[May 18] Sejong, king of Korea

True Name: 세종대왕 世宗大王
Surname: "The Great"
Parents: Taejong, king of Korea, and Wongyeong

Date of Birth: 15 May 1397

House: Joseon
Spouse: Soheon, among others

Predecessor: Taejong

Reign: 1418 – 1450

Summary: Despite being the third son of King Taejong, Sejong was always the favorite. He was made grand prince in 1399 in spite of his brothers. He was helped along the way a bit. His eldest brother didn't want to be king, so he acted the fool until he was banished from Seoul. The brother wandered through the mountains, while the second brother became a Buddhist monk. In August 1418 Taejong abdicated in favor of Sejong. He retained control over the military and had a great influence over court life until he died in 1422. From that point forward, Sejong was the sole ruler of Korea.

Beginning in 1419. Sejong began plans to remove Japanese pirates off of Korea's coastline. The end result of this was a long war that was not finally resolved until 1443 with the Treaty of Gyehae, but the threat of Japan was finally removed. In the north, Sejong sent a general to deal with Manchu incursions that had begun to threaten his borders. Four forts were built to secure the northern borders. The domestic and political management of his realm is where Sejong shines. He wanted to protect and enlighten his people, and did so in numerous ways. He improved the agricultural life of the peasants and encouraged creative thought and invention. His most successful inventor, a peasant named Jang Yeong-sil, he brought to court and promoted despite protests from the aristocracy. Sejong also corrected the calendar to better reflect Korean dates rather than Chinese dates. Sejong's most impressive feat, though, was the creation of the Korean written language, Hangul. While the aristocracy retained Chinese as their written language, the peasants suddenly became literate and began using Hangul in everyday life. Sejong continued to rule an enlightened people even after he went blind in his later years. He eventually died of diabetes-related causes in 1450, whereafter he was succeeded by his son Munjong. Civil war broke out two years after when Munjong died leaving the throne to a grandson of Sejong's and his second son. The two fought long and undermined the peace that Sejong had established in Korea.

Date of Death: 18 May 1450

Successor: Munjong

Other Monarch Deaths:

Wladyslaw, duke of Opole (1401)

Túpac Amaru II, pretender to the Inca (1781)

[January 21] Gojong, emperor of Korea

True Name: Yi Myeong-bok Gojong Gwangmuji (고종 광무제 이명복)
Date of Birth: 8 September 1852
Parents: Heungseon Daewongun and Yeoheung

Royal House: Joseon

Spouse: Myeongseong

Reign: 1863 – 1907

Predecessor: Cheoljong, king of Korea

Summary: Gojong was king of Korea from the age of eleven, and so during his minority his father, Heungseon, ruled in his stead. Gojong early reign was one of isolationism, a policy that alienated the Catholic population causing a response from France, which resulted a counter-response from the United States in 1871. Within Korea, royal rule was centralized around the regency of Heungseon, though when Gojong took direct rule in 1873, the centralized state remained. 

Warfare between China and Japan broke out on the Korean Peninsula due to a treaty signed between Japan and Korea in 1876.  The Treaty of Ganghwa was an unequal treaty giving Japan vast powers over the Korean government. Things became worse in 1894 when the Korean government requested Japanese military aide to suppress the Donghak Peasant Revolution. When Gojong attempted to break Japanese control, his wife was assassinated within the royal palace. With few other choices, Gonjong fled his palace and stayed at the Russian embassy until he returned in 1897 only to declare the founding of the Korean Empire, thereby severing ties with the Chinese Empire to which it had so long pledged a nominal fealty. But the declaration failed to secure true independence from Japan. The Japanese victory over Russia in 1905 led to Japan taking real control over Korea, stripping it of its independence. Gojong was forced to abdicate two years later after expressing anti-Japanese sentiments at the Hague Peace Convention of 1907. His son, Sunjong, replaced him. Three years later, Japan formally annexed the Empire of Korea.

Date of Death: 21 January 1919

Successor: Sunjong, emperor of Korea

Other Monarchs Who Died Today:

• Erchanger, duke of Swabia (917)
• Paschal II, pope of Rome (1118)
• Mustafa III, sultan of the Ottoman Empire (1774)
• Louis XVI, king of France (1793)