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King Sejong
1. The Everlasting Light of Korea “ Appreciation of the good must be long lasting; hatred of the bad must not.” King Sejong the Great
2. The Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) When King Sejong came to power, much of the public unrest and political confusion had been calmed. However, it would depend on King Sejong to establish the true identity of this new dynasty. King Sejong was 4 th Monarch and ruled from 1418-1450 The Joseon had recently taken over power from the Goryeo Dynasty
3. Justice and righteousness should characterize the relations between sovereign and subject. Neo-Confucian Government A good ruler has broad-ranging knowledge and virtue. Used civil service exam to find men of talent for government service. Established the Chiphyonjon, a royal institute of research for scholars.
4. Neo-Confucian Government Promoted cultural, economic, and political heritage of Korea. Sponsored many new developments in the areas of law, science, philosophy, music, and linguistics. Created water clocks, rain gauge, celestial globe , sundials, and improved printing methods.
5. “ What kind of man is Buddha who makes a son that should carry on the family line betray his father and sever the affection between father and son; who makes men resist the Son of Heaven and destroy the righteousness between lord and minister; who says that for men and women to live together is not the Way; who says that for men to plow and women to weave is not righteous, thus severing the way of generating life and blocking off the source of food and clothing; and who thinks that through his way he can transform all under heaven?...” Neo-Confucian Government 1. What is wrong with Buddhism for Pak? Why are Buddhist practices so dangerous for China? Anti Buddhist Memorial 1392 by Pak Ch’o, Confucian Scholar
6. Joseon Social Structure King Sejong began a new policy of breaking class barriers and accepted people based on merit Jang Yeong-sil
7. A Golden Age! Used military to defeat Japanese Pirates and expand territory in north. Reformed civil and criminal law codes and made them known to the public. Surveyed the public and reformed land tax to stop corruption. Patron to the arts, literature and music. Led innovations in printing, medicine, astronomy, and agriculture.
8. 2. King Sejong seems like a great ruler. Why do you think he is usually portrayed with a book in his hand?
9. Creation of a New Alphabet: Hangul In 1446, King Sejong created an alphabet for the Korean language. Hangul is a script of 24 letters, 10 of which are vowels and 14 consonants. Some scholars and officials strongly opposed the new writing system. They thought literacy of the masses was unnecessary and dangerous. Film Clip 3. According to King Sejong, why is a written language needed?
10. “… Now, however, our country is devising a Korean script separately in order to discard the Chinese, and thus we are willingly being reduced to the status of barbarians… If they do not know the writings of the sages, they will become ignorant and unable to distinguish right from wrong… This Korean script is nothing more than a novelty. It is harmful to learning and useless to the government. No matter how one looks at it, one cannot find any good in it…” Creation of a New Alphabet: Hangul 4. Why did Ch’oe reject the new alphabet and why does he think it is such a threat to the future of Korea? Opposition to the Korean Alphabet by Ch’oe Malli, Court Official
11. 5. What do you think are the greatest accomplishments of King Sejong the Great? Tomb of King Sejong
Jang's extraordinary accomplishments earned him much trust of the king. Some government officials were very jealous of Jang, especially when he had achieved so much regardless of his common origin. Furthermore, as Korea's society was rooted in Confucianism, scientists and engineers were held in low esteem in parallel with craftsmen.In 1442, King Sejong ordered Jang to build a gama, an elaborately decorated Korean sedan chair. The gama broke while the king was traveling, and Jang was held responsible. Although the king was against the decree, Jang was jailed for a long time, and was expelled from the royal palace.
Of 6,000 languages, only 100 have their own alphabets. Hangul is the only one for which the inventor, theory, and motives behind its creation have been fully documented.
