The King Who Gave His People an Alphabet (Sejong the Great, Korea)

Quick answer: Why did King Sejong create the Korean alphabet?

Sejong saw that most Koreans couldn't write their own speech using Chinese characters. He set out in 1443 to create a new system, and in 1446 promulgated Hunminjeongeum, “Right Sounds to Teach the Nation”: 28 letters built for Korean, with consonants mapped to speech organs, designed so ordinary people could learn quickly.

“The Korean language being structurally different from the Chinese language, my poor subjects have difficulty expressing themselves… Therefore I have decided to create a new alphabet.” In 1443, King Sejong set out to solve a problem most rulers prefer to ignore: most of his people couldn't write their own speech with the tools available. In 1446, the new system was promulgated in book form as Hunminjeongeum, “Right Sounds to Teach the Nation.” It began with 28 letters built for Korean, explained with examples and a technical commentary. Sejong insisted on a design that teaches itself. Consonants mapped to the organs of speech; vowels followed a simple scheme. It read like a manual for citizens, not a trophy for scholars. A writing system is a gate, John writes, and when you open it, the gatekeepers panic. Court conservatives objected in 1444, fearing the loss of the old hierarchy's grip on education. Sejong kept going. Linguists later praised its efficiency, saying a bright child could master it quickly.

Why it matters for leaders: If your leadership only raises your prestige, it shrinks your people; spend authority on tools that widen participation.

Q: Who opposed the new alphabet?

A: Court conservatives argued against it in 1444, fearing cultural impropriety and the loss of the old hierarchy's grip on education.

Q: What does John suggest leaders do?

A: Pick one barrier and replace it with a system anyone can learn fast, use daily, and pass along without permission.

Read the full essay on Substack → https://heroespath.substack.com/p/the-king-who-gave-his-people-an-alphabet

By John Fenzel, founder and CEO of Heroes' Path Foundation