King Sejong the Great
How a third son became king, the sentence his father used to justify choosing him, and what 32 years on the throne produced — plus where to meet Sejong beyond the statue in Gwanghwamun Square.
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The gilded seated figure in Gwanghwamun Square is Sejong. His name is on Korean banknotes and on one of Seoul's main boulevards. And yet he was never supposed to become king.
Sejong was the fourth king of Joseon and reigned from 1418 to 1450 — thirty-two years. This article is about what happened in those years, and about how he came to be on the throne at all.
At a glance
Reigned 1418–1450
The fourth king of Joseon. Invested as crown prince in June 1418 and enthroned in August when Taejong abdicated to him.
He was the third son
Taejong had three princes by Queen Min — Yangnyeong, Hyoryeong and Chungnyeong — and Sejong was the third.
The most brilliant achievement
The encyclopedia names the creation of Hunminjeongeum as the outstanding achievement of Sejong's reign.
His tomb is Yeongneung in Yeoju
Sejong's tomb name is Yeongneung, and it is in Yeoju.
How a third son became king
Sejong's personal name was Yi Do. He was Taejong's third son; his mother was Queen Wongyeong of the Min clan. He was made Prince Chungnyeong in 1408 and raised to Grand Prince Chungnyeong in 1412.
That created a problem. Taejong had three grand princes by Queen Min — Yangnyeong, Hyoryeong and Chungnyeong — and Yangnyeong himself already had two sons. Deposing Yangnyeong, who was already crown prince, and naming a new one was extremely difficult, and opinion on the question was sharply divided.
Taejong's mind was already made up. In June 1418 he said that "Grand Prince Chungnyeong is by nature quick and perceptive, is devoted to learning, and understands the methods of government well," and on that ground — the principle of taekhyeon, choosing the worthy — decided to invest him as crown prince.
Taekhyeon means selecting on merit. In a system whose default was succession by the eldest son, it supplied a justification for choosing an heir by capacity rather than by order. In August of the same year Taejong abdicated and Sejong took the throne.
What the 32 years produced
The encyclopedia calls Sejong's reign the most brilliant period in the history of the Korean people, and lists its grounds.
Many able people were trained through the Jiphyeonjeon; the rites and institutions underpinning Confucian government were put in order; and diverse, extensive compilation projects were carried out. Through the development of agriculture and of science and technology, the ordering of medicine, music and law, the enactment of the gongbeop tax code and the expansion of the country's territory, the foundations of the nation were made firm.
Of these, the creation of Hunminjeongeum is singled out as the most brilliant achievement. That story is told separately in the creation of Hangul.
The way he governed also changed partway through. In the eighteenth year of his reign the Six Ministries' direct-report system was replaced by the State Council deliberation system, a change in the structure of government, and the following year the crown prince was given authority to decide routine affairs. Afterwards the king's attitude towards censors and remonstrance became far freer and gentler, and suppression or punishment of them became almost unknown.
In other words, in the later part of his reign he moved towards distributing authority — a choice available to him precisely because he had inherited and kept a strong throne.
Where to meet Sejong
The statue in Gwanghwamun Square is a monument, not a place he was.
Gyeongbokgung is the palace he occupied as king. It was Joseon's principal palace, and the work of his reign was decided there.
Yeongneung in Yeoju is where he is buried. Sejong's tomb name is Yeongneung and it is in Yeoju. A King Sejong the Great history and culture hall stands on the same site, so the statue, the tomb and an exhibition are all in one visit. It is a day trip from Seoul.
King Hyojong's Yeongneung is in the same precinct. The two tombs are written with different Chinese characters but spelled identically in Korean, which makes them easy to confuse.
Places connected to Sejong
Yeongneung Royal Tombs of Sejong and Hyojong
Where he is buried. The statue and the history hall are on the same site, so the whole figure is in one place.
Gyeongbokgung Palace
The palace he occupied as king. The work of his reign was decided here.
National Museum of Korea
Where the compilations and scientific instruments of the period can be seen as objects.
Frequently asked questions
When did Sejong reign?
He was the fourth king of Joseon and reigned from 1418 to 1450. He was invested as crown prince in June 1418 and took the throne in August of the same year when Taejong abdicated.
Was Sejong not the eldest son?
No. He was Taejong's third son, Grand Prince Chungnyeong. Opinion was divided over deposing Yangnyeong, who was already crown prince, but Taejong justified the choice by saying Chungnyeong was 'quick and perceptive by nature, devoted to learning, and well versed in the methods of government' — the principle of choosing the worthy.
What was Sejong's greatest achievement?
The encyclopedia names the creation of Hunminjeongeum as the most brilliant. It also records the training of scholars through the Jiphyeonjeon, the ordering of rites and institutions, extensive compilation projects, advances in agriculture and science, the gongbeop tax code and territorial expansion.
Where is Sejong's tomb?
His tomb name is Yeongneung and it is in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province. King Hyojong's Yeongneung is in the same precinct.
Is there anywhere to see Sejong other than the Gwanghwamun statue?
Gyeongbokgung is the palace he occupied as king, and Yeongneung in Yeoju is where he is buried. A King Sejong the Great history and culture hall stands at Yeongneung.
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Last verified:
Official sources
- Fact check: Encyclopedia of Korean Culture — Sejong (4th king of Joseon, reigned 1418–1450, invested as crown prince in June 1418 and enthroned in August on Taejong's abdication, Taejong's 'choosing the worthy' statement, the Jiphyeonjeon and the compilation projects, the gongbeop tax law and territorial expansion, the creation of Hunminjeongeum, and the tomb name Yeongneung)
- Fact check: Encyclopedia of Korean Culture — Hunminjeongeum (created in the winter of 1443, the eight authors of the 1446 Haeryebon, Jeong In-ji's preface dated the first ten days of the ninth month of 1446, National Treasure No. 70, held at the Kansong Art Museum, selected as Memory of the World in January 1997)
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