SEJONG

born 1397 died 1450 monarch of the Yi dynasty during whose reign (141950) cultural achievements in Korea reached their highest point. Sejong is best known for his development of Hangul (han'gul), a phonetic system for writing the Korean language, considered one of the most scientific alphabets in use in any country. He is also known for his action in banning all Buddhist monks from Seoul, drastically reducing the power and wealth of the Buddhist hierarchy.