'An incredibly flexible and creative writing system': Designer Lee Su-yeon revamps YouTube logo for Hangul Day
Published: 09 Oct. 2025, 15:47
![YouTube users in Korea see a special Hangul version of the platform’s logo on Oct. 9, Hangul Day. [YOUTUBE]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/10/09/9acb7833-7f42-441a-9088-d507ea748695.jpg)
YouTube users in Korea see a special Hangul version of the platform’s logo on Oct. 9, Hangul Day. [YOUTUBE]
YouTube’s iconic red-and-white logo just went bilingual. For Hangul Day, which falls on Thursday, the platform traded its English name for Korean characters — and a celebration of the script’s creative soul.
This week, the red rectangle icon remained the same, but the familiar “YouTube” text disappeared, replaced by three Korean characters. The new lettering draws inspiration from Hunminjeongeum Haerye, the 15th-century manuscript that explains the creation of hangul. Each stroke carries the texture of a brush, blending tradition with digital precision.
YouTube Korea said the logo celebrates “the deep connection between language and creativity in Korean culture” — a culture that has found a global audience on the platform.
The design came from type designer Lee Su-yeon, 39, who began working on the project in May.
“I hope people smile and think, ‘Hey, it’s in Korean today!’ — at least for Hangul Day,” Lee said. She studied visual design, worked as a font and hangul lettering designer at Yoon Design Group and now runs the foundry Leliatype. She is also the author of the “Hangul Lettering for Designers" (translated).
Lee’s type design was brought to life with motion graphics by Kim Woo-young, 30, a motion designer who immigrated to the United States at age 12.
“Unlike the linear structure of the alphabet, hangul forms blocks by combining consonants and vowels,” Kim said. “That makes it an incredibly flexible and creative writing system — both in function and in design.”
The following are edited excerpts from the email interview with Lee.
Q. How did you end up working on the Korean YouTube logo?
A. One day in May, I got an email titled ‘Design project for YouTube?’ At first, I thought it was spam from overseas. Later on, while working together, I asked why they had chosen me. I didn’t get an answer at the time, but in the materials they later sent over, there was a page titled ‘Why You?’ I really appreciated that level of attention to detail.
Q. Why did you choose a script based on the Hunminjeongeum?
Since it was a Hangul Day project, starting with Hunminjeongeum felt like a natural choice. That style of script isn’t just an old typeface — it’s like a teacher that shows us the roots and principles of Korean writing even today.
![Type designer Lee Su-yeon, who created YouTube’s Hangul logo for Hangul Day [YOUTUBE]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/10/09/1a0aef7d-2689-4d36-a56a-d318a21413f5.jpg)
Type designer Lee Su-yeon, who created YouTube’s Hangul logo for Hangul Day [YOUTUBE]
Q. What was the main design focus for this project?
I wanted to convey the impression of panbonche [the traditional script style] while also harmonizing with YouTube’s modern and minimal global brand. I paid special attention to the vowels in ‘you’ and ‘tube,’ which are originally composed of simple lines and dots that could be hard to read on mobile. I connected the strokes to improve legibility even at small sizes.
Q. With only three characters to work with, wasn't it creatively limiting?
I’m used to working within constraints to bring out variety, so it wasn’t a problem. It’s similar to how a face can look totally different depending on the size and placement of the eyes and nose. Hangul lettering feels like a kind of circus — consonants, vowels and final sounds all have to balance together in a syllable block, like juggling. I enjoy the tension of that balance and trying bold variations.
Q. These days, we often see hangul abroad — on uniforms for U.S. baseball teams or European football clubs, for instance. How does it feel?
Yes, we’re seeing hangul fonts being consumed more globally. Interest in writing hangul has grown too. I remember laughing at a YouTube video where a foreigner said the trickiest Korean character is ‘rul’ and joked that it looks like a tiny ‘Z.’ I’m hopeful that people will start appreciating both the form and aesthetics of hangul.
![Motion designer Kim Wooyoung, who animated YouTube’s Hangul logo [YOUTUBE]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/10/09/e5c254d0-7fb8-4d23-87ad-198f4c95707d.jpg)
Motion designer Kim Wooyoung, who animated YouTube’s Hangul logo [YOUTUBE]
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KWON KEUN-YOUNG [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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