National Holiday - KCCUK Closure
Please note that the KCCUK will be closed on 3rd October, reopening on Tuesday 4th October at 10am.
The National Foundation Day of Korea (Gaecheonjeol 개천절) falls on Monday 3rd October and is a public holiday in Korea.
As Gae-cheon means the ‘Opening of Heaven’, this holiday celebrates the legendary formation of Gojoseon, the first kingdom of Korea in 2333 BC.
Once upon a time, the legend states that Prince Hwanung left heaven to rule the earth. There he met a bear and a tiger who informed the prince that they wanted to become human. The prince said that if they stayed in a cave for 100 days only eating mugwort and garlic they would then become human. The tiger was impatient and left the cave early, but the bear endured the 100 days and became a beautiful woman. She and Hwanung went on to have a son called Dangun, who founded Gojoseon.
As we celebrate the National Foundation Day of Korea on Monday 3rd October 2022, please note that the KCCUK will be closed for the day, reopening on Tuesday 4th October at 10am.