Sejong the Great

Sejong (Korean: 세종; Hanja: 世宗; May 15, 1397 – April 8, 1450), commonly known as Sejong the Great (세종대왕; 世宗大王), was the fourth monarch of the Koreanic state Joseon. He ruled from 1418 to his death in 1450. He is widely regarded as the greatest king in Korean history, and is particularly remembered for the creation of Hangul, the native alphabet of the Korean language. Sejong was born the third son of the future King Taejong (r. 1400–1418). He was regarded as gifted, moreso than the troubled crown prince Grand Prince Yangnyŏng. In mid-1418, Yangnyŏng was deposed and Sejong made the crown prince. Months later, Taejong abdicated and Sejong was crowned king. Taejong served as king emeritus until his death in 1422. Sejong's reign was marked by major developments in science, technology, medicine, agriculture, and the arts. Many such efforts Sejong not only oversaw, but actively participated in. In 1420, Sejong had the government research organization Hall of Worthies reestablished. It oversaw such projects as the creations of the first native Korean calendar Ch'ilchŏngsan, the 365-volume medical text Ŭibangyuch'wi, and the agricultural text Nongsa chiksŏl. In 1419, Sejong launched the successful Ōei Invasion against the Japanese Tsushima Island. This was followed by decades of peace and trade between Korea and Japan. Sejong also expanded the northern borders of Korea to roughly its current extent by launching military campaigns against and assimilating the raiding Jurchens, although this region would remain problematic. He also maintained positive relations with Joseon's suzerain Ming while still asserting Korean autonomy. Sejong made significant tax and land reforms, which resulted in increases in agricultural production and a reduction in tax rates, without significant impact to tax income. He also led a massive expansion in the influence of Confucianism in Korea and decrease in the influence of Buddhism. Despite his anti-Buddhist policies, he was privately Buddhist and increasingly vocalized his faith, which put him at odds with the Confucianists of his court. Sejong had recurring and worsening health issues for much of his life. Beginning in 1445, he had the crown prince, the future King Munjong (r. 1450–1452), handle the daily affairs of government. Sejong died at the age of 52 in 1450 and is buried in the tomb Yeongneung. Sejong is regarded as an icon of Korean culture in South Korea, where he has received numerous tributes. Sejong City bears his name. In North Korean official texts, Sejong's cultural and scientific contributions are evaluated positively, while also emphasizing that the actual living conditions under his rule involved heightened feudal subjugation, heavier tax burdens, and rigid class stratification for the peasantry.

Names and titles

"Sejong" is the name by which he is most widely known. It is a temple name: a posthumous title that was given to him on the 19th day, 3rd month of 1450. Historian Gari Ledyard roughly translates its meaning as "epochal ancestor". Sejong's birth name was Yi To (이도; 李祹). In the 2nd month of 1408, Yi To was granted the name "Ch'ungnyŏng" (충녕; 忠寧) and the title "Prince" (군; 君). In the 5th month of 1413, Ch'ungnyŏng was granted the title "Grand Prince" (대군; 大君). On the 27th day, 6th month of 1418, Ch'ungnyŏng was granted the courtesy name "Wŏnjŏng" (원정; 元正). After his death, Ming granted him the title of Changhŏn (장헌; 莊憲; Pinyin: Zhuāngxiàn). His full posthumous title was Great King Changhŏn Yŏngmun Yemu Insŏng Myŏnghyo (장헌 영문 예무 인성 명효 대왕; 莊憲英文睿武仁聖明孝大王). Sejong was reportedly popularly called the "Yao-Shun East of the Sea" (해동요순; 海東堯舜; Haedong Yosun). The name references the legendary wise Chinese sage kings Yao and Shun. "East of the Sea" refers to Korea.

Early life Yi To was born on the 10th day, 4th month of 1397 in Chunsubang, Hanyang (Seoul), Joseon as the third son of father Grand Prince Chŏngan and Princess Chŏngnyŏng. Yi To's father was the fifth son of the founding and reigning king of Joseon, Taejo (r. 1392–1398). Yi To was born five years after the founding of Joseon. His father, Grand Prince Chŏngan, had played a major role in the dynasty's establishment. In 1398, Chŏngan became embroiled in a succession crisis. He launched the First Strife of the Princes, which resulted in the installment of one of his brothers as King Jeongjong (r. 1398–1400). After suppressing a coup in the Second Strife of the Princes, Jeongjong abdicated the throne in favor of Chŏngan, who became King Taejong (r. 1400–1418). Very little is known of Yi To's early life; few records were made of him, as it had seemed unlikely that he would ascend to the throne until just before he did. One anecdote has it that the young Yi To read so much that his father became concerned for his health and took away his books; one book (the Kuso sugan) that was missed Yi To read several times over. Several historians have evaluated this anecdote as possibly fanciful, but Ledyard argued it was plausible given Yi To's lifelong academic interests. In 1413, Taejong told Yi To (who by then was called Ch'ungnyŏng): "you have nothing to do in particular, so you should just enjoy your life in peace". At this point, Ch'ungnyŏng was already considered to be bright and skilled at the arts, including calligraphy, the gayageum (traditional Korean string instrument), and painting. That year, he began to be tutored by scholar-official Yi Su.

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