A ceremony observing the 556th anniversary of proclamation of Han Gul, the Korean alphabet, was held in Seoul Wednesday. Prime Minister Kim Sok-soo called on the people in his speech to make concerted efforts to make the Korean words and speech more beautiful and refined. The speech was read by the Culture and Tourism Minister Kim Sung-jae. Prime Minister Kim also stressed that Han Gul needs to be propagated further as it has been designated as the world's cultural heritage and more attention should be made in making the languages of the two Koreas more homogenized and less falling apart in usage and practicality. During the ceremony, seven persons, including Kim Yang Gi, a Korean national in Japan, got awards in recognition of their contribution to the development of Han Gul.