Sejong the Great

Who is Sejong the Great?

Sejong the Great was the fourth king of Korea's Joseon dynasty, reigning from 1418 to 1450, and is the most revered monarch in Korean history. His crowning achievement was the creation of Hangul, the native Korean alphabet, which he introduced in a document called Hunminjeongeum, completed in 1443 and promulgated in 1446. Designed to be logical and easy to learn, Hangul made literacy accessible to ordinary people who had previously depended on complex classical Chinese characters. Beyond the alphabet, Sejong sponsored major advances in science and technology through the royal Hall of Worthies (Jiphyeonjeon), including the invention of the cheugugi rain gauge, sundials, water clocks, and astronomical instruments. He also promoted agriculture, music, and legal reform. His portrait appears on the South Korean 10,000 won banknote, and his legacy remains central to Korean cultural identity.

Sources: Hunminjeongeum (훈민정음), 1446 · Veritable Records of the Joseon Dynasty (조선왕조실록), Sejong Sillok · UNESCO Memory of the World Register listing for Hunminjeongeum Manuscript, 1997