The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Thursday it will hold a public forum March 31 to hear views on whether to add a Hangul signboard at Gwanghwamun Gate. The “Gwanghwamun Signboard Forum” is scheduled for 2 p.m. at a sixth-floor conference room of the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History.
At a Cabinet meeting on Jan. 20, Culture Minister Choi Hwi-young proposed keeping the existing signboard in Chinese characters while adding a Hangul version, aiming to respect the gate’s historical character while reflecting a modern symbol. The ministry said the forum will organize key issues and begin fuller discussion, and any interested member of the public may attend.
Presentations will be given by Lee Geon-beom, head of the Hangul Culture Solidarity, and Choi Jong-deok, former director of the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage. The discussion will be moderated by Yang Hyun-mi, a professor in cultural arts management at Sangmyung University. Panelists include Kim Kwon-jung, a curator at the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History; Kim Ju-won, president of the Hangul Society; Lee Kang-min, a professor of architecture at the Korea National University of Arts; Hong Seok-ju, a professor of architecture at Seoil University; and Kim Hyung-woo, head of the Korean Peninsula Culture and Tourism Research Institute.
The ministry said it will continue gathering opinions after the forum. It plans to open an online message board on its website in early April and to conduct expert consultations and a public survey as it reviews the policy in detail.
“Gwanghwamun is a place where history and the future coexist, and a leading space that symbolizes the Republic of Korea, so we need to think together about what is appropriate for it,” Choi said. “The government will listen broadly with an open attitude and, through sufficient deliberation and opinion-gathering, prepare an option the public can support.”
* This article has been translated by AI.
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