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세종대왕
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世宗大王
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Sejong Daewang
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Sejong Taewang
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이도
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李祹
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I Do
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I To
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(
May 6 1397 –
May 18 1450 , r. 1418 - 1450) was the fourth ruler of the
Joseon Dynasty of
Korea . He was also a skilled
Linguist who created the native Korean alphabet
Hangul , despite strong opposition from the literati educated in
Hanja .
Sejong is one of only two Korean rulers honored with the appellation "
The Great ," the other being
Gwanggaeto The Great Of Goguryeo .
Sejong was the third son of
King Taejong . When he was ten, he became Grand Prince Chungnyeong (; ) and married a daughter of
Sim On (; ) of Cheongsong (; ), commonly known as
Sim-ssi (; ), who later was given the title Princess-Consort Soheon (; ).
He was an effective military planner. During his era, his army invaded
Tsushima to reduce and eliminate heavy
Japanese Pirate activities along the southern coast line. On the northern border, he established four forts and six posts to safeguard his people from the hostile nomads living in Manchuria. He also created various military regulations and units to strengthen the safety of his kingdom.
Sejong's writings are also highly regarded. He composed the famous ''Yongbi Eocheon Ga'' (“Songs of Flying Dragons”, 1445), ''Seokbo Sangjeol'' (“Episodes from the Life of Buddha”, July 1447), ''Worin Cheon-gang Jigok'' (“Songs of the Moon Shining on a Thousand Rivers”, July 1447), and the reference ''Dongguk Jeong-un'' (“Dictionary of Proper Sino-Korean Pronunciation”, September 1447).
Sejong established the
Hall Of Worthies (; ; Jiphyeonjeon) in 1420 in the royal
Palace , Sejong gathered intellectuals from around Korea. The scholars of the Hall of Worthies documented
History , drafted documents and compiled
Book s on various topics.
Following the principles of
Neo-Confucianism , Sejong was also a
Humanitarian who proclaimed that there must be three
Trial s before a final judgment is reached, and he prohibited brutality in the punishment of
Criminal s, such as flogging.
Sejong is also credited with the
Invent ion of a rain
Gauge , self-striking
Water Clock s, and a
Sundial .
Sejong died at the age of 53 and was buried at the
Yeong Mausoleum (; ). His successor was his first son,
Munjong .
The street
Sejongno and the
Sejong Center For The Performing Arts – both located in central
Seoul – are named after King Sejong, and he is depicted on the
South Korea n 10,000-
Won note.
