Transcript King Sejong the Great

King Sejong the Great
“If the people prosper, how can the king
not prosper with them? And if the
people do not prosper, how may the
king prosper without them?”
- King Sejong, ruler of Choson
Dynasty, Korea, 1418 CE-1450 CE
King Sejong’s Philosophy
“To share in the joys of living with
Heaven’s people.”
How would this affect the way he
reigned?
A New Dynasty

The end of the Koryo dynasty was
turbulent.

The Choson dynasty ascended and
brought order to Korea.
Sejong’s Accomplishments
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Devotion to learning: Established “Jade
Hall,” which was a royal institute for
research.
Revised and improved the laws. Ensured
they were made known to the people.
Reformed the criminal justice system.
Sejong’s Accomplishments

Reformed the land tax system
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Improved music
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Instrumental in improving medicine
Sejong’s Accomplishments
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Increased population (through better
medicine) necessitated better farming
techniques.
Inventions during his reign: Rain gauge,
astronomy observatory, sundial, water clock,
recalculated standards of measurement (1
minute = 60 seconds, 360 degree
circumference).
Sejong’s Accomplishments

Improved the printing process
– Through a new font that increased the
speed of printing
– Movable type printing reached its peak
during Sejong’s reign.
The Korean Alphabet
The spoken language of our country is
different from that of China and does not suit
the Chinese characters. Therefore, amongst
uneducated people there have been many
who, having something that they wish to put
into words, have been unable to express
their feelings in writing. I am greatly
distressed because of this, and so I have
made twenty eight new letters. Let everyone
practice them at their ease, and adapt them
to their daily use.
--King Sejong’s Preface to Hunmin
Chongum
Sejong’s Greatest Accomplishment

Hangul was created in 1443.
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Vowels and consonants are visually different
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The 28 symbols reflect the shape of the
articulators.
– Example: The symbol for /k/ looks like the tongue
blocking the back of the mouth
Opposition to Hangul
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While today Hangul is celebrated as an
amazing literary achievement, King Sejong
met opposition after he created it.
Members of the court and Jade Hall were
concerned that the simplicity of the alphabet
lessened its importance.
Sejong was persistent because he wanted to
give all people a means of writing. Slowly,
the Koreans embraced the alphabet.
Which influenced King Sejong?
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Legalism
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Daoism
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Confucianism