handwriting.
So, just in case the day ever comes when we receive a handwritten letter from him…
we had better start practicing now so we can read every single word ourselves😆
Sources
🔗강하늘·박정민이 윤동주·송몽규에게…’동주’, 친필 편지 공개
🔗[2020.11.01 | OSEN] 강하늘, ‘제 사인 예쁘죠’
🔗[MV] 로시(Rothy) – 꽃은 따라서 (Prod. 로코베리) [트래블러 – 아르헨티나 OST Part.4]
🔗[Instagram | @woodtiger.kr] Excerpt from the post
tvN 《꽃보다 청춘》 Episode 7