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An illustration depicting a proposed Hangeul signboard for Gwanghwamun. / Photo courtesy of the Citizens' Committee for Installing a Hunminjeongeum-script Signboard on Gwanghwamun

Two hundred citizens and experts will engage in an eight-hour deliberative debate on whether to display a Hangeul signboard alongside the existing one on Gwanghwamun.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on July 23 that they will host the inaugural "Everyone's Forum" at Yonsei University's Baikyang Nuri in Seoul on July 26, under the theme "Co-displaying a Hangeul Signboard on Gwanghwamun."

"Everyone's Forum" is an inter-agency deliberative and public consultation platform established by the government to reflect diverse public opinions in policy-making processes. The first forum will bring together 200 citizens selected through prior application alongside experts in cultural heritage, history, Hangeul, and urban landscape.

Discussions will center on whether to view Gwanghwamun primarily as a national landmark or as a cultural heritage site where original preservation takes precedence. Key issues include whether promoting the value of Hangeul should be viewed separately from installing an additional signboard, as well as whether preserving cultural heritage means maintaining its original form or incorporating contemporary values.

The event will feature expert presentations, small-group discussions, panel discussions, and an on-site vote. Participants will refine their perspectives through two rounds of small-group discussions running from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. before casting their final votes via mobile polling.

Lee Sang-yeol, head of the Culture and Arts Policy Research Division at the Korea Culture & Tourism Institute, will present on progress made in public discussion and summary of feedback gathered to date. Following this, Park Hyun-mo, director of the King Sejong Institute of Statecraft, and Kim Hyun-kyung, professor of National Heritage Management at Korea National University of Cultural Heritage, will deliver presentations outlining the necessity of adding a Hangeul signboard and concerns regarding cultural heritage preservation, respectively.

Jung Jae-hwan, co-representative of the Hangeul Cultural Union, and Bae Woong-kyu, professor of Urban Systems Engineering at Chung-Ang University, will also participate in the panel discussion. The entire forum will be broadcast live via KTV's YouTube channel.

The government plans to reference the perspectives gathered and the on-site voting results in future policy reviews regarding the Gwanghwamun signboard. Additionally, it intends to expand "Everyone's Forum" into a permanent deliberative platform that enables direct public participation in policy formation.

                                                                                                          Kim Nam-hyung