South Korea is celebrating the 558th birthday of the Korean alphabet, Hangul.

Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan were among the many luminaries to attend an event held Saturday at the Sejong Cultural Center in downtown Seoul.

Participants at the ceremony praised the creation of the alphabet by King Sejong the Great in 1443 and pledged efforts to preserve the beauty of the Korean language.

KBS announcer Park Kyung-hee was handed a presidential award for her contributions to improving the Korean language in broadcasting and for promoting its use. She was among 13 others awarded with honors.

Meanwhile, a Korean language speech contest was also held among some 60 foreigner and Koreans from overseas in central Seoul.