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King Sejong

King Sejong the Great was the fourth monarch of the Joseon Dynasty. His personal name was Do, his courtesy name was Wonjeong, and his posthumous title was Jangheon. In 1418, he was formally invested as Crown Prince, and in August of that same year, at the age of twenty-two, he ascended the throne, receiving the royal authority from King Taejong.

He established the Hall of Worthies (Jiphyeonjeon) to encourage scholarship, and he refined the rites and institutions that formed the backbone of Confucian governance, carrying out a wide-ranging and monumental series of compilation projects. Moreover, through countless undertakings—such as the creation of Hunminjeongeum, advances in agriculture and science and technology, the development of medical techniques, the organization of music and legal systems, the establishment of the Gongbeop taxation system, and the expansion of the national territory—he firmly laid the foundations of a nation-state.



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