King Sejong the Great and Korea's Golden Age

 King Sejong the Great and Korea's Golden Age

King Sejong is one of the greatest leaders in all Korean history. He is often referred to as one of the most outstanding exemplars for those in the Korean business world. I am descended from him on my Korean side with the surname Yi (李) of Jeonju (全州). King Sejong became a recognized figure because his leadership style aligned with universal principles, which also happen to coincide with our beliefs. I argue that his character and values were also similar to Reverend Moon’s. 

King Sejong was born on the tenth day of the fourth month in 1397, by the lunar calendar. He was the grandchild of King Taejo of Joseon[3] who established the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1897), which arose after the fall of Goryeo (918–1392). King Sejong ascended the throne at the age of 21 as the fourth king of Joseon (r. 1418–1450) after his father, King Taejong of Joseon. At the time of his ascension, Joseon was still unstable. It was a new dynasty in dire need of a leader with a strong heart and mind in addition to skill. As history has shown, King Sejong more than lived up to what had been expected of him. He played a major role in stabilizing Joseon and is recognized for his exceptional leadership.

His leadership inspired some of the greatest scientific and cultural advancements of his time, including applying advanced arithmetic to farming and calendar development; producing astronomical charts and 347 books of musical scores; as well as developing the Korean alphabet.All this was achieved during the 32 years of his reign.

King Sejong governed according to the Confucianism ideals that had built the country. These ideas included the notion that the relationship between sovereign and subject should be characterised by fairness and righteousness. King Sejong felt that a monarch with broad-ranging knowledge, ethics, and the capacity to recognise and utilise those of skill for government service was the foundation of excellent administration.

 

As an administrator, King Sejong enacted numerous innovative ideas and changes to enhance the lives of ordinary people. During times of drought and flooding, he launched assistance programmes and opened food and shelter distribution centres. He revived a loan system that had been employed under the Koryo Kingdom (918-1392) in which the government's stockpiled excess grains were given out to farmers to be paid back in kind with nominal interest.

King Sejong, himself a notable Confucian scholar, put a high value on learning and education. He encouraged study into Korea's cultural, economic, and political legacy, and he supported several new discoveries in science, philosophy, music, and languages. He introduced grants and other types of government funding to encourage young scholars to dedicate their time to research.

By far his most notable contribution was the development of the Korean alphabet also known as han'gul. Scholars  and normal people had previously mastered classical Chinese and depended on the Chinese character for literary reasons, but Koreans lacked an adequate alphabet for their spoken language. They had utilised clunky and inefficient methods that employed certain Chinese characters for pronunciation and others for meaning to represent the vernacular language prior to the birth of han'gul. However, Chinese, a language considerably different from Korean in terms of vocal patterns and sentence arrangement, was unable to accurately reflect Korean sounds and grammar. Furthermore, the intricacy of Chinese characters rendered learning and mastering the writing system prohibitively difficult for everyone other than the privileged few.

King Sejong desired to offer Koreans with a written language other than the complex Chinese system. With this goal in mind, he commissioned a group of professors to create a phonetic writing system that accurately represented the sounds of spoken Korean and was readily understood by anyone. The system was finished in 1443. 

Many academicians and government officials were first opposed to the usage of han'gul. They said that using it would impede education and government administration, both of which rely on the Chinese writing system. Despite this, King Sejong ordered that popular songs, religious lines, and well-known proverbs be translated into han'gul in order to promote its use. Han'gul was therefore a political as well as linguistic triumph.

A substantial number of literary works were commissioned by King Sejong. He regarded literature as a tool of instilling knowledge in his people. A history of the Koryo Kingdom was one of the first works he commissioned. A manual on improved agricultural practises to boost productivity, a revamped and expanded collection of model filial actions, and an illustrated book about the obligations and responsibilities that come with human relations were among the others.

King Sejong also contributed to Korean civilisation in a variety of different ways. He improved on the moveable metal type, which was created in Korea in 1234. He pioneered the creation of musical notation for Korean and Chinese music, assisted in the improvement of designs for various musical instruments, and fostered symphonic music production. The rain gauge, sundial, water clock, celestial globes, astronomical charts, and the orrery, a mechanical depiction of the solar system, were all funded by King Sejong.

Because of his tremendous achievements and contributions to Korean culture, administration, and education, King Sejong is regarded as one of the finest monarchs in Korean history. Here are some of the reasons he is highly regarded:

1. Development of Hangul: In the 15th century, King Sejong commissioned the development of Hangul, the Korean alphabet. This was a key advancement that made literacy more accessible to the Korean people since it was easier to learn and use than the previous Chinese characters.

2. Advancement of Science and Technology: King Sejong fostered advances in science and technology, which resulted in several innovations such as water clocks and rain gauges, which aided in the improvement of people's lives.

3. Socioeconomic changes: He enacted a number of socioeconomic changes to reduce poverty and assist farmers and low-income residents, so contributing to a more stable and prosperous nation.

4. Scholarly Pursuits: King Sejong encouraged and sponsored scholars, which resulted in the compilation of countless historical and scientific works that expanded Korean knowledge and culture.

5. A Fair Legal System: He aimed to establish a fair and just legal system that would allow ordinary people to obtain justice.

6. Cultural Legacy: King Sejong reigned during a time of considerable cultural blossoming, which has left an indelible mark on Korean identity and legacy.

These achievements have won King Sejong a place in Korean hearts and led to his status as one of Korea's most esteemed and adored rulers.

In addition to his administrative achievements, King Sejong was a talented scholar and poet. He wrote several works reflecting his literary prowess and philosophical thoughts.

If we parallel parts of King Sejong’s era with ours, we realize that we too are striving to establish a new nation: Cheon Il Guk. That is our ultimate goal. Thus, if we draw out some common basic principles, we may be able to discover that we can learn something from history.

In 2003, Father explained: “What is the meaning of Cheon Il Guk? Two persons become one. That is the Kingdom of God on earth. Centred on the blessed family we can build the Kingdom of God.” In other words, beginning from two single individuals, two families, or two nations, if each unites with the other, centred on God, God’s Kingdom, Cheon Il Guk, can be built.  

After his remarkable work and ruling over the hearts of the people king Sejong passed away on April 8, 1450, leaving behind a rich cultural legacy and a reputation as one of the greatest kings in Korean history. His reign is considered a golden era in Korean history, and his contributions continue to be celebrated and revered by Koreans to this day.