Person Spotlight
King Sejong Exclusive Interview
Q: Your Majesty, what was your reason for creating a new writing system?
A: Our people had difficulty learning Chinese characters and could not express their thoughts in writing. Out of deep concern for them, I wished to create letters for the people.
Q: Why did you believe 28 letters could represent all sounds?
A: Sound arises from the harmony of heaven, earth, and humanity. Heaven is round (·), earth is flat (—), and humans stand upright (|). I believed these three principles could capture all sounds.
Q: What was the people's response after the proclamation of Hunminjeongeum?
A: There was opposition at first, but seeing the people write and communicate on their own after learning the letters convinced me it was the right path.
