📌 Heads up before you read
In this post, [ ] indicates the actual pronunciation.
From October 7th to the big day on October 9th—Hangeul Day—over 400 Burger King locations across Korea are transforming their menus into Hangeul! This is the second year they’re doing it, and once again, they’ve created a special event to celebrate. So, curious about how your favorite burgers have taken on a Korean twist?
Image Source: @burgerkingkorea on Instagram
In honor of Hangeul turning an impressive 578 years old this year, Burger King has come up with something truly creative! Until now, they listed items like Monster Whopper as 몬스터와퍼[mon-seu-teo wa-peo], using Korean pronunciation for English names. But during the Hangeul Day event, they’ve swapped all English names for full-on Korean ones! 🥳
For example, the Monster Whopper is now called 거대한 괴물 버거[geo-dae-han goe-mul beo-geo] (Huge Monster Burger), the Long Chicken Burger has become 긴 닭고기 빵[gin dak-kko-gi bbang] (Long Chicken Bread), and the Onion Rings are now known as 진짜 양파 고리[jin-jja yang-pa go-ri] (Real Onion Rings)!
These new names have totally blown up, especially among young Koreans. People are saying things like, “Wow, this really brings out the Korean vibe!” and “It somehow sounds even tastier this way!” It’s the perfect chance to have fun with Korean while ordering your favorite burger, and it’s a whole new way to appreciate the language!
In October 2023, some students from Sannam Elementary School in Suwon, Korea, came up with a cool idea while working on a Hangeul homework assignment. They thought, “What if restaurants used only names written purely in Korean on their menus?” So, they sent a suggestion to Burger King Korea asking, “Could you make a menu with Hangeul names?” And guess what? Burger King totally loved the idea and jumped on board!
But they didn’t stop there. To celebrate Hangeul Day in 2024, Burger King expanded this idea nationwide! The students even helped create the Hangeul names for each item and worked on designing the new menu themselves. The Korean National Institute of the Korean Language also pitched in, helping to make the names sound natural and polished with a truly Korean flair.
Hangeul itself is unique and special, too. It’s the only alphabet in the world with a documented purpose, background, and creator—King Sejong, who invented it out of love for his people! To honor it, Korea has made October 9th a national holiday, Hangeul Day, so everyone can celebrate the alphabet’s amazing history. If you’re curious to learn more about Hangeul, check out the posts below in the <Related Posts(↓↓↓)> section!
Not only is Burger King getting in on the Hangeul fun, but other brands are too, with font designs, clothing, and tons of other events popping up. So if you’re in Korea now or planning to visit next year, check out all the awesome events on Hangeul Day—you won’t want to miss it!
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