Editing Sejong the Great (section)

== Reign ==
On 18 September 1418, Chungnyeong ascended the throne as King Sejong, following Taejong's abdication. However, Taejong retained military power and continued to make major political decisions as king emeritus ({{Korean|상왕|上王|labels=no}}) until his death.{{Sfnp|Yi|2007|p=19|pp=}}{{sfnp|Choi 1|n.d.}} Sejong did not challenge Taejong's authority and deferred to his father during this period.{{Sfnp|Yi|2007|p=19|pp=}} Perpetually wary of royal authority falling into the thrall of the queen's clan, Taejong had Sejong's father-in-law, [[Shim On]], executed on charges of treason. Other members of the queen's family were exiled or made commoners, which left Queen Soheon politically isolated and unable to protest.{{Sfnp|Yi|2007|p=|pp=18–21}}

Despite inheriting significantly strengthened royal authority, Sejong did not suppress the [[Three offices of Joseon|press]] and promoted meritocracy through ''[[gwageo]]'', the national civil service exam.{{sfnp|Choi 1|n.d.}}

===Religion===
During the [[Goryeo]] period, monks wielded strong political and economic influence. However, in Joseon, Buddhism was considered a false philosophy and the monks were viewed as corrupted by power and money.{{citation needed|date=October 2022}}

Likewise, Sejong continued Joseon's policies of "worshiping [[Confucianism]] and suppressing [[Buddhism]]" ({{Korean|hangul=숭유억불|hanja=崇儒抑佛}}).{{sfn|Cho|2011|p=5}} He banned monks from entering [[Seoul|Hanseong]] and reduced the seven schools of Buddhism down to two, ''[[Korean Seon|Seon]]'' and ''Gyo'', drastically decreasing the power and wealth of the religious leaders.<ref>{{cite book |last=Pratt |first=Keith |title=Everlasting Flower: A History of Korea |date=15 August 2007 |publisher=Reaktion Books |isbn=978-1861893352 |pages=125 |author-link=Keith Pratt}}</ref> One of the key factors in this suppression was Sejong's reform of the land system. This policy resulted in temple lands being seized and redistributed for development and monks losing large amounts of economic influence.<ref>{{Cite web |title=South Korea – The Choson Dynasty |url=http://countrystudies.us/south-korea/5.htm |access-date=28 September 2023 |website=countrystudies.us}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Hangul {{!}} Alphabet Chart & Pronunciation |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hangul-Korean-alphabet |access-date=28 September 2023 |website=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]}}</ref> Furthermore, he performed government ceremonies according to Confucianism and encouraged people to behave according to the teachings of [[Confucius]].<ref name="asiasociety">{{cite web |title=King Sejong the Great And The Golden Age of Korea |url=https://asiasociety.org/education/king-sejong-great |access-date=24 June 2022 |website=[[Asia Society]] |publisher=}}</ref>

At the same time, Sejong sought to alleviate religious tensions between Confucianism and Buddhism.{{sfn|Cho|2011|p=1-2}} The ''[[Seokbosangjeol]]'' ({{Korean|hangul=석보상절|hanja=釋譜詳節|labels=no}}), a 24-volume Korean-language biography of Buddha translated from Chinese Buddhist texts, was commissioned and published in Sejong's reign by [[Grand Prince Suyang]], in mourning for Queen Soheon, a devout Buddhist. Sejong advocated the project{{em dash}}despite fierce opposition from his courtiers{{em dash}}and condemned the hypocrisy of those who privately worship the Buddha yet publicly rebuke others for doing so.{{sfn|Cho|2011|p=8-9}} 
{{Blockquote
|text=上謂承政院曰 孟子言 '墨子以薄爲道, 而葬其親厚'。大抵臣子之道, 宜以直事上, 不可容其詐。 然世人在家, 奉佛事神, 靡所不至, 及對人, 反以神佛爲非, 予甚惡之。
The King spoke to the [[Seungjeongwon]],<br/>
[[Mencius]] once said, '[[Mozi]] regards austerity as a virtue and yet made a lavish burial for his parents.' Generally speaking, a subject's duty is to serve his superior with honesty and not to tolerate deceit. However, people all around the world worship the Buddha, serve spirits at their houses, and yet reproach others for worshiping the very ghosts and Buddha they themselves revere; I find this highly reprehensible.
|multiline=yes
|author=
|title=Year 28, Month 3, Day 26, Entry 6
|source=''[[Veritable Records of the Joseon Dynasty|The Veritable Records of King Sejong]]'', volume 111{{sfn|세종실록 111권, 세종 28년 3월 26일 계사 6번째기사}}
}}

In 1427, Sejong issued a decree against the Huihui ([[Islam in Korea|Korean Muslim]]) community that had enjoyed special status and [[stipend]]s since the [[Yuan dynasty]]'s [[Goryeo under Mongol rule|rule over Goryeo]]. The Huihui were forced to abandon their headgear, close down their ceremonial hall{{Snd}}a [[mosque]] in Gaegyeong, present-day [[Kaesong]]{{Snd}}and worship like everyone else. No further records of Muslims exist during the Joseon era.<ref>{{cite web |last=Baker |first=Don |date=6 December 2006 |title=Islam Struggles for a Toehold in Korea |url=http://www.asiaquarterly.com/content/view/167/43/ |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080516063253/http://www.asiaquarterly.com/content/view/167/43/ |archive-date=16 May 2008 |access-date=28 September 2023 |website=Harvard Asia Quarterly}}</ref>

===Economy===
In the early years of the Joseon dynasty, the economy operated on a [[barter]] system, with cloth, grain, and cotton being the most common forms of currency. In 1423, under King Sejong's administration, the government attempted to introduce a national currency modeled after the [[Tang dynasty]]'s ''[[Kaiyuan Tongbao|kaiyuan tongbao]]'' ({{Lang-zh|t=開元通寶|labels=no}}). The resulting ''[[Joseon Tongbo|Joseon tongbo]]'' ({{Korean|hangul=조선통보|hanja=朝鮮通寶|labels=no}}) was a bronze coin, backed by a silver standard, with 150 coins being equal to 600 grams of silver. However, production ceased in 1425 due to high manufacturing costs, as the exchange rate dropped below the coin's intrinsic value.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Korean Coins |url=https://primaltrek.com/koreancoins.html |access-date=28 September 2023 |website=Primal Trek}}</ref>

In 1445, Sejong consolidated the various ''sujoji''{{efn|({{Korean|hangul=수조지|hanja=收租地}}) Land given to government officials in place of salaries.}} records, previously managed by various government offices, and placed them under the administration of the [[Six Ministries of Joseon|Ministry of Taxation]] (''Hojo'') to improve transparency in Joseon's fiscal policies.{{sfn|Song et al.|2019|p=162}}

===Military===
King Sejong was an effective military planner and created various military regulations to strengthen the safety of his kingdom.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Park |first=Young-gyu |script-title=ko:한권으로 읽는 세종대왕실록 |publisher=Woongjin Knowledge House |isbn=9788901077543 |publication-date=12 February 2008 |language=Korean |trans-title=Veritable Records of King Sejong the Great in One Volume}}</ref>{{Place missing|date=July 2024}} During his reign great technological advancements were made in the manufacture of [[gunpowder]] and [[firearm]]s. Hand cannons, known as ''Wangu'' ({{Korean|hangul=완구|hanja=碗口|labels=no}}), first built in 1407 and 1418, were improved upon,<ref>{{Citation |last=이 |first=강칠 |script-title=ko:완구 (碗口) |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopedia of Korean Culture]] |url=https://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Article/E0038953 |access-date=2024-08-15 |publisher=[[Academy of Korean Studies]] |language=ko}}</ref> and the ''Sohwapo'' ({{Korean|hangul=소화포|hanja=小火砲|labels=no}}), ''Cheoljetanhwan'' ({{Korean|hangul=철제탄환|labels=no}}), ''Hwapojeon'' ({{Korean|hangul=화포전|hanja=火砲箭|labels=no}}) and the ''Hwacho'' ({{Korean|hangul=화초|hanja=火硝|labels=no}}) were invented during his reign.<ref name=":1">{{Citation |last=최 |first=승희 |script-title=ko:세종 (世宗) |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopedia of Korean Culture]] |url=https://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Article/E0029857#section-7 |access-date=2024-08-15 |publisher=[[Academy of Korean Studies]] |language=ko}}</ref>

None of these had yet reached a satisfactory level for Sejong. In the 26th year of his reign, he had the cannon foundry ''Hwapojujoso'' ({{Korean|hangul=화포주조소|hanja=火砲鑄造所|labels=no}}) built to produce a new [[Standardization|standard]] cannon with outstanding performance, and in the following year, he undertook a complete overhaul of the cannon. The ''Chongtongdeungnok'' ({{Korean|hangul=총통등록|hanja=銃筒謄錄|labels=no}}) compiled and published in the 30th year his reign, was an illustrated book that described the [[Casting|casting methods]], gunpowder usage, and specifications of the guns. The publication of this book is considered a remarkable achievement that marked a new era in the manufacture of artillery during the Joseon Dynasty.<ref name=":1" />

In June 1419, under his father's counsel, Sejong ordered the third and last military campaign of [[Tsushima Island|Tsushima]]. This incident is known as the ''Gihae Expedition'' in Korean and ''[[Ōei Invasion]]'' in Japanese. The military expedition was aimed at eradicating the taproot of the Japanese pirates' pillaging the southern villages of the Joseon dynasty. During the invasion, 245 Japanese were executed or killed and another 110 were captured, while 180 Korean soldiers died. Around 150 who had been kidnapped (146 Chinese and 8 Koreans) were also freed.<ref>{{Citation |script-title=ko:대마도 정벌 (對馬島 征伐) |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopedia of Korean Culture]] |url=https://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Article/E0014343 |access-date=2024-08-15 |publisher=[[Academy of Korean Studies]] |language=ko}}</ref> A truce was made in July 1419, and the Joseon army returned to the Korean Peninsula, but no official documents were signed until 1443. In this agreement, known as the [[Treaty of Gyehae]], the ''[[daimyo]]'' of Tsushima was obliged to pay tribute to the Joseon monarch, and in return, the [[Sō clan]] was allowed to serve as a diplomatic intermediary between Korea and Japan, as well as retain exclusive trade rights.{{Efn|500 years later, the 39th head of the [[Sō clan]], [[Count]] [[Sō Takeyuki]], married [[Princess Deokhye]], youngest daughter of [[Gojong of Korea|Emperor Gojong]] and half-sister of [[Sunjong of Korea|Sunjong]], the last [[Korean Empire|Emperor of Korea]].}}<ref>{{cite web |script-title=ko:계해약조 |trans-title=Treaty of Gyehae |url=http://preview.britannica.co.kr/bol/topic.asp?article_id=b01g3496a |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090114065908/http://preview.britannica.co.kr/bol/topic.asp?article_id=b01g3496a |archive-date=14 January 2009 |access-date=25 October 2008 |website=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] |language=Korean}}</ref>

In 1433, Sejong sent [[Kim Chongsŏ]] to the north to conquer the [[Jurchen people|Jurchens]]. The military campaign captured several fortresses and expanded the Korean territory northward up to the [[Songhua River]].<ref>{{cite web |script-title=ko:21세기 세종대왕 프로젝트 |trans-title=21st-century King Sejong the Great project |url=http://sejong.prkorea.com/kor/letter/letter.jsp |access-date=22 February 2016 |website=sejong.prkorea.com |language=Korean}}</ref><ref name=":0" />{{Place missing|date=July 2024}}

===Science, technology, and agriculture===
[[File:Korean Waterclock.jpg|thumb|right|200px|A modern reconstruction and scaled down model of Jang Yeong-sil's [[Water clock#Korea|self-striking water clock]].]]

Sejong promoted science.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Haralambous |first1=Yannis |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qrElYgVLDwYC&pg=PA155 |title=Fonts & Encodings |last2=Horne |first2=P. Scott |date=28 November 2007 |publisher=[[O'Reilly Media]] |isbn=9780596102425 |page=155 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="science">{{cite book|last1=Selin|first1=Helaine|title=Encyclopaedia of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine in Non-Westen Cultures|publisher=Springer Science & Business Media|isbn=9789401714167|pages=505–506|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GzjpCAAAQBAJ&pg=PA505|language=en|date=2013-11-11}}</ref> In 1420, Sejong created a royal academy within [[Gyeongbokgung]] known as the [[Hall of Worthies]]. The institute was responsible for conducting scientific research with the purpose of advancing the country's technology. The Hall of Worthies was designed to host Joseon's best and brightest thinkers, with the government offering grants and scholarships to encourage young scholars to attend.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Aw |first=Gene |date=22 August 2019 |title=King Sejong: The Inventor of Hangul and More! |url=https://gogohanguk.com/en/blog/king-sejong-hangul/ |access-date=1 October 2023 |website=Go! Go! Hanguk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/2059779|jstor=2059779|last1=Kim|first1=Chin W.|title=Reviewed work: King Sejong the Great: The Light of 15th Century Korea., Young-Key Kim-Renaud|journal=The Journal of Asian Studies|year=1994|volume=53|issue=3|pages=955–956|doi=10.1017/S0021911800031624|s2cid=162787329 }}</ref>

In 1428, Sejong ordered the printing of one thousand copies of a farmer's handbook.{{efn|This book is suspected to be the ''{{ill|Nongsang Jiyao|zh|农桑辑要}}'' ({{Korean|hangul=농상집요|hanja=農桑輯要|labels=no}}), a [[Yuan dynasty]] book on farming, imported to Korea during the Goryeo dynasty.<ref>{{cite web|script-title=ko:농상집요|url=http://contents.history.go.kr/front/tg/view.do?treeId=0104&levelId=tg_002_0070&ganada=&pageUnit=10|author=[[National Institute of Korean History]]|website=우리역사넷 [HistoryNet]|access-date=30 July 2024}}</ref>}} The following year, he published the ''[[Nongsa chiksŏl]]'' ('Straight Talk on Farming'), a compilation of various farming methods accommodative to Korea's climate and soil conditions.<ref>{{cite web|script-title=ko:농사직설[農事直設] 우리 땅에 알맞은 농법을 모아 편찬하다|author=[[National Institute of Korean History]]|website=우리역사넷 [HistoryNet]|access-date=30 July 2024|url=http://contents.history.go.kr/mobile/kc/view.do?levelId=kc_r300270&code=kc_age_30}}</ref> The book dealt with planting, harvesting, and soil treatment, and contained information about the different farming techniques that scientists gathered from different regions of Korea. These techniques were essential for maintaining the newly adopted intensive and continuous cultivation methods.{{sfnp|Kim|1998|p=57}}

One of Sejong's close associates was the inventor [[Jang Yeong-sil]]. Jang, who was originally a government-owned ''[[nobi]]'' from [[Dongnae]], appointed as court technician by Sejong in 1423.<ref>{{cite web|script-title=ko:장영실 (蔣英實)|url=https://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Article/E0048697|author=전상윤|website=[[Encyclopedia of Korean Culture]]|access-date=11 August 2024}}</ref> Jang had been released from nobi by Taejong. Sejong appointed Jang to a ''byeoljwa'' ({{Korean|hangul=별좌|hanja=別坐|labels=no}}), responsible for crafting and repairing royal items.<ref>{{Cite web |script-title=ko:안숭선에게 명하여 장영실에게 호군의 관직을 더해 줄 것을 의논하게 하다 |url=https://sillok.history.go.kr/id/kda_11509016_003 |website=Veritable Records of the Joseon Dynasty |publisher=[[National Institute of Korean History]] |language=ko}}</ref>

In 1442, Jang Yeong-sil made one of the world's first standardized [[rain gauge]]s named ''[[cheugugi]]'' ({{Korean|hangul=측우기|hanja=測雨器|labels=no}}).<ref name="raingauge">{{Cite journal |last1=Strangeways |first1=Ian |year=2010 |title=A History of Rain Gauges |journal=Weather |volume=65 |issue=5 |pages=133–138 |bibcode=2010Wthr...65..133S |doi=10.1002/wea.548 |doi-access=free}}</ref> This model has not survived, with the oldest existing Korean rain gauge being made in 1770, during the reign of [[Yeongjo of Joseon|King Yeongjo]]. According to the [[Seungjeongwon ilgi|Daily Records of the Royal Secretariat]] ({{Korean|hangul=승정원일기|hanja=承政院日記|rr=Seungjeongwon Ilgi|labels=no}}), Yeongjo wanted to revive the glorious times of Sejong the Great, and started reading chronicles from that era. When he came across the mention of a rain gauge, Yeongjo ordered a reproduction. Since there is a mark of the [[Qing dynasty]] ruler [[Qianlong Emperor|Qianlong]] (r. 1735–96), dated 1770,{{sfnp|Kim|1998|p=51}} this Korean-designed rain gauge is sometimes misunderstood as having been imported from China.

In 1434, Jang Yeong-sil, tasked by King Sejong, invented the ''gabinja'' ({{Korean|hangul=갑인자|hanja=甲寅字|labels=no}}), a new type of [[printing press]]. This printing press was said to be twice as fast as the previous model and was composed of copper-zinc and lead-tin alloys.
[[File:Korean celestial globe.jpg|right|thumb|Korean [[armillary sphere]] first made by the scientist Jang Yeong-sil during the reign of King Sejong]]
Sejong also wanted to reform the [[Korean calendar]] system, which was at the time based upon the [[longitude]] of the Chinese capital. He had his astronomers create a calendar with the Joseon capital of Hanseong as the primary meridian. This new system allowed Joseon astronomers to accurately predict the timing of solar and lunar [[eclipse]]s.{{sfnp|Kim|1998|p=57}}

In the realm of [[traditional Korean medicine]], two important treatises were written during his reign. These were the ''Hyangyak Jipseongbang'' ({{Korean|hangul=향약집성방|hanja=鄕藥集成方|labels=no}}) and the ''Euibang Yuchwi'' ({{Korean|hangul=의방유취|hanja=醫方類聚|labels=no}}), which historian Kim Yong-sik says represents "the Koreans' efforts to develop their own system of medical knowledge, distinct from that of China".{{sfnp|Kim|1998|p=57}}

===Public welfare===
In 1426, Sejong enacted a law that granted government [[nobi|serfs]] ({{Korean|hangul=노비|hanja=奴婢|rr=nobi|labels=no}}) women 100 days of [[parental leave|maternity leave]] after childbirth, which, in 1430, was lengthened by one month before childbirth. In 1434, he also granted the husbands 30 days of paternity leave.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Lee |first1=Bae-yong |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p3yW5MdzKnUC&pg=PA267 |title=Women in Korean History |date=20 October 2008 |publisher=Ewha Womans University Press |isbn=978-8973007721 |page=267 |language=en}}</ref>

In order to provide equality and fairness in taxation for the common people, Sejong issued a royal decree to administer a nationwide public opinion poll regarding a new tax system called ''Gongbeop'' in 1430. Over the course of five months, the poll surveyed 172,806 people, of which approximately 57% responded with approval for the proposed reform.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Oh |first=Gi-su |date=2011 |script-title=ko:세종대왕의 조세사상과 공법 연구 : 조세법 측면에서 |trans-title=The Study of ''Gongbeop'' of King Sejong the Great and Thoughts on Taxation: From the Perspective of Tax Law |url=https://m.academic.naver.com/article.naver?doc_id=45730091 |journal=Korean Journal of Taxation Research |language=Korean |volume=28 |issue=1 |pages=369–405 |issn=1225-1399 |via=National Assembly Library}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=31 January 2018 |script-title=ko:한국 전통과학의 전성기, 세종 시대 |trans-title=The heyday of Korean traditional science, the Sejong era |url=http://science.ytn.co.kr/program/program_view.php?s_mcd=1274&s_hcd=&key=201802011139147417&page=1 |access-date=2 April 2018 |website=science.ytn.co.kr |language=Korean}}</ref>

Joseon's economy depended on the agricultural output of the farmers, so Sejong allowed them to pay more or less tax according to the fluctuations of economic prosperity and hard times.<ref>{{Cite web |date=10 June 2016 |script-title=ko:'어쩌다 어른' 설민석, '경청의 1인자 세종대왕'…역사가 이렇게 재미있을 줄이야! |trans-title=Seol Min-seok of 'No Way I'm an Adult', 'King Sejong the Great, the No. 1 listener'…I never thought history could be this interesting! |url=https://www.ajunews.com/view/20160610135152888 |access-date=23 June 2023 |website=[[Aju Business Daily]] |language=Korean}}</ref> Because of this, farmers could worry less about tax quotas and instead work at maintaining and selling their crops.

It is said that once, when the palace had a significant surplus of food, the king distributed it to poor peasants who needed it. It is also said that Sejong the Great created relief programs for those affected by floods, giving them food and shelter.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-07-24 |title=King Sejong the Great {{!}} Asia Society |url=https://asiasociety.org/education/king-sejong-great |access-date=2025-03-04 |website=asiasociety.org |language=en}}</ref> Otherwise the state maintained a permanent grain dole, that existed since the days of [[Unified Silla]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Shin |first1=Michael D. |last2=Lee |first2=Injae |last3=Miller |first3=Owen |last4=Park |first4=Jinhoon |last5=Yi |first5=Hyun-Jae |date=2017-06-29 |title=Korean History in Maps: From Prehistory to the Twenty-First Century |url=https://brill.com/view/journals/arwh/5/1/article-p171_9.xml |journal=Asian Review of World Histories |language=en |volume=5 |issue=1 |pages=171–173 |doi=10.12773/arwh.2017.5.1.171 |issn=2287-9811}}</ref>

===Literature===
Sejong composed the famous ''[[Yongbieocheonga]]'' ("Songs of Flying Dragons"; 1445), ''Seokbo Sangjeol'' ("Episodes from the Life of Buddha"; July 1447), ''Worin Cheongang Jigok'' ("Songs of the Moon Shining on a Thousand Rivers"; July 1447), and ''Dongguk Jeongun'' ("Dictionary of Proper Sino-Korean Pronunciation"; September 1447).

===Arts===
One of Sejong's closest friends and mentors was the 15th-century musician [[Bak Yeon]]. Together they composed over two hundred musical arrangements. Sejong's independent musical compositions include the ''Chongdaeop'' ('Great Achievements'), ''Potaepyeong'' ('Preservation of Peace'), ''Pongnaeui'' ('Phoenix'), and ''Yominrak'' ('A Joy to Share with the People'). ''Yominrak'' continues to be a standard piece played by modern traditional Korean orchestras, while ''Chongdaeop'' and ''Potaepyeong'' are played during the ''[[Jongmyo jerye|Jongmyo Jerye]]'' (memorials honoring the kings of Joseon).

In 1418, during Sejong's reign, scholars developed the ''Pyeongyeong'' ({{Korean|hangul=편경|hanja=編磬|labels=no}}), a [[lithophone]] modeled on the Chinese ''[[bianqing]]''. The Pyeongyeong is a percussion instrument consisting of two rows of eight [[pumice]] slabs hung on a decorative wooden frame with a 16-tone range and struck with an [[ox]] horn mallet. It was manufactured using pumice mined from the [[Gyeonggi Province]] and was primarily used for ceremonies.<ref>{{Cite web |script-title=ko:편경 編磬 Pyeongyeong LITHOPHON – Korea Music |url=https://michaelcga.artstation.com/projects/0nOQre?album_id=2918024 |access-date=5 October 2023 |website=michaelcga.artstation.com}}</ref>

Sejong's contribution to the arts continued long after his death; he had always wanted to use Korean music rather than Chinese music for ancestral rituals, but conservative court officials stopped his efforts. However, when Sejong's son, [[Sejo of Joseon|King Sejo]], rose to the throne, he modified the ritual music composed by his father and created the {{'}}''Jongmyo'' court music{{'}}, which was used for royal ancestral rituals and is now inscribed as an [[Intangible cultural heritage|UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage]].<ref>{{cite news |date=17 July 2019 |title=King Sejo and Music |url=https://world.kbs.co.kr/service/contents_view.htm?lang=e&board_seq=367963 |access-date=17 January 2024 |work=[[KBS World]]}}</ref>

===Hangul===
{{See also|Hunminjeongeum|Hangul}}
[[File:Hunmin jeong-eum.jpg|140px|thumb|right|''[[Hunminjeongeum]]'']]

King Sejong profoundly affected Korea's history with the creation and introduction of ''[[hangul]]'', the native phonetic writing system for the [[Korean language]].<ref name="National Institute" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Kim |first=Jeong-su |script-title=ko:한글의 역사와 미래 |date=1 October 1990 |publisher=Yeolhwadang |isbn=9788930107235 |language=Korean |trans-title=The history and future of Hangul}}</ref> Although it is widely assumed that he ordered the [[Hall of Worthies]] to invent the script, contemporaneous records such as the ''[[Veritable Records of the Joseon Dynasty|Veritable Records of King Sejong]]'' and [[Chŏng Inji]]'s preface to the ''[[Hunminjeongeum Haerye]]'' emphasize that Sejong invented it himself.<ref>{{cite web |date=December 2003 |title=Want to know about Hangeul? |url=https://www.korean.go.kr/eng_hangeul/setting/002.html |access-date=25 May 2020 |website=[[National Institute of Korean Language]]}}</ref>

Before the creation of the new alphabet, the people of [[Joseon]] primarily used [[Classical Chinese]] to write, alongside a few writing systems like [[Idu script|''idu'']], ''[[hyangchal]]'', ''[[gugyeol]]'', and ''gakpil''{{Snd}}which used Chinese characters to approximate sounds of the Korean language{{Snd}}that had been in use since hundreds of years before hangul.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hannas |first1=William C. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aJfv8Iyd2m4C&pg=PA57 |title=Asia's Orthographic Dilemma |date=1 June 1997 |publisher=University of Hawaii Press |isbn=9780824818920 |page=57 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Chen |first1=Jiangping |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_CpZCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA66 |title=Multilingual Access and Services for Digital Collections |date=18 January 2016 |publisher=Libraries Unlimited |isbn=9781440839559 |page=66 |language=}}</ref><ref name="phonetic">{{cite journal |date=1 January 2005 |title=Invest Korea Journal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=00a2AAAAIAAJ |journal=Invest Korea Journal |language= |publisher=[[KOTRA|Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency]] |volume=23 |quote=They later devised three different systems for writing Korean with Chinese characters: Hyangchal, Gukyeol and Idu. These systems were similar to those developed later in Japan and were probably used as models by the Japanese.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |year=2000 |title=Korea Now |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WAlWAAAAYAAJ&q=%22The+writing+systems%2C+called+%22idu%22+and+%22hyangchal%2C%22+existed+several+hundred+years+before+Hangul%22 |journal=[[The Korea Herald]] |edition=13–26 |volume=29}}</ref> However, due to the fundamental differences between the Korean and Chinese languages,<ref>''[[Hunminjeongeum Haerye]]'', postface of [[Chŏng Inji]], p. 27a; translation from [[Gari Ledyard]], ''The Korean Language Reform of 1446'', p. 258</ref> and the large number of Chinese characters required, lower-class people of Joseon lacked the privilege of [[education]] and were illiterate. To promote literacy, King Sejong created [[hangul]] (which initially had 28 letters, four of which, ㆆ, ㆁ, ㅿ, and ·, are no longer in use).<ref>{{cite book|last1=Koerner|first1=E. F. K.|last2=Asher|first2=R. E.|title=Concise History of the Language Sciences: From the Sumerians to the Cognitivists|publisher=Elsevier|isbn=9781483297545|page=54|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VCqLBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA54|language=en|date=2014-06-28}}</ref>

Hangul was completed in 1443 and published in 1446 along with a 33-page manual titled ''[[Hunminjeongeum]]'', explaining what the letters are as well as the philosophical theories and motives behind them.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Fifty Wonders of Korea Volume 1: Culture and Art |publisher=Korean Spirit & Culture Promotion Project |year=2009 |edition=2nd |pages=28–35}}</ref>

King Sejong faced backlash from the [[Yangban|noble class]] as many disapproved of the idea of a common writing system, with some openly opposing its creation. Many within the nobility believed that giving the peasants the ability to read and write would allow them to find and abuse loopholes within the law. Others felt that hangul would threaten their families' positions in court by creating a larger pool of civil servants. The Joseon elite continued to use the Chinese ''[[hanja]]'' long after Sejong's death.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Griffis |first=Ben |date=18 January 2021 |title=Sejong the Great |url=https://www.worldhistory.org/Sejong_the_Great/ |access-date=13 November 2023 |website=[[World History Encyclopedia]]}}</ref> Hangul was often treated with contempt by those in power and received criticism in the form of nicknames, including ''eonmun'' ("vulgar script"), ''amkeul'' ("women's script"), and ''ahaekkeul'' ("children's script"). It was commonly used for areas like casual writing, prose and bookkeeping, especially by the urban middle class like administrators and bureaucrats.<ref>{{Citation |last=강 |first=신항 |script-title=ko:한글 |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopedia of Korean Culture]] |url=https://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Article/E0061508 |access-date=2024-09-05 |publisher=[[Academy of Korean Studies]] |language=ko}}</ref> It notably gained popularity among women and fiction writers, with former usually often not having been able to get access to hanja education.

In 1504, the study and publication of hangul was banned by [[Yeonsangun of Joseon|Yeonsangun]].<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Bernstein |first1=Brian |last2=Kamp |first2=Harper |last3=Kim |first3=Janghan |last4=Seol |first4=Seungeun |title=The Design and Use of the Hangul Alphabet in Korea |url=https://courses.ischool.berkeley.edu/i103/su09/projects/The%20Design%20and%20Use%20of%20the%20Hangul%20Alphabet.pdf#:~:text=%EF%82%9E%E2%80%AFHangul%20gained%20great%20use%20and%20acceptance%20during%20the,used%20officially%20in%201945%20once%20Korea%20received%20independence |access-date=12 November 2023 |publisher=[[University of California, Berkeley]]}}</ref> Its spread and preservation can be largely attributed to three main factors: books published for women, its use by Buddhist monks,<ref>{{Cite web |date=December 2003 |title=Want to know about Hangeul? |url=https://www.korean.go.kr/eng_hangeul/supply/001.html |access-date=12 November 2023 |website=[[National Institute of Korean Language]]}}</ref> and the introduction of [[Christianity in Korea]] in 1602.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/43107101|jstor = 43107101|title = Western Protestant Missionaries and the Origins of Korean Language Modernization|last1 = King|first1 = Ross|journal = Journal of International and Area Studies|year = 2004|volume = 11|issue = 3|pages = 7–38}}</ref> Hangul was brought into the mainstream culture in the 16th century due to a renaissance in literature and poetry. It continued to gain popularity well into the 17th century, and gained wider use after a period of nationalism in the 19th century. In 1849, it was adopted as Korea's national writing system, and saw its first use in official government documents. After the [[Japan–Korea Treaty of 1910|Treaty of 1910]], hangul was outlawed again until the [[Surrender of Japan|liberation of Korea]] in 1945.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Blakemore |first=Erin |date=28 February 2018 |title=How Japan Took Control of Korea |url=https://www.history.com/news/japan-colonization-korea |access-date=6 October 2023 |website=[[History (American TV network)|History]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/3096244|jstor = 3096244|title = Dead Bodies in the Postwar Discourse of Identity in Seventeenth-Century Korea: Subversion and Literary Production in the Private Sector|last1 = Haboush|first1 = Jahyun Kim|journal = The Journal of Asian Studies|year = 2003|volume = 62|issue = 2|pages = 415–442|doi = 10.2307/3096244|s2cid = 154705238}}</ref>