Korean language enthusiasts from Korea and around the world have honored the 627th birthday of King Sejong the Great (1397-1450), the king who created the Korean writing system, Hangeul.
Hundreds of people flocked to Gyeongbok Palace in central Seoul, Tuesday, the first day of the special events that will continue through Wednesday, the birthday of the fourth monarch of the 1392-1910 Joseon Kingdom.
On Tuesday's event, organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, participants celebrated the legacy of King Sejong at a ceremony held near Sujeongjeon Hall within the palace, the former site of Jiphyeonjeon, or the Hall of Worthies, a royal research institute established by the king.
King Sejong was the first resident monarch of the palace after completion of its construction, spending 16 years of his 32-year reign there. Renowned for his scholarly pursuits, the king frequently participated in debates with royal scholars at Jiphyeonjeon.
Culture Minister Yu In-chon commenced the ceremony with a traditional "daechwita" performance, a genre of traditional Korean military music played on wind and percussion instruments.
Yu expressed his hope that King Sejong's intentions in creating the Hangeul — for the good of the people — would be well-preserved for future generations. He also addressed the issue of a plaque on Gwanghwamun, the main gate of Gyeongbok Palace, which currently bears an inscription with Chinese characters.
"As many scholars and the head of the Hangeul Society have mentioned, we engaged in heated discussions, albeit briefly, about why Gwanghwamun's plaque is not written in Hangeul. I personally believe it should definitely be written in Hangeul," Yu said.
The Gwanghwamun plaque retained its current form in October 2023, with Chinese characters written in gold on a black background. When the gate was restored in 1968, the plaque was handwritten in Hangeul by then-President Park Chung-hee, but it was replaced with the current version, which is based on handwriting of Im Tae-young, a late Joseon-era government official who was in charge of the reconstruction of Gyeongbok Palace in the late 19th century. Hangeul-related organizations have been advocating for the installation of a Hangeul plaque ever since.
Yu added, "While the opinions of those advocating for the faithful reproduction of historical evidence was previously accepted, I will revisit the discussion rewriting the Gwanghwamun plaque in Hangeul."
Following this, the National Gugak Center's Court Music Orchestra and Dance Theater presented majestic demonstrations of traditional court music. During this performance, sections of court music created during King Sejong's reign, previously lost but restored using artificial intelligence (AI), were debuted.
Hangeul calligraphy performances featuring King Sejong's quotes were also showcased, followed by
"pansori" singers narrating excerpts from books including "Samganghaengsildo" (Illustrated Guide to the Three Relationships), "Hyangyak Jipseongbang" (Compilation of Native Korean Prescriptions) and "Yongbieocheonga" (Songs of the Dragons Flying to Heaven), authored by King Sejong himself.
The celebration's centerpiece was a musical depicting the life and achievements of King Sejong.
An American tourist to the palace said on condition of anonymity that she did not know a lot about King Sejong, but the musical performance moved her.
"I didn't know much about King Sejong, his leadership nor his personality. But from what I've seen in the musical, he must have deeply cared for his people and treated scholars without being consumed by power, at least according to what I've understood," she told The Korea Times.
Attendees were additionally treated to firsthand experiences of traditional culture from the era. Exhibitions and activities, including crafting traditional sachets based on prescriptions from "Hyangyak Jipseongbang," a book of prescriptions compiled during King Sejong's reign, and quizzes about the monarch were held at multiple locations within the royal palace.
Following Tuesday's events, an academic conference on King Sejong's accomplishments will be held at the Sejong Center, Wednesday.