Korean Cultural Centre India (KCCI) announced that it held a ceremony to mark the 575th anniversary of Hangeul (Korean Alphabet) Day with two Indian schools on October 8.

The ceremony was attended by the Principal of ASN Senior Secondary School, the Head of Junior School of Learners International School (LIS), and about 50 students who are learning Korean at these 2 schools that run Curriculum Based Korean language classes. In her congratulatory speech that began with Mahatma Gandhi's words, "No culture can live, if it attempts to be exclusive," the Principal of ASN Senior Secondary School said that "With the support of the Korean Cultural Centre India since 2013, my students were able to learn Korean culture through various programs such as Samulnori and Taekwondo, and above all, our school has become a pioneer amongst the schools that provide Korean language education. Celebrating Hangeul Day, she also said "It was also a great honor for First Lady Kim Jung-sook to visit our school in 2018. Whenever I hear my school students speak Korean confidently, I feel very proud."

Ms. Manisha Trivedi, Head of Junior School, Learners International School, said, "I sincerely thank the Korean Cultural Centre India for opening the window for learning Korean and Korean culture to our school students, and I hope that through Korean language, our students can become global citizens having a mindset of embracing and understanding the world. “

Meanwhile, at the event, an Award Ceremony was held for students who won the first prize at the "Congratulations on Hangeul Day" video competition held at the two schools to commemorate Hangeul Day. The students who won the first prize, were awarded with a laptop.

UNESCO recognized the excellence of Hangeul and registered it as the "Memory of the World" in 1997.

Since 1990, the UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize is annually awarded to two organizations, institutions or individuals that greatly contribute in eradicating illiteracy.

Since Korean Language was adopted as an official foreign language by the Indian government in July 2020, the demand for Korean language and hence the demand for Hangeul, the cultural heritage of mankind, in Indian schools has been rising sharply. As of 2021, 607 students from 15 Indian schools attend regular Korean classes, and 929 students from 18 schools attend Korean language hobby classes. This is a 500% increase in the number of Indian schools that run Korean language class as Curriculum based class compared to 2020, which shows the steep demand for Korean language in Indian schools. Hwang Il-yong, Director of Korean Cultural Centre said, “We, KCCI will donate about 100 Traditional Korean Fairy Tales books written in English to ASN Senior Secondary School and Learners International School so that the students can learn both Korean language and Korean culture. To improve the quantity and quality of Korean language education at Indian schools, we are conducting a Korean Language Teacher's Training Program for locals in India, and through this, we will ensure the growth and stabilization of Korean Language Education at Indian schools," he said.