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17. The birth pangs of a new alphabet!
“Your Majesty!
The new Korean alphabet you have created is truly divine.
The many devices that Your Majesty has created so far by exercising his wisdom and ability are the best of all time.
However, in our narrow-minded opinion,
we have some concerns, so we earnestly ask you to do so.”
(Jip-Hyeon-Jeon, Choi Man-Ri)
After pouring his passion into studying letters for over ten years, Sejong finally completed the alphabet and named it “Hunminjeongeum.” Then one day, Sejong gathered the scholars of Jiphyeon-Jeon and told them about his ambitions.
“I have a dream that I have been thinking about for a long time,
and I need your help to achieve it.”
Since none of the scholars had heard of Sejong’s dream, they all looked at each other with curious faces.
“As the king of this country,
I am a person who has a duty to make the people live comfortably.
We have a language, but no writing, and the people are suffering.
I believe that a nation without a writing system
cannot cultivate its culture.
So I hope you will help me
and devote yourself to creating our own writing system.”
All the scholars of Jiphyeonjeon who heard this were surprised by Sejong’s thorough desire to love the people and to shine the culture. Sejong took out a roll of paper with various mouth shapes and letters written on it that were necessary for creating our own writing system.
“Chinese characters are letters based on the shapes of objects,
but I think our own writing system should be written as it sounds.
I thought about this for a long time,
thinking about how to create several mouth shapes,
and how to establish the basis of
our writing system based on these shapes.
I think it would be good if everything proceeded in an orderly manner according to this principle.”
As these rumors spread, all the subjects finally became aware that Sejong was creating a new alphabet. Through this process, some scholars began to feel resentful toward Sejong, who was working with the young scholars of the Jiphyeonjeon.
On February 20, 1444, Choi Man-ri, who was the vice-chairman of the Jiphyeonjeon, Shin Seok-jo (辛碩祖), and Kim Mun (金汶), the former vice-chairman of the Jiphyeonjeon, Jeong Chang-son (汶官官), Ha Wi-ji (河緯之), Song Cheo-geom (宋處儉), and Jo Geun (趙瑾), jointly submitted a petition opposing the creation of the so-called Eonmun. In response, Sejong arranged a meeting with them to hear their opinions and discuss them. Sejong spoke first.
“What do you think about
the Hunminjeongeum that I created?”
To Sejong’s question, Choi Man-ri, who was the vice-chairman, answered as follows:
“Your Majesty!
The Korean alphabet you have created this time is truly miraculous.
The many devices that Your Majesty has created so far by exercising his wisdom and ability are the best of all time.
However, from our narrow perspective, there are some areas that we are concerned about,
so we earnestly ask you to tell us.”
“I would like to hear your thoughts, so please speak.”
“Your Majesty!
Since the founding of our country, our Joseon has devoted itself to serving the great,
and based all its affairs on the Chinese system, and we have considered ourselves a civilized nation that uses the same script and implements the same system as China.
But now that you have suddenly created the Korean alphabet,
we cannot help but be surprised.”
“They say you created Hunminjeongeum,
but Hunminjeongeum is not a completely new alphabet,
but rather an imitation of old letters, isn’t it?”
“But Your Majesty!
The letters are old letters, but the sounds are different, so it is difficult to say that they are old,
and if this fact becomes known in China and they criticize it, it could cause great trouble.”
“What you say is not right!
It is not against the four great teachings to create the correct pronunciation.
Although we use the Chinese system,
haven’t we already changed the pronunciation to fit our country’s circumstances?
Since we cannot write our language easily and accurately with Chinese characters,
the inconvenience to our foolish people is indescribable.
Considering our circumstances,
we simply created the correct pronunciation according to the language! Since I ascended the throne, I have never neglected the Four Great Characters,
and the Emperor knows this well,
so even if someone who wants to slander me tries to use the creation of the Jeongeum as an excuse to make a problem out of it,
I will clarify that our intentions have never deviated from the Four Great Characters,
and that this is solely for the convenience of our people,
so if I explain in detail, there will be no major problems!”
“Your Majesty!
Since ancient times, even in the vast land of China,
even if the climate or region was different,
there was no practice of creating separate characters according to dialect.
Only the Mongols, Western Xia, Jurchens, Japanese, and Western Bans
each have their own characters,
but this is all the work of barbarians, so it is not even worth mentioning.
In the old texts, it is said that Chinese culture changed the culture of barbarians,
but I have never heard of barbarian culture changing Chinese culture.
Until now, many Chinese countries
have all preserved the traditions of Gija
and recognized that our rites and music and cultural relics are comparable to those of China.
But now, you are trying to create a separate language, abandon China, and become like the barbarians.
This is no different from abandoning the so-called fragrant elixir, Sohaphyang
and taking a lump of dung made by a dung beetle. How can this not be a great harm?”
When Sejong heard Choi Man-ri’s story, he thought that Choi Man-ri’s standards and thoughts were very wrong, and his heart felt heavy. So he spoke more forcefully.
“Vice-Chancellor!
Usually, the difference in pronunciation is not something that changes by itself,
but rather,
it varies depending on the person,
and the difference between people is due to the difference in the environment of the region,
so if the terrain is different, the climate is different,
and if the climate is different, people’s pronunciation is different.
Therefore, even if the writing and system of the entire world were unified,
people’s pronunciation and speech could not be the same,
but our country has many mountains and rivers,
so we naturally form a border,
so of course our geography and climate are clearly different from China,
so how could our speech sounds be the same as Chinese?
Therefore, it is natural that our language is different from China’s.
We can become like China in terms of etiquette and music,
but our language cannot be,
so your argument that we are trying to become like barbarians by not looking at our reality and making a correct pronunciation is nonsense!”
“Your Majesty!
Idu (吏讀), created by Seol Chong (薛聰) of Silla,
Although it may be rough and rustic,
It is not completely separate from Chinese characters because it uses Chinese characters to write particle letters.
Therefore, if low-level officials or servants want to learn Idu,
They should first read several books written in Chinese characters,
And only after they have learned the Chinese characters at least roughly, can they use Idu.
Also, even if they use Idu, they can only understand the meaning through Chinese characters,
So many people study and learn Chinese characters because of Idu,
And therefore, it helps to promote scholarship.
If our country had no letters since ancient times,
It would be possible to temporarily use the Korean alphabet.
However, even in that case, if they are conscious,
They would try to have a long-term perspective by learning Chinese characters,
Even if it takes a little longer. Moreover, Idu has been used for a long time without any problems in life,
so why do you want to create such a lowly
and useless letter using Idu?
If the vernacular is used, those who want to become officials will
only learn the vernacular and will not try to learn Chinese characters,
and if those who want to become officials become officials using the vernacular,
then they will think,
Why do we need to learn Neo-Confucianism when we can enter the world with the 28-character vernacular?
and then the number of people who know Chinese characters will decrease significantly in the future.
Even if everything can be done with Hangul,
if you do not know the letters of the sages,
it will be like facing a wall,
and you will be blind to the truth,
so where will you be able to use it in the future? I am afraid that the policy of revering learning that has been built up in our country will disappear completely.
Even though Idu, which has been used since before, did not deviate much from Chinese characters,
intellectuals are trying to change Idu into Imun (吏文),
so much so that Eonmun has nothing to do with Chinese characters,
and will only be used vulgarly in the market and on the streets,
and future generations who want to pursue high-level learning and politics
will definitely discuss correcting this.
The evil of avoiding the old and only liking the new is
as wrong as it was in the past,
and Eonmun is nothing more than a strange talent, which only brings losses in learning
and no benefit in governing,
so no matter how many times we think about it, it is wrong.”
“Did you just say that ‘Jeongum’ is against the old in terms of writing sounds and
composing letters? Then, isn’t the Idu (吏讀) that Seol Chong (薛聰) made also a different sound?
Furthermore, wasn’t the original intention of making Idu
to provide convenience to the people?
If Idu (吏讀) is for the convenience of the people,
isn’t the current Eonmun (諺文) also for the convenience of the people?
You say that what Seol Chong (薛聰) did is right,
but what the King (君上) did is wrong. What is the reason?
You also say that the making of Eonmun is nothing more than a strange craft,
but I am old and have difficulty spending time,
so I am close to books.
Why would I hate the old and only like the new to create Jeongeum?
So your words are quite excessive.”
“Your Majesty! “I said it was a strange talent,
I just said it that way while talking,
so I didn’t say it with any special meaning.”
“Then,
I have included the Jeongeum in the selection of lower-level officials,
but the test is not solely based on the Jeongeum.
In the case of the Daegwa (大科), the Jeongeum was not included in the test subjects,
so your claim that it will cause great loss to learning is an exaggeration,
and that it has no benefit in governing,
but this is also incorrect. For example, documents used to punish criminals in the execution grounds
are written in Idu and Chinese characters,
and foolish people who do not know the exact meaning
are treated unfairly because of the difference in one letter.
If you write down exactly what they say in Jeongeum and then read it to them,
even the most foolish people
will be able to easily understand the content,
so no one will be treated unfairly.”
“Your Majesty! In China, despite the fact that the spoken and written language has been the same since ancient times,
there were many cases of injustice in the treatment of criminals or in litigation,
and in our country, among the criminals in prison,
even if someone who knew Idu read the contents of their statements and found that there were differences from the facts,
there were many cases where they could not endure the beating and accepted the punishment.
From this, it is clear that they were not punished unjustly because they did not know the meaning of the text.
Therefore, even if they used the vernacular,
what would be different from this?
But whether the criminals are treated fairly depends on the person in charge of the work,
and not on the spoken or written language.
Therefore, the idea that criminals can be treated fairly using the vernacular has nothing to do with its essence.”
“Oh! I once said that I wish the foolish people
would know the problem of the crimes they committed because they did not know the articles of the law, and
so that they would not commit crimes.
Even if the people did not know all the articles of the law,
if they selected the articles of major crimes and translated them into Idu and distributed them to the people,
the people would be able to avoid committing crimes.
At that time, Heo Jo (許稠), the Minister of Personnel, said,
If the wicked groups among the people knew the articles of the law in detail,
I was afraid that they would abuse the law.
So if I left the people alone so that they would not know,
and then punished the criminals,
Wouldn't that be similar to the trick of Jo Sa Mo Sam (朝四暮三)? Furthermore, I once scolded the kings of the past saying that the law that requires the reading of the articles of the law during trials was not intended to be known to everyone.
Aren't your words the same as Heo Jo's?
It is true that treating criminals fairly depends on the quality of the officials,
but even fair officials can make mistakes and create unjust criminals,
so if we use Jeongeum to discipline criminals, the number of unjust cases will decrease to some extent.
The fact that if we write documents in Jeongeum and read them to criminals,
the number of unjust cases will decrease is just one example of how Jeongeum can be used.
For example, if we translate the Samgang Haengsil-do (三綱行實圖) in Jeongeum and distribute it to the public,
the general public will be able to easily understand it,
so wouldn't there be many loyal subjects, filial sons, and chaste women?
As the conversation between Sejong and Vice-Minister Choi Man-ri continued, but no conclusion was reached, Eunggyo Jeong Chang-son, who was watching, intervened in Choi Man-ri.
“Your Majesty!
I have already drawn a picture to make it easy for the people to understand and distributed the Samgang Haengsil-do,
but although I did not translate it into Korean,
I have not seen many loyal subjects, filial sons, or chaste women appear after that.
This means that whether a person practices the Samgang (三綱) or not depends solely on the person’s character.
Therefore, even if the book is translated and distributed in Korean,
the people will not follow their conduct.”
“Oh!
Your words are even worse than Heo Jo’s.
How can this be said to be the words of a scholar who knows the principles of learning?
Then, since a person’s character is also created through education,
are you saying that education or teaching is not necessary? It is not the way of a scholar to blame the foolish people for their own qualities without thinking of teaching them to enlighten them.
Aren’t you truly a useless and vulgar scholar?”
When Jeong Chang-son was cornered after interjecting a word for no reason, Choi Man-ri took a step back and continued speaking.
“Your Majesty!
We do not consider things that accomplish things and establish merits valuable just because they are done quickly.
However, looking at all the measures taken by the country recently,
Everyone is focusing only on getting things done quickly,
I think this is not the foundation of governance.
Even if it is inevitable to create a written language,
Since this is a serious matter that will change customs,
It is right for you to consult with the ministers, lower-level officials, and the people. And even if everyone says it is right,
before implementing it, you should explain the meaning to the people enough,
and think about it three more times,
and compare it to the reigns of past emperors,
and if it is not wrong,
and if it is reported to China, there is no shame,
and if a sage is born in the future,
and if he sees it and thinks it is good,
then it is right to implement it.
But what about now?
Not only did you not ask the opinions of many people,
but you only ordered about ten low-level officials to learn the correct pronunciation,
and after lightly modifying the rhyme scheme that the ancients had already established,
you attached absurd words to it, gathered dozens of craftsmen,
and printed it and hurriedly distributed it widely.
What will the public opinion of the world and future generations be like? Moreover,
when you went to Chosuri (椒水里) in Cheongju (淸州),
you were especially concerned about the famine this year,
and in handling the state administration,
you entrusted all important matters to your ministers to be carried out briefly.
But the Korean language is not an urgent matter for the state,
and it is not something that has an unavoidable deadline,
so why are you rushing all the way to the temporary residence (所) and causing harm to Your Majesty's health?
We cannot do this properly.”
“Do you know the rhyme (韻書)?
Do you know the four tones (四聲) and seven sounds (七音) and how many letters there are?
Although our country's Chinese pronunciation should be the same as the Chinese pronunciation,
over the years, consonants and vowels have naturally been drawn to the Chinese pronunciation,
this is also because the Chinese pronunciation has changed over time.
However, even though the pronunciation has changed,
the meaning or intonation used may be the same as before,
but there is no book that conveys the correct information about it. So foolish teachers and common scholars do not know the method of half-cutting,
and do not know the classification method of consonants and vowels,
or because the letters look similar, they read them as the same sound,
or because they avoided the letters of the previous kings,
they borrowed other sounds,
or combined two letters into one,
or divided one sound into two,
and even further, they borrowed completely different letters,
or added or removed dots or strokes, followed the sounds of mainland China,
and followed the sounds of our country, so the consonants, pronunciation, meaning, and intonation all changed,
so if I do not correct this rhyme book,
who will correct it?
“Your Majesty!
An old scholar said,
All new and wonderful things take away the scholar's will,
so writing letters is the closest thing to a scholar's work,
but if you only like this,
this too will naturally lose its will.
Although Your Highness has achieved much virtue,
you still need to devote yourself deeply to the study of the sage,
and further cultivate your shortcomings.
Even if the vernacular is beneficial,
it is only one of the six arts of a scholar,
and will not be of any benefit to governing.
Your Highness devotes his mind and heart to this work,
and spends his days on it,
which is detrimental to the studies that must be cultivated urgently.”
“Since I am old and have entrusted the affairs of state to the Crown Prince,
even if it is a small matter, the Crown Prince should participate and decide,
so how much more so should we talk about Jeongeum?
If the Crown Prince is always in the Crown Prince’s care,
should a eunuch take charge of this matter?”
“Your Majesty!
If it is a public matter, no matter how small,
the Crown Prince cannot help but participate and decide,
but is there no need to spend all day worrying about something that is not so urgent?
“How can making Jeongeum not be a public matter of state?
It is difficult to talk to you any more.
How can there be such differences of opinion?”
“Your Majesty!
We all have such insignificant talents,
and we dare not keep our thoughts in our hearts,
so we humbly tell you all the thoughts in our hearts,
and thus disturb your Majesty’s good will.”
“Since you serve me closely,
and you must know my intentions clearly,
can we say that it is right to act like this?
Also, Kim Mun (金汶) used to say,
that it is not impossible to create a Korean alphabet,
but now he is among those who claim that it is impossible.
What is this?
I called you in to talk to you,
just to hear your opinions on the Jeongeum.
But you do not understand the King’s intentions,
and when you are cornered,
you respond with unreasonable words,
and instead, you cleverly change your words,
so I cannot help but hold you accountable.
Listen! “Right now, have Vice-Chancellor Choi Man-ri, Director Shin Seok-jo,
Jeong Jeon Kim Moon, Eunggyo Jeong Chang-son, Bugyo-ri Ha Wi-ji, Busuchan Song Cheo-geom,
Jejakrang Jo Geun imprisoned in the Uigeumbu!
Also, have the Uigeumbu investigate the reason why Kim Moon changed his attitude before and after and now speaks,
and report back on what kind of punishment he should receive!”
Sejong ordered that those who failed to understand the king's thoughts and intentions and made absurd and contradictory claims and changed their content when cornered in order to achieve their goals be imprisoned. However, Sejong ordered that they be released the next day, but he dismissed Jeong Chang-son, who had been scolded as a vulgar scholar, and ordered Kim Mun, who initially supported the establishment of the Jeongeum but later changed his words and opposed it, to pay a fine. However, Jeong Chang-son was not only reinstated soon after, but also rose to the position of Vice-Chancellor following Choi Man-ri. Kim Mun's crime was investigated and reported by the Office of the Inspector General, and he was to be beaten 100 times with a stick and forced to do hard labor such as baking salt or making iron for three years. However, he was not forced to do hard labor and was not even beaten with a stick 100 times, but was made to pay for his atonement. However, Choi Man-ri was released and reinstated the next day, but soon resigned and returned to his hometown, where he died the following year.
Just by looking at the fact that Choi Man-ri had worked since the expansion of Jiphyeonjeon, we can see how much Sejong cherished him. There is also this anecdote between Sejong and Choi Man-ri. Choi Man-ri liked drinking, and one day, he went to the king’s palace drunk and met him. Sejong was worried about Man-ri and said,
“Gyeong, for the sake of your health,
do not drink more than three glasses from now on.”
Man-ri, who could not disobey the king’s order, made his own large glass and drank only three glasses a day. Later, when Sejong met Man-ri, he found out that he had drunk a lot of alcohol and scolded him,
“Gyeong, you came out drunk again.
What happened?”
A colleague who was next to him said,
“Man-ri only drank three glasses as ordered,
but you made a large glass yourself and drank it.”
At this, Sejong laughed heartily and said,
“I didn’t know that Gyeong would follow the king’s orders so thoroughly.”
He immediately ordered his craftsman to make a large silver wine cup and place it in the main building of Jiphyeonjeon to entertain Manri frequently. Sejong granted Choi Manri a mansion outside of Sinmun. People called it Cheonganheo (千間墟), saying that it was large enough to accommodate a thousand rooms, and the name of the hill was called Manrihyeon (萬理峴). When Choi Manri returned to his hometown, Sejong left the position of Vice-President of Jiphyeonjeon empty and waited for Manri to return. When he heard the news of Manri’s death,
he sighed,
“The big Manri has finally died!”
Sejong forgot about sleep and mourned for a long time. Through this process, King Sejong completed Hangeul in December 1443. He then had his officials at Jiphyeonjeon, such as Shin Suk-ju and Seong Sam-mun, conduct research related to Hangeul and compile several books. Upon receiving orders from King Sejong, Shin Suk-ju and other officials wrote the manuscript for Hunminjeongeum, which was completed in September 1446. This book was the most representative example of such books and was a book that explained the principles of Hangeul and how to use it.
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