Sejong the Great

KoreaJoseon1418-1450
RealmKorea
Reign1418-1450
HouseJoseon
LegacyCreator of the Korean alphabet Hangul

Biography

The fourth king of the Joseon dynasty, Sejong promoted scholarship through the Hall of Worthies. He oversaw the creation of Hangul, promulgated in 1446, a phonetic alphabet designed so that ordinary people could learn to read. His reign saw advances in astronomy, rain gauges, water clocks, agriculture, and medicine. He strengthened northern frontiers. He appears on the Korean ten thousand won note.

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