Korean Politics (1) Gojoseon: the First Nation of Korea

(3) King Sejong's Humanism

Joseon's fourth king, King Sejong the Great (1418-1450), was noted for his mastery of Confucian learning. In addition to a deep understanding of Confucian values, he was able to deal successfully with Yangban scholars, a challenge in itself. During his rule, he championed numerous progressive ideas in administration, economics, science, music, medicine, humanist studies and his best-known achievement, the creation of a written script, Hangeul.

On the technology front, King Sejong ordered the development of the pluviometer in 1441 and distributed duplicates to the Office of Astronomy in Seoul, as well as to local magistrates to record precipitation. Korean research on the invention preceded Castelli's pluviometer of 1869 by almost 200 years.

One of King Sejong’s most celebrated achievements was the creation of the Korean alphabet, Hunminjeongeum (officially changed to Hangeul in 1912). Recognizing that ordinary Koreans needed a writing system to express vernacular speech, he ordered scholars from the Hall of Worthies to devise such a system that would enable all citizens to become literate.

The resulting Korean phonemic alphabet (Hangeul) Korean alphabet consisted of 11 vowels and 17 consonants. With geometric beauty, simplicity and scientific accuracy, it could be learned, even by an uneducated person, in a matter of hours.

Confucian scholars raised considerable opposition to the plan, protesting that the use of a Korean writing system would retard Confucian studies, but King Sejong stood firm. Although Chinese continued as the official language, just as Latin did in Europe, the Korean people now had at their disposal a writing system for their own language.