On June 10, 1926, the funeral of Yi Cheok, the last emperor of Korea, was held. On that day, Koreans once again staged an independence demonstration. About five months later, on Nov. 4, members of the Korean Language Society and pro-independence groups gathered at a restaurant in Seoul to mark the 480th anniversary of the promulgation of the "Hunminjeongeum." At the time, six-decade cycles were a far more familiar milestone to the public than centennials. Following the ceremony, members of both organizations resolved to commemorate the occasion annually. The next year, the Korean Language Society introduced "Hangeul" as the script's official new name and launched its signature journal. Accordingly, the holiday was named "Hangeul Day." "Hunminjeongeum" translates literally to "the correct sounds to instruct the people." Created in an era of strict social hierarchy, when Classical Chinese dominated as the writing of the elite yangban class, the new alphabet served primarily as a written language for commoners, women and children. In everyday speech, colloquial terms like "eonmun" (vulgar