Sejong

Sejong (born 1397—died 1450) was a monarch of the Joseon (Yi) dynasty during whose reign (1419–50) cultural achievements in Korea reached their highest point. Sejong is best known for his development of Hangul (Han’gŭl), the phonetic system for writing the Korean language that is still in use. The creation of an easily learned alphabet facilitated the achievement of literacy among the Korean people.

Like the other early Joseon kings, Sejong took steps to reduce the secular power and wealth of the Buddhist hierarchy. He decreased the number of Korean Buddhist orders from seven to two in 1424 and restricted the number of temples and monks permitted in the country. Nevertheless, his repression of Buddhism was sometimes less than the political climate and his advisers demanded. A believer in Buddhism in his private life, Sejong attempted to balance the state ideology of Neo-Confucianism with a tolerance for the continued practice of the religion in nonofficial contexts and, at times, even encouraged it.