King Sejong the Great
~ Sejong the Great (May 15,
1397 – April 8,
1450, r. 1418–1450) was the fourth king of theJoseon
Dynasty of Korea. During his reign,
he reinforced Korean
Confucian policies and
executed major legal amendments. He also used the creation of Hangul and the advancement of technology to
expand his territory. He was the third son of King Taejong and Queen Consort Wonkyeong.
Sejong is one of only
two Korean rulers posthumously honored with the appellation "the Great", the other
being Gwanggaeto the Great of Goguryeo.
Why I said, King
Sejong is the Great is because of His services towards His country on
strengthening of Korean Military. King Sejong was an effective military
planner. He created various military regulations to strengthen the safety of
his kingdom, supported the advancement of Korean military technology, including cannon development. Different kinds of
mortars and fire arrows were tested as well as the use of gunpowder.
In May 1419, King
Sejong, under the advice and guidance of his father Taejong,
embarked upon the Gihae Eastern
Expedition, the ultimate goal of this military expedition to remove
the nuisance of Japanese pirates who had been operating out of Tsushima
Island. During the expedition, 243 Japanese were killed, and another
110 were captured in combat, while 180 Korean soldiers were killed. 146 Chinese
and 8 Korean kidnapped were liberated by this expedition. In September 1419 the
Daimyos of Tsushima and Sadamori capitulated to the Joseon court. The Treaty of
Gyehae was signed in
1443, in which the Daimyo of Tsushima recognized and obeyed the suzerainty of
the King of Joseon; in return, the Joseon court rewarded the Sō clan with
preferential rights regarding trade between Japan and Korea.
In 1433, Sejong sent Kim Jong-seo, a prominent
general, north to destroy the Manchu. Kim's military campaign captured several
castles, pushed north, and restored Korean territory, to the Songhua River. Four forts and six posts were
established to safeguard the people from Jurchen nomads.
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