On October 9, a foreign friend of mine went to the bank and was flustered to find it closed. They didn't know it was a red-letter day on the calendar. ## A Day Off, Then Not, Then Again Hangul Day has been commemorated for a long time. But in 1991, it was removed from the public holidays. Back then, there was a lot of talk that there were too many days off and that working hours were shrinking. So the commemorative day remained, and only the day off disappeared. After that, voices saying "It's a day to honor our alphabet, so it's a shame that everyone is working" grew louder, and in 2013 it became a public holiday again. Now it's a day off for schools and many companies. ## Places That Close, Places That Open Government offices such as banks, post offices, and district offices are closed. On the other hand, convenience stores, department stores, and the restaurants and cafés inside big shopping malls are mostly open. That's because days off are also the days with the most customers. Small restaurants vary from place to place. Museums and exhibition halls may open on public holidays, or they may close on other days. ## Crowded Places and How to Check The areas around the palaces, Hangang Park, and popular exhibition venues are packed with families and friends. Before you go, check the business hours on Naver Map or KakaoMap for the place you're heading to. It's safer to also check the official announcements on their website. Hangul Day events vary from year to year, so be sure to check the organizer's announcements for the schedule.