Sejong (1397-1450), also known as Sejong the Great, was one of the most famous kings in Korean history. He became known as King Sejong the Great for making important cultural, intellectual, and scientific advances in his country. Many scholars believe that he either invented or played a major role in inventing the Korean alphabet or writing system called Hangeul (also spelled Han’gul).
Sejong was born Yi Do (also spelled Yi To) on May 7, 1397. His father was the Korean king Taejong. Sejong was 21 when he became king, following his father’s abdication (giving up the throne). He took the name King Sejong. He became the fourth ruler in the Joseon (also called Choson) Dynasty (1392-1910), which lasted for more than 500 years. The period of Sejong’s reign (1418-1450) is often called the Golden Age in Korean history.
Sejong was a scholar and placed much importance on knowledge and education during his reign. Many achievements, including the invention of the rain gauge and sundial , resulted from the research and knowledge of respected scholars that he personally selected to advise him. This group of royal scholars was known as Jiphyeonjeon (also spelled Chiphyonjon), which means Hall of Worthies. The Hall’s purpose was to conduct research in such fields as science, medicine, agriculture, literature, and engineering.
Sejong’s most famous achievement was the Korean writing system. Before the invention of the Korean alphabet, the Korean people had adapted Chinese characters known as Hanja for writing. However, Chinese characters were difficult to learn and were only taught to the upper class. Thus, only a small portion of Korean society could achieve literacy (the ability to read and write). Furthermore, the Chinese language was very different from the Korean language in grammar , word order, and sound. Because of these differences, the process of writing in the Korean language using Chinese characters was inconsistent and complicated.
Sejong sought a way to make writing Korean easier and to achieve wider literacy among his people. He was responsible for the invention of the Korean alphabet now known as Hangeul. A court chronicle announced the invention of the new writing system in late 1443 and early 1444. Sejong officially introduced Hangeul to the people in 1446 in the form of a handbook. The handbook included the pronunciation and rules for writing 28 new Korean letters. Both the writing system and the handbook were called Hunminjeongeum (also spelled Hunmin chongum), which means Correct Sounds for the Instruction of the People. Sejong commissioned his court scholars to prepare a commentary to further explain the writing system. Published as the second part of the handbook, the commentary was called Hunminjeongeum Haerye (also spelled Hunmin chongum haerye), which means Explanations and Examples of the Correct Sounds for the Instruction of the People. Sejong died on March 30, 1450.
Around 1912, a pioneering Korean linguist (scholar who studies languages) named Ju Sigyeong (also spelled Chu Si-gyong) coined the name Han’gul, which means Great Writing, for the Korean alphabet. Today, South Koreans spell the name Hanguel, and North Koreans call the alphabet Joseongeul (also spelled Chosongul). Joseon (also spelled Choson) is the name North Koreans use for Korea. A total of 24 of the original 28 letters are still in use today.
