King Sejong Statue: A Monument to Korea’s Famous King

Location: The King Sejong Statue stands prominently on Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul’s historic center, south of Gyeongbokgung Palace. The statue of Admiral Yi Sun-sin also stands on the same square. Together, the two monuments honor some of the most important figures in Korean history at one of the capital’s best-known public spaces.

Historic setting: Today’s Gwanghwamun Square lies along a historic axis that has been at the heart of Korean politics since 1394. That year, Hanyang, now Seoul, became the capital of the Joseon Dynasty. In front of Gwanghwamun Gate ran the so-called “Street of the Six Ministries,” where major government offices were located. During the 20th century, the area was transformed into a broad main thoroughfare dominated by road traffic.

Planning: The King Sejong Statue was created as part of the redevelopment of Gwanghwamun Square. At first, there were plans to move an existing statue of Sejong from Deoksugung Palace to the new site. The Seoul city government ultimately decided to commission an entirely new monument and invited five selected sculptors to submit their designs. In April 2009, an expert committee chose the proposal by sculptor Kim Yeong-won.

Construction History: Work on Gwanghwamun Square began in April 2008, and the square opened on August 1, 2009. The bronze King Sejong Statue, weighing around 20 tons, was cast at a foundry in Icheon, South Korea. During the night of October 5 to 6, 2009, it was transported roughly 110 kilometers to Seoul on a special vehicle and lifted onto its granite pedestal by a large crane. Another major redesign followed in the years leading up to the square’s reopening on August 6, 2022. Former traffic lanes on the western side were transformed into broad pedestrian areas with green spaces, seating, and numerous newly planted trees and other plants. Since then, the square has become much more focused on pedestrians, recreation, and public life.

King Sejong: King Sejong ruled the Joseon kingdom from 1418 to 1450 and is regarded as one of the most important rulers in Korean history. His older brother Yangnyeong had originally been chosen as heir to the throne. However, after repeated misconduct at court and growing doubts about his suitability, King Taejong removed him as crown prince. Sejong then took his place and ascended the throne in 1418. During his reign, he strongly promoted science, technology, education, agriculture, and administration. His best-known achievement was the development of Hangeul, the Korean writing system. Sejong’s lasting importance in South Korea is also reflected in his portrait on the 10,000-won banknote, where it has appeared since 1973.

Hangeul: Before the development of Hangeul, Korean was written mainly using Chinese characters. These were only partly suited to the Korean language and were difficult for many people to learn. Under King Sejong, a dedicated writing system was therefore created. It was completed in 1443 and published in 1446 under the name Hunminjeongeum. The characters were specifically designed to represent the sounds of Korean and make reading and writing much easier. Despite resistance from conservative scholars, Hangeul eventually became widely established and today forms the basis of Korean writing. The King Sejong Statue was unveiled on October 9, 2009, Hangeul Day, when South Korea celebrates its writing system.

Depiction: The statue shows King Sejong seated on a throne and facing south. In his left hand, he holds a historical explanatory text about Hangeul. His slightly raised right hand symbolizes the spread of the new writing system among the population. His friendly expression portrays him as a wise and caring ruler. On the pedestal, inscriptions related to Hangeul and depictions of a sundial, a rain gauge, and an armillary sphere commemorate Sejong’s linguistic and scientific achievements.

Six stone pillars: Behind the statue stand six stone pillars, each around 3 meters high, decorated with reliefs depicting major achievements from King Sejong’s reign. They show that Sejong is remembered not only for Hangeul, but also for his lasting influence on Korea in education, science, culture, administration, and government.

Pillar 1 – Education: The relief shows scholars from the royal academy, which developed into an important center for research and political advice under Sejong. Its members worked on language, history, science, and government affairs. The scene represents Sejong’s strong commitment to education and scholarship.

Pillar 2 – Printing: Another relief shows the royal printing office, where books were produced using movable metal type. Under Sejong, this older Korean printing technique was further refined and used to distribute government and scientific works. The relief commemorates the major advances in Korean printing made during his reign.

Pillar 3 – Border security: The relief depicting the establishment of the six northern border posts recalls Sejong’s efforts to expand and secure the Joseon kingdom in the northeast. The government built new outposts and strengthened its control over areas where conflicts with Jurchen groups had repeatedly occurred. This helped Joseon consolidate its rule as far as the Tumen River.

Pillar 4 – Tsushima Expedition: Early in Sejong’s reign, Joseon sent a large fleet to the Japanese island of Tsushima in 1419. Its aim was to target bases used by Wokou pirates, who had repeatedly attacked Korean coasts and ships. The relief commemorates this military expedition and the efforts to better protect Korea’s coastline.

Pillar 5 – Music: One relief focuses on reforms to court music under King Sejong and shows the testing of musical pitches. During his reign, musical standards were reorganized, instruments were improved, and music for state and ritual ceremonies was further developed. Sejong regarded music as an important part of an orderly state and society.

Pillar 6 – Astronomy: The final relief commemorates astronomical research at the royal court and shows Sejong observing the sky. Astronomy played an important role in creating accurate calendars, which were essential for agriculture and government planning. Under Sejong, both astronomical observations and the instruments used for them were systematically improved.

Museum: Directly beneath Gwanghwamun Square is the free exhibition “The Story of King Sejong.” Covering around 2,500 square meters, it explores Sejong’s achievements in language, science, culture, politics, and the military through interactive exhibits. The exhibition is connected to the neighboring exhibition about Admiral Yi Sun-sin. Visitors can therefore learn about two of the most important figures in Korean history in one place. According to the Sejong Center, the two exhibitions together attract around 1.5 million visitors each year.