In his encyclopaedia General Choi told us: This pattern is named after the famous Kwang Gae T’o Wang, the 19 ^th  King of the Koguryo Dynasty, who regained all the lost territories including the greater part of Manchuria. The diagram represents the expansion and recovery of lost territory. The 39 movements of the pattern represent the first two digits of 391 A.D. the year he ascended the throne.

What I’ve discovered

 

King Tamdok (c. 374 to 413 A.D.) was posthumously given the title Kwang Gae, which means ‘broad enlarger of territory’.

 

By advancing north and south, Kwang Gae overtook Paekche land to the north of the Han River; he also expanded into much of Manchuria and parts of Inner Mongolia. He eventually ruled two thirds of the Korean peninsular.

 

In 392 A.D. King Kwang-Gae is recorded to have had nine Buddhist temples built.

 

He did not quite succeed in unifying Korea, despite aiding Silla when they were attacked by the Japanese pirates.

 

Kwang Gae’s son who also went on to expand his territory had a 24 foot monument erected in 414 A.D. next to his father’s tomb to record his achievements. The monument had 18000 Chinese characters carved into it, which record his conquests of 64 walled cities (sometimes referred to as castles) and 1,400 villages.

 

This monument now finds itself located in present day Southern Manchuria.

 

He died aged just 39. King Kwang-Gae r. 391-413 A.D.

 

T’o (or T’oh) represents a ruling title, Wang means King.

In his encyclopaedia General Choi told us: Po-Eun is the pseudonym of the loyal subject Chong-Mong Chu (14 ^th  Century AD) who was a famous poet and whose poem ‘I would not serve a second master though I might be crucified a hundred times’ is known to every Korean. He was also a pioneer in the field of Physics. The diagram of this pattern represents his unerring loyalty to king and country at the end of the Koryo dynasty.

What I’ve discovered

 

Chong-Mong Chu (1337-1392) was a poet, physicist, University Instructor and a Civil Servant.  He took three different Civil Service exams and scored the highest marks possible on all three.  At University he taught Neo-Confucianism.

 

He was a diplomat travelling to both Japan and China, on behalf of King U, forming agreements  concerning the problems of the Japanese pirates (and the release of their captives) and peace  agreements with the Ming Chinese.

 

The King’s commander in chief General Choi Yong volunteered to attack the Ming head on to make them  leave Koryo land and the King agreed with this plan, but a subordinate commander, Yi Song-Gye did not t hink it wise to make an enemy of the powerful Ming Empire.

 

Yi Song-Gye betrayed King U. He set out to attack Ming as he had been ordered, but instead returned  to the capital with his troops.

 

Yi Song-Gye knew his popularity would mean he would find support in Kaesong and he had the King  exiled (and later killed) in order to become the first King of the Chosun period, King Taejo.

 

Chong-Mong Chu admired Yi Song-Gye, but remained loyal to the King.

 

Yi Song-Gye had his son hold a party for Chong-Mong Chu who then had him assassinated by five men  sent to intercept him afterwards on Songjuk-Kyo (Good Morning Bridge) in Kaesong.

 

This bridge, now a national monument is said to have a stone stained brown, which to this day turns red  with the blood of Chong-Mong Chu when it rains.

 

Chong-Mong Chu life ended in 1392 along with the Koryo dynasty.

 

One translation of Chong-Mong Chu’s famous poem reads thus:

 

Even if I may die, die a hundred times

Even if my skeleton may become dust and dirt,

And whether my spirit may be there or not,

My single-hearted loyalty to the lord will not change.

 

His pen-name means ‘Recluse of the vegetable plot.’

 

Koryo was the ruling dynasty at the time of Marco Polo’s encounters with the Chinese and this then is  where the Western forms of the name Korea originate.

 

King Taejo renamed the kingdom ‘Chosun’ or The Land of the Morning Calm.

 

The Yi Dynasty ruled from 1392-1910.

 

(See also Choi-Yong) 

In his encyclopaedia General Choi told us: Ge-Baek is named after Ge-Baek, a great general in the BaekJe (also Paekche) Dynasty (660 A.D.). The diagram (I) represents his severe and strict military discipline.

What I’ve Discovered

 

General Ge-Baek is remembered for his determination to do battle despite insurmountable odds.

 

The king of BaekJe; Uija-wang indulged in such revelries that he ignored the approaching forces of  Tang and Silla and did not mobilise his army to defend his country.

 

General Ge-Baek rounded up his own troops and although heavily outnumbered by ten to one with his  army of 5000 men, he is reported to have fought valiantly; it was purely the large numbers of enemy  forces that led to his defeat.

 

It is recorded that as he knew he would ultimately be beaten; to focus his mind on the battle and to  prevent the possible capture or torture of his family, General Ge-Baek had his family put to death  before he set out for war.

 

Remembered for his bravery and loyalty, Ge-Baek gave his life to defend his country reputedly saying,  ‘I would rather die than be a slave of the enemy’.

 

After engaging General Kim Yu-Sin on the plains of Hwangsan Field, Ge-Baek ordered his men

to ‘hold or die’.

 

In his book, ‘The History of TaeKwonDo Patterns’ (see Bibliography) Richard Mitchell, describes

Ge-Baek’s shock on capturing a young Hwa-Rang, Kwan Chang; aged just 16, the son of Kim Yoo-Sin’s  assistant General Kim Pumil.

 

Kwan Chang had charged headlong into the BaekJe camp, his youthfulness is said to have reminded  Ge-Baek of his own son and instead of killing him, Ge-Baek let him return to his own lines, only to have  him captured once again the following day.

 

Kwan Chang escaped his guards, ‘killing them with his hands and feet, and then attacked the Paekche  general’s second in command. With a flying reverse turning kick to the head of the commander,  who sat eight feet high atop his horse, Kwan Chang killed him.’ (Ibid.)

 

Ge-Baek then had Kwan Chang put to death and his body returned to the enemy lines, where his proud  father still fought on.

 

Ge-Baek engaged the enemy and drove them back four times, but on the fifth attack,  General Ge-Baek was killed and Ge-Baek’s forces were then utterly defeated,  heralding the end of the BaekJe Dynasty.

 

 

 (See also Yoo-Sin)

In his encyclopaedia General Choi told us: Eui-Am is the pseudonym of Son Byong Hi, leader of the Korean independence movement on March 1 ^st  1919. The 45 movements of the pattern refer to his age when he changed the name of Dong Hak (Oriental Culture) to Chondo Kyo (Heavenly Way Religion) in 1905. The diagram (I) represents his indomitable spirit, displayed while dedicating himself to the prosperity of his nation.

What I’ve discovered

Son Byong Hi was born in 1861, he learned of the Dong-Hak religion around 1884.  The Dong-Hak (also Tonghak) religion was also known as Eastern Culture and became a rebellion against  Western influence in Korea and specifically against Roman Catholicism and the Japanese invaders.

The Korean King called on China to provide aid in beating the rebellion, unfortunately when China moved  her troops into Korea in 1894, she broke a treaty agreement made with Japan in 1885, foreseeing this  Japan also had troops ready to send to Korea. Thus the Sino-Japanese War began in July 1894 and was  quickly won by the Japanese, China then recognised Korea as a sovereign independent nation.

Whilst in this position of power over the Koreans, the Japanese forced a series of reforms on the  Korean government.

Son Byong Hi became a student of Ch’oe Si-Hyung the Second Great Leader of the Don Hak.

As a commander of the Southern Dong-Hak rebel army in 1894, Son Byong Hi was involved in the  Dong-Hak peasant rebellion.

The joint Japanese and Korean forces eventually overpowered the rebels, though both Son Byong Hi and  Ch’oe Si-Hyung escaped capture and fled.  Ch’oe Si-Hyung knew that he would inevitably be captured and he therefore pronounced Son Byong Hi  as his successor and Third Great Leader of the Dong-Hak. Ch’oe Si-Hyung was captured and executed in  1898.

After this Son Byong Hi sought political asylum in Japan, where he advocated Korean non violent  resistance.

In Korea the pro-Japanese government fell and was replaced by a pro-Russian cabinet.

In 1896 King Kojong was forced to flee to Russia and a Korean delegate to the coronation of Tzar  Nicholas II concluded secret agreements with Russia.

In 1904 after Russia rejected the Japanese ultimatum for them to withdraw their troops from  Manchuria, Japan declared war on Russia, more Japanese troops occupied Korea and Manchuria.

The Portsmouth Treaty of 1905 ended the Russo-Japanese war, but let the Japanese establish a  protectorate of Korea, with the support of both USA and Great Britain.

In 1905 Son Byong Hi changed the name of Dong-Hak to Chondo Kyo, in order to identify it as a modern  religious movement, and to detach it from the Dong-Hak rebellion.  The movement secretly spread throughout Korea in opposition to the Korea occupation by Japan.

On March 1st 1919, The Korean Declaration of Independence was read aloud in Pagoda Park, Seoul.

Of the thirty-three signatories, 15 were members of Chondo Kyo movement.

The declaration called for non-violent protests and many Koreans marched for independence.

Son Byong Hi was the first of the 33 signatories to be imprisoned.

The Japanese reaction to the declaration was bloody, 7,500 Koreans were killed, and some 16,000  wounded; around 50,000 were imprisoned.

Son Byong Hi became ill in prison and was released due to his illness, only to die at home in 1922, having  devoted his life to defending the oppressed Korean population.

In his encyclopaedia General Choi told us: Choong-Jang is the pseudonym given to General Kim Duk Ryang who lived during the Lee (Yi) Dynasty, 16 ^th  century. This pattern ends with a left-hand attack to symbolise the tragedy of his death at 27 in prison before he was able to reach full maturity.

What I’ve discovered

 

Kim Duk Ryang (Possibly also Chung Ki Ryong or Kim Duk Nyung?) was born in 1567;  he was a commander in the army during the Yi Dynasty.

 

In 1592 when Toyotomi Hideyoshi began the Imjin Wars, Kim Duk Ryang was promoted to General.

 

The invading Japanese were armed with around 300,000 imported muskets and faced Korean forces  mostly armed with swords, bows, arrows and spears in guerrilla groups.

 

On land the Korean forces struggled, while at sea the naval forces of Admiral Yi Sun-Sin were  victorious.

 

In 1594 Kim Duk Ryang was promoted to Commander in Chief of the Honam Province, under his great  leadership and with a fellow commander Ja Wu Kwak (also Kwak Jae Woo) the army was able to repel  the Japanese forces from the province.

 

The Japanese greatly feared Kim Duk Ryang and gave him the name General Ho-Ik meaning Tiger Wing.

 

The bitter rivalries at court also had their impact on Kim Duk Ryang, when he was arrested in 1595 in  connection with the killing of a slave girl.

 

His success on the battlefield may have led to the King’s intervention and his release by royal decree.

 

He was finally killed in 1596, by poisoning; after allegations that he took part in the  Mong Hak Lee (Yi) rebellion, he was posthumously cleared of all charges and dishonour.

In his encyclopaedia General Choi told us: Ko Dang is the pseudonym of the patriot Cho Man-Sik, who devoted his life to the Korean Independence Movement and to the education of the Korean people. The 45 movements signify the last two digits of 1945 the year Korea was liberated from Japanese occupation.

What I’ve discovered

 

Cho Man-Sik (1883-1950) was a nationalist and an elder in the Presbyterian Church,  he became known as the ‘Ghandi of Korea’.

 

Cho Man-Sik took part in the Independence marches on March 1 ^st  1919, and was one of  the 50,000 or so Koreans arrested.

 

During the 1920’s he was active in promoting nationalism in the economy by encouraging  people to buy Korean goods.

 

The People’s Committee of North Korea was renamed as the Five Provinces Administrative Bureau of  the People’s Republic of Korea, in 1945, with Cho Man-Sik at its head.  (See Introduction to Korean History and Culture, Andrew C Nahm)

 

He went on to form the Korean (Chosun) Democratic Party of the Christians, nationalists and  intellectuals, as the first leader of North Korea Cho stood up to the Soviets.

 

In late 1945, when Kim Il Sung returned to ‘liberated Korea’ in a Soviet uniform he was forced  to share the leadership of North Korea.

 

Cho Man-Sik was anti-Soviet in his stance and as a result he opposed Kim Il Sung,  who was supported by the Soviets.

 

Cho Man-Sik was again arrested along with many other anti-Soviet nationalists,  who did not manage to flee to South Korea.

 

Cho Man-Sik was executed by the Communists in 1950 as the persecution of the Christians began.

 

It was therefore Kim Il Sung who rose to power in North Korea with the approval of the Soviet Union.

 

Cho Man-Sik was declared a martyr and honoured by the government of South Korea in 1970.

In his encyclopaedia General Choi told us: Sam il denotes the historical date of the independence movement of Korea which began throughout the country on March 1st 1919. The 33 movements in the pattern stand for the 33 patriots who planned the movement.

What I’ve discovered

 

Sam = 3 i.e. the third calendar month, March  Il = 1 ^st

 

It had become clear that the students of Korea were determined to take action in order to gain  independence.

 

The former emperor of Korea died in January 1919, his funeral date was set for March 3 ^rd .

 

It was therefore decided that an independence march would be held on 1 ^st  March, when large numbers  of Koreans would be present awaiting the funeral of the emperor.

 

The Koreans had decided on non-violent protests after hearing of the principle of ‘self determination  of subject people’, announced at the Conference of Versailles after World War I.

 

The 33 movements represent the 33 signatories of the movement, who were immediately arrested  after a demonstration in Pagoda Park, Seoul.

 

Demonstrations quickly spread throughout Korea.

 

The Japanese reaction was decisive and bloody 7,500 were killed, 16,000 were wounded and  50,000 were arrested.

 

Order was not restored until May.

 

In his encyclopaedia General Choi told us: Sam il denotes the historical date of the independence movement of Korea which began throughout the country on March 1st 1919. The 33 movements in the pattern stand for the 33 patriots who planned the movement.

What I’ve discovered

 

Sam = 3 i.e. the third calendar month, March  Il = 1 ^st

 

It had become clear that the students of Korea were determined to take action in order to gain  independence.

 

The former emperor of Korea died in January 1919, his funeral date was set for March 3 ^rd .

 

It was therefore decided that an independence march would be held on 1 ^st  March, when large numbers  of Koreans would be present awaiting the funeral of the emperor.

 

The Koreans had decided on non-violent protests after hearing of the principle of ‘self determination  of subject people’, announced at the Conference of Versailles after World War I.

 

The 33 movements represent the 33 signatories of the movement, who were immediately arrested  after a demonstration in Pagoda Park, Seoul.

 

Demonstrations quickly spread throughout Korea.

 

The Japanese reaction was decisive and bloody 7,500 were killed, 16,000 were wounded and  50,000 were arrested.

 

Order was not restored until May.

 

In his encyclopaedia General Choi told us: Choi Yong is named after General Choi Yong, Premier and Commander in Chief of the Armed forces during the 14 ^th  century, Koryo Dynasty. Choi Yong was greatly respected for his loyalty, patriotism, and humility. He was executed by his subordinate commanders, headed by General Yi Sung Gae, who later became the first king of the Yi (Lee) Dynasty.

What I’ve discovered

 

 General Choi Yong (1316-1388) was born in Kangwon province, Koryo. From very modest beginnings living  by his father’s motto ‘Do not be covetous of gold’, Choi Yong (also Ch’oe Yong) did not seek fame or  fortune, though he did enough to earn both.

 

Choi Yong became a renowned army General at the end of the Koryo dynasty. His first great victory  was at the age of 36, when he defeated Cho Il-Shin who had proclaimed himself king with the aid of  his supporters. During this time Koryo was under attack from Japanese pirates looking for slaves and  also from a group of Chinese known as the ‘red turbans’. General Choi had great success against these  enemies and earned more respect from his King.

 

When a high military official, Yi In-im recommended a pro-Mongol policy as opposed to the pro-Ming  policy, he found himself opposed by both Gen. Choi Yong and Yi Song-Gye, who collaborated to cause  Yi In-im’s downfall.

 

By 1388 the Ming dynasty had announced its intention to again control Koryo.

 

General Choi wanted to counter Chinese plans to occupy part of Korea, so he proposed a counter  invasion of a Chinese held district, formerly part of Koguryo. King U was very pleased with this  plan and promoted Gen Choi to Comander in Chief of the armed forces.

 

Yi Song-Gye did not support this counter invasion and made plans of his own to overthrow both  his commander General Choi and his King. General Choi had nominated Yi Song-Gye as one of his  two commanders, Yi Song-Gye set out as ordered, but clearly knowing the main bulk of the army was  on its way to engage the Ming Chinese, he turned back towards Kaesong (was Kaegyong) with  his troops, where he knew his popularity would ensure he had support.

 

Yi Song-Gye had General Choi Yong executed (1388) and placed a puppet King on the throne,  he exiled the royal family for four years before having them put to death and eventually taking  the throne for himself and thus founding the Yi dynasty. (1392-1910)

 

 

King Gongmin ruled Koryo r.1351-1374

King U r.1374-1388

King Taejo (Yi Song-Gye’s posthumous title meaning ‘Great Progenitor’) ruled Chosun r.1392 1400

King T’aejong r.1400-1418

King Sejong r.1418-1450

In his encyclopaedia General Choi told us: This pattern is named after Yon Gae Somoon, a famous General who lived during the Koguryo Dynasty. The 49 movements refer to the last two figures of 649 A.D., the year he forced the Tang Dynasty to quit Korea after destroying nearly 300,000 of their troops at Ansi Sung. 

What I’ve discovered

 

Yon-Gae is named after Yon Gae Somoon (also Yon Kaesomun) a General in the Koguryo Dynasty.

 

As chief of the Eastern province Yon-Gae was instrumental in introducing Taoism to the Koguryo nation.

 

Yon-Gae supervised the building of the defensive wall that ran the length of the Liao River.

 

In 642 he took part in a military coup, thus dethroning the King and exercising the military dictatorship  that he had established, giving Yon-Gae the King’s powers.

 

He once captured the brother-in-law of Kim Yoo-Sin.

 

The Tang Chinese attacked by land and sea, by 645 they had reached the fortress at Ansi, Yon-Gae with  his army and the support of the population, succeeded in defeating the Tang forces.

 

More attacks followed and failed. The Tang Emperor died in 649.A.D., which benefited Yon-Gae in his  attempts to reclaim lost land.

 

Koguryo became politically weakened by the death of Yon-Gae in 654 A.D. (sometimes 666A.D.)  dissent followed in the Koguryo dynasty and eventually allowed the joint forces of  Tang and Silla to force King Pojang’s surrender in 668A.D. after which China took over  Koguryo as part of the Middle Kingdom, as it had also done with Paeche.

 

(See also Yoo-Sin)

In his encyclopaedia General Choi told us:  This pattern is named after General Ul-Ji Moon Dok who successfully defended Korea  against a massive Chinese invasion force, of nearly one million soldiers, led by  Yang Je in 612 A.D., Ul-Ji employing hit and run guerrilla tactics, was able to decimate  a large percentage of the force. The diagram represents his surname.  The 42 movements represent General Choi’s age when he designed the pattern.

What I’ve discovered

 

Ul-Ji Moon Dok (also Ulchi Mundok) remains a national hero in Korea, during the fight for  independence around 1905; the feats of Ul-Ji (and others) were published in history books  and biographies in order to arouse a spirit of nationalism in the people.

 

There are no records of his exact dates of birth/death, but he was instrumental in destroying  the Sui invaders in 612 A.D.

 

The Sui had unified China at the end of the 6 ^th  Century and then launched a war against Koguryo.

 

As an educated man Ul-Ji was skilled in politics, however it was his military skills that were  needed in 612 A.D.

 

General Ul-Ji used his ingenious military tactics to lull the Sui into a false sense of security,  by continually retreating and feigning defeat he was able to lure them into a trap.

 

He had claimed to surrender in order to gain access to the enemy camp, once in the confines=  of the camp he had established that the Sui were short of supplies.

 

This enabled him to formulate his plan, by retreating and making the confrontation go on  for longer General Ul-Ji was able to exhaust his enemy and finally at Salsu his guerrilla tactics  led to victory and the Koguryo forces were able to destroy most of the 300,000 troops that  had crossed the Yalu River.

 

The Sui troops were only able to withdraw 2,700 men from Koguryo;  these great loses probably led to the Sui being overthrown by the Tang in 618 A.D.

In his encyclopaedia General Choi told us:  Moon-Moo honours the 30th King of the Silla Dynasty. His body was buried near  Dae Wang Am (Great King's Rock).  According to his will, the body was placed in the sea "where my soul shall forever  defend my land against the Japanese."  It is said that the Sok Gul Am (Stone cave) was built to guard his tomb.  The Sok Gul Am is a fine example of the culture of the Silla Dynasty.  The 61 movements in this pattern symbolize the last two figures of 661 A.D. when  Moon Moo came to the throne.

What I’ve discovered

 

Moonmoo-Wang (also Munmu) was the king of Silla in 668 A.D. when the three kingdoms were  finally united.  He was Prince Bubmin, the son of King Muyol (also Mu-Yal) and ascended the throne as  Moonmoo-Wang in 661 A.D., shortly after the defeat of BaekJe.

 

Moonmoo went on to defeat Koguryo, having failed in 661 A.D., he ordered another attack in 667 A.D.

 

The ‘Samguk Sagi’ states that in 668 A.D., the king led his army in person to P’yonyang where  he co-operated with Tang in defeating Koguryo, thus unifying Korea.

 

There are also tales of the mysterious monk, Myongnang Popsa whose magic called upon the Typhoon  to destroy the Tang navy.

 

Moonmoo reigned for twenty years on his deathbed he named his son Prince Sin-Moon  (also SinMun) as his successor.

 

Moonmoo was an ardent Buddhist, he therefore wished to be cremated and for his ashes  to be scattered at sea.

 

It was believed that the royal spirit could pray to Buddha for the prosperity of Silla, Moonmoo said,  ‘When I am dead and gone, I should like to become a guardian dragon in the sea, to worship Buddha  and protect the nation when I have done with worldly glories’.

 

Moonmoo’s ashes were reputedly scattered over Daewang-am, the Rock of the Great King, his son  had a waterway built so that Moonmoo’s spirit dragon could have access to land and sea, and  defend against the Japanese pirates.

 

King Sin-Moon had Kamun-sa (Thanksgiving Temple) completed after his father’s death and  a submarine cavern holds the remains of Moonmoo.

 

Legend holds that the dragon, Moonmoo protects Korea, along with and the spirit of  Kim Yoo-Sin who became a deity in the Thirty-Three Heavens.

In his encyclopaedia General Choi told us:  So San is the pseudonym of the great monk Hyujong (1520-1604) who lived during the  Yi Dynasty. The 72 movements refer to his age when he organized a corps of m onk soldiers with the assistance of his pupil Samyong Dang. The monk soldiers  helped repulse the Japanese pirates who overran most of the Korean peninsula in 1592.

What I’ve discovered

 

Hyujong (also Hyoojung) was the great Buddhist monk So-San ‘west mountain’ (also Susan-Daesa).

 

After the Yi dynasty gained control, Neo-Confucianism took over as the state religion, and Buddhists  were forced to keep a low profile.

 

Beginning life as a Neo-Confucian, he was unhappy with the teachings and went on to study Buddhism,  he became a great teacher in his day and his influence is still felt in Korean Buddhism today through  study of his great text, ‘Seon Gugam’ (also Songa-gwigam) a Buddhist moral guide.

 

So-San believed that Buddhism should be unified and his teaching seems to be founded on that of  Won-Hyo.

 

During the Japanese Invasion (the Imjin Wars), Sosan led the Uisa ‘righteous monk movement’,  which consisted of several thousand monks who harassed the Japanese invaders using guerrilla tactics.

 

Due to his old age So-san appointed his closest disciple Samyong to be the field commander. The monks’ army was a critical factor in the eventual expulsion of the Japanese forces, who were  harried at sea by Admiral Yi Sun-Sin (see Choong-Moo), and by General Kim Duk Ryang in the  Honam province.

 

So-San created a fighting style that is the origin of the modern art of Hapkido.

In his encyclopaedia General Choi told us: The pattern is named after the greatest Korean King, Se-Jong, who invented Han-Gul, the Korean alphabet, in 1443. King Se-Jong was also a noted meteorologist. The diagram represents the king, while the 24 movements refer to the 24 letters of the Korean alphabet.

What I’ve discovered

 

After King Taejong died in 1418, Prince Choongnyung ascended the throne as he had been made heir  apparent over his two brothers, when his princely qualities had proven superior.

 

The new king became King Sejong the Great (1397-1450) the fourth king of the Yi Dynasty  (sometimes Lee dynasty, also Chosun/Joseon dynasty) many improvements were introduced by K ing Sejong, and a great many scientific advancements and inventions occurred during his reign.

 

King Sejong had an observatory built in the palace grounds in 1434.

 

He encouraged scientists to invent new tools the products of which included the rain gauge,  astronomical clocks, sundials and water clocks.

 

King Sejong is also said to have improved the use of the beacon fires that were spread  throughout the country.

 

The most important advancement was the creation of the Korean alphabet, Hangul,  King Sejong decided that the Korean people needed their own written language,  at this point Ancient Chinese was used and as it consisted of 30,000 characters,  it was not accessible to the majority of people.

 

Hangul (created in 1443) is a phonetic alphabet and originally consisting of 28 characters,  it was known as Hunmin Chong’um, meaning ‘the correct sounds to instruct the people’,  and was circulated in 1446.

 

Some of the educated elite were reluctant to accept this new writing system, but  King Sejong insisted on its use and opened a publishing house producing books in the  new Korean script, including a Korean dictionary.

 

Over time four of the Hangul characters were dropped from use and in 1912 it was given  the name Hangul meaning ‘Great script’.

 

King Sejong wanted to improve life for the common people and one of the works published was  a farmer’s handbook, the new written form enabled both women and commoners to  become more educated.

 

King Sejong tried to control corruption, reward good work/deeds and raise moral standards  throughout the country.

 

After more than 30 years on the throne King Sejong The Great is still remembered today as  a King committed to improving the education of the people.

 

9 ^th  October is Hangul day.

 

15 ^th  May is King Sejong day as it was Sejong’s birthday.

In his encyclopaedia General Choi told us:  Tong-il denotes the resolution of the unification of Korea, which has been divided since  the end of the 2 ^nd  World War in 1945. The diagram symbolizes the homogenous race.

What I’ve discovered

 

At the end of the second world war, Korea was liberated by the forces of the USSR and the USA,  the two sides were responsible for the rebuilding of Korea and it was decided to  divide Korea along the 38 ^th  parallel.

 

The UN authorised the establishment of a democratic government; the Republic of Korea,  in the South in 1948, with its capital is Seoul.

 

In the North the Soviet Union created the communist Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,  with its capital in Pyongyang.

 

With the advent of the Korean War 1950-1953, the division was even more set with the  dictatorship of Kim Il-Sung established in the North and the beginning of almost  thirty years of military rule under Dr Syngman Rhee in the South.

 

Tong-Il represents the desire to see a unified Korea.

 

The diagram of the pattern represents North and South Korea becoming one.

 

The country remains divided and with two very different mindsets it is hard to see a unified Korea,  but this was the dream of the late General Choi Hong-Hi.