1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:04,560 Speaker 1: Welcome to Noble Blood, a production of iHeartRadio and Grimm 2 00:00:04,600 --> 00:00:13,080 Speaker 1: and Mild from Aaron Mankie listener Discretion advised June Jungpil 3 00:00:13,240 --> 00:00:16,639 Speaker 1: had to move quickly, but without bringing too much attention 4 00:00:16,760 --> 00:00:20,759 Speaker 1: to himself or his mission. He had ten thousand one 5 00:00:20,960 --> 00:00:25,440 Speaker 1: on him, which was enough money to buy several beautiful homes, 6 00:00:26,079 --> 00:00:30,240 Speaker 1: but that money was for something far more valuable than 7 00:00:30,320 --> 00:00:34,959 Speaker 1: a city block of mansions, something far more precious than 8 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:39,120 Speaker 1: he could let on. June headed south from Seoul towards 9 00:00:39,159 --> 00:00:42,479 Speaker 1: the city of Endong with his cash in tow and 10 00:00:42,600 --> 00:00:47,040 Speaker 1: his mind set on purchasing one of the most important 11 00:00:47,120 --> 00:00:52,279 Speaker 1: documents in Korean history. The year was nineteen forty and 12 00:00:52,479 --> 00:00:57,760 Speaker 1: Korea was in its thirtieth year under official Japanese imperial control. 13 00:00:58,440 --> 00:01:03,400 Speaker 1: As is fashionable for imperial rulers to do, the Japanese 14 00:01:03,440 --> 00:01:07,760 Speaker 1: government had made it a policy to suppress the Korean 15 00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:12,120 Speaker 1: people and Korean culture, going so far as to outlaw 16 00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:16,520 Speaker 1: Korean names. The government had also been chipping away at 17 00:01:16,640 --> 00:01:22,119 Speaker 1: Korean heritage and history through a variety of programs, including 18 00:01:22,360 --> 00:01:28,160 Speaker 1: taking national artifacts from the Korean peninsula to mainland Japan. 19 00:01:28,959 --> 00:01:33,640 Speaker 1: If the government knew about the existence of John's desired possession. 20 00:01:34,120 --> 00:01:37,760 Speaker 1: They would surely seize it and whisk it away, perhaps 21 00:01:37,880 --> 00:01:42,080 Speaker 1: even destroy it. As a collector of Korean antiques and 22 00:01:42,200 --> 00:01:46,000 Speaker 1: artifacts and an ardent believer in the beauty of Korean 23 00:01:46,160 --> 00:01:50,960 Speaker 1: art and history, June could not let Japan's colonial regime 24 00:01:51,480 --> 00:01:56,880 Speaker 1: steal an item so essential to Korean heritage. So as 25 00:01:56,920 --> 00:02:00,720 Speaker 1: he traveled out of Seoul, June tried to contain his 26 00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:06,640 Speaker 1: excitement and his anxiety. Once in Endong, John headed for 27 00:02:06,800 --> 00:02:11,480 Speaker 1: the antique dealer's store. The ten thousand one he carried 28 00:02:11,919 --> 00:02:15,840 Speaker 1: felt heavier and heavier the closer he got, and June 29 00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:19,040 Speaker 1: couldn't help but look over his shoulder every time he 30 00:02:19,120 --> 00:02:23,640 Speaker 1: turned a corner. The anticipation was gnawing at him. Was 31 00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:28,120 Speaker 1: the document actually real? Could someone have beaten him to it? 32 00:02:28,560 --> 00:02:32,040 Speaker 1: What if he was too late? His thoughts went silent 33 00:02:32,240 --> 00:02:36,080 Speaker 1: as he stepped into the shop. Before the door could 34 00:02:36,080 --> 00:02:39,480 Speaker 1: even close behind him, June made eye contact with the 35 00:02:39,520 --> 00:02:44,840 Speaker 1: shopkeeper and introduced himself. The antique dealer disappeared into a 36 00:02:44,919 --> 00:02:50,400 Speaker 1: back room and returned moments later holding a book. He 37 00:02:50,520 --> 00:02:54,399 Speaker 1: flipped open the pages of the book and explained it 38 00:02:54,639 --> 00:02:58,120 Speaker 1: was an heirloom of the House of Kim, Therein and Dong, 39 00:02:58,639 --> 00:03:02,120 Speaker 1: but John already knew that. He also knew that they 40 00:03:02,120 --> 00:03:05,400 Speaker 1: had only been asking one thousand wan for the book, 41 00:03:05,919 --> 00:03:10,120 Speaker 1: but John had sent a telegram ahead promising ten thousand 42 00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:14,000 Speaker 1: if they held it for him. After admiring the book 43 00:03:14,080 --> 00:03:17,320 Speaker 1: for a few moments, June handed the man the money 44 00:03:17,720 --> 00:03:21,639 Speaker 1: and watched as the shopkeeper carefully wrapped the book up 45 00:03:21,639 --> 00:03:25,720 Speaker 1: for him. Now that the document was his, he wouldn't 46 00:03:25,800 --> 00:03:28,840 Speaker 1: let it out of his sight. He would protect it 47 00:03:29,080 --> 00:03:33,400 Speaker 1: with his life. As he headed back to Seoul, June 48 00:03:33,440 --> 00:03:37,040 Speaker 1: couldn't believe what he was now holding. What was now his, 49 00:03:37,880 --> 00:03:41,960 Speaker 1: This piece of Korean heritage was worth far more than 50 00:03:42,040 --> 00:03:44,720 Speaker 1: the ten thousand one he had shelled out for it. 51 00:03:45,240 --> 00:03:49,200 Speaker 1: He now owned the only known copy of The Human 52 00:03:49,320 --> 00:03:54,160 Speaker 1: Jingham Hera, first published in fourteen forty six, the text 53 00:03:54,320 --> 00:04:00,920 Speaker 1: that explains King Sejong's greatest invention, a new alphabet quote. 54 00:04:01,360 --> 00:04:04,280 Speaker 1: The spoken language of our country is different from that 55 00:04:04,360 --> 00:04:08,320 Speaker 1: of China and does not suit the Chinese characters. Therefore, 56 00:04:08,360 --> 00:04:12,760 Speaker 1: amongst uneducated people, there have been many who, having something 57 00:04:12,840 --> 00:04:16,000 Speaker 1: they wished to put into words, have been unable to 58 00:04:16,080 --> 00:04:20,440 Speaker 1: express their feelings in writing. I am greatly distressed because 59 00:04:20,440 --> 00:04:23,960 Speaker 1: of this, and so I have made twenty eight new letters. 60 00:04:24,360 --> 00:04:27,440 Speaker 1: Let every one practice them at their ease and adapt 61 00:04:27,520 --> 00:04:31,960 Speaker 1: them to their daily use. End quote. While his creation 62 00:04:32,320 --> 00:04:37,599 Speaker 1: was underappreciated at the time, King Sijung's new alphabet, now 63 00:04:37,640 --> 00:04:42,760 Speaker 1: called Hengul, was a revolutionary way to codify human language. 64 00:04:43,440 --> 00:04:47,200 Speaker 1: Never before had humans invented a script for which the 65 00:04:47,360 --> 00:04:52,240 Speaker 1: exact reasoning behind each aspect of it could be articulated. 66 00:04:52,880 --> 00:04:59,720 Speaker 1: Modern scholars, but especially modern linguists, recognize King Sijung's alphabet 67 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:04,919 Speaker 1: to be one of humanity's greatest achievements. With his purchase 68 00:05:05,080 --> 00:05:09,479 Speaker 1: of the human jingom heire Jung Jungpil saved in artifact 69 00:05:09,920 --> 00:05:14,000 Speaker 1: not only crucial to Korean history, but also to our 70 00:05:14,200 --> 00:05:21,000 Speaker 1: understanding of one of humanity's most ingenious creations. I'm Danish schwartz, 71 00:05:21,240 --> 00:05:29,320 Speaker 1: and this is noble blood. Only one monarch in Korean 72 00:05:29,400 --> 00:05:33,880 Speaker 1: history bears the moniker the Great Sejong the Great, fourth 73 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:38,000 Speaker 1: monarch of the Josian dynasty. He ruled over Korea for 74 00:05:38,120 --> 00:05:42,960 Speaker 1: thirty two years from fourteen eighteen to fourteen fifty, and 75 00:05:43,120 --> 00:05:46,120 Speaker 1: is still heralded as a ruler who put the well 76 00:05:46,160 --> 00:05:51,160 Speaker 1: being of his subjects before all else. For our American listeners. 77 00:05:51,240 --> 00:05:56,040 Speaker 1: His status in Korean society can be compared to George Washington's. 78 00:05:56,440 --> 00:06:00,799 Speaker 1: He is a foundational figure in Korea's collective of conchas. 79 00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:05,720 Speaker 1: Sijong inherited the throne at a crucial point in the 80 00:06:05,800 --> 00:06:10,720 Speaker 1: Josian Dynasty's history. The Josian dynasty, which controlled modern day 81 00:06:10,760 --> 00:06:15,279 Speaker 1: North and South Korea, had toppled the previous dynasty just 82 00:06:15,560 --> 00:06:20,040 Speaker 1: thirty years earlier, which in dynasty times is pretty much nothing, 83 00:06:20,600 --> 00:06:24,080 Speaker 1: and most of the turmoil that came with the dissolution 84 00:06:24,360 --> 00:06:27,560 Speaker 1: of one dynasty and the rise of another had by 85 00:06:27,560 --> 00:06:32,000 Speaker 1: this point pretty much subsided. So now Sejong needed to 86 00:06:32,200 --> 00:06:36,039 Speaker 1: establish the identity of the Josian dynasty and weave it 87 00:06:36,120 --> 00:06:40,919 Speaker 1: together with that of Koreas. Fortunately, Seijong was up to 88 00:06:41,000 --> 00:06:45,520 Speaker 1: the task. Despite being young when he first rose to power, 89 00:06:45,880 --> 00:06:50,479 Speaker 1: he was an incredibly wise ruler. His mentality is summed 90 00:06:50,560 --> 00:06:53,560 Speaker 1: up well by this quote attributed to him, which is, 91 00:06:54,080 --> 00:06:57,720 Speaker 1: if the people prosper, how can the king not prosper 92 00:06:57,839 --> 00:07:01,240 Speaker 1: with them? And if the people do not prosper, how 93 00:07:01,279 --> 00:07:05,760 Speaker 1: may the king prosper without them? That quote captures exactly 94 00:07:05,880 --> 00:07:10,280 Speaker 1: how Seijung's commitment to his subject's well being drove both 95 00:07:10,320 --> 00:07:15,520 Speaker 1: his politics and his personal actions. We have the incredibly 96 00:07:15,720 --> 00:07:20,160 Speaker 1: detailed and organized siloc Or annals of the Josian dynasty 97 00:07:20,360 --> 00:07:24,840 Speaker 1: to thank for such specific quotes from King Sejung, as 98 00:07:24,880 --> 00:07:28,840 Speaker 1: well as for detailed descriptions of his life. While we 99 00:07:29,120 --> 00:07:32,480 Speaker 1: should take the writings in those annals with a grain 100 00:07:32,520 --> 00:07:35,760 Speaker 1: of salt, given that they were written for the express 101 00:07:35,840 --> 00:07:40,320 Speaker 1: purpose of recording for posterity the king's greatness, they are 102 00:07:40,760 --> 00:07:45,720 Speaker 1: useful sources in that they demonstrate which traits and accomplishments 103 00:07:45,960 --> 00:07:50,840 Speaker 1: King Sejung valued and therefore wanted to be portrayed as being. 104 00:07:50,960 --> 00:07:56,120 Speaker 1: And having done, I will say King Sejung did have 105 00:07:56,320 --> 00:07:59,640 Speaker 1: a lot of accomplishments to be proud of. He was 106 00:07:59,680 --> 00:08:04,360 Speaker 1: a thoughtful politician, careful not to over tax his subjects, 107 00:08:04,760 --> 00:08:09,600 Speaker 1: and compassionate in his policies. He also strengthened the country's 108 00:08:09,760 --> 00:08:14,680 Speaker 1: army with innovative and improved weaponry. But that's not all. 109 00:08:14,840 --> 00:08:19,000 Speaker 1: Sijung was also accomplished outside the areas typically within a 110 00:08:19,040 --> 00:08:23,120 Speaker 1: monarch's purview. He had a deep regard for wisdom, and 111 00:08:23,200 --> 00:08:27,200 Speaker 1: he formed a royal academy known as the Hall of Worthies, 112 00:08:27,760 --> 00:08:31,760 Speaker 1: where scholars would provide lectures for him and participate in 113 00:08:31,800 --> 00:08:36,120 Speaker 1: debates with him. The scholars could write books, conduct research, 114 00:08:36,520 --> 00:08:39,480 Speaker 1: and they would invent any number of things that would 115 00:08:39,480 --> 00:08:44,160 Speaker 1: better the lives of everyday Koreans. Some of those inventions 116 00:08:44,240 --> 00:08:50,120 Speaker 1: include the world's first standardized rain gage, an updated calendar system, 117 00:08:50,520 --> 00:08:54,520 Speaker 1: and a new type of printing press. Scholars in the 118 00:08:54,559 --> 00:09:00,000 Speaker 1: Hall of Worthies also published treatises on farming specifically in Korean, 119 00:09:00,600 --> 00:09:06,080 Speaker 1: as well as on traditional Korean medicinal knowledge. While scholars 120 00:09:06,080 --> 00:09:09,280 Speaker 1: in the Hall of Worthies ultimately created many of the 121 00:09:09,400 --> 00:09:13,679 Speaker 1: achievements attributed to Sejong's reign, we can't ignore that it 122 00:09:13,720 --> 00:09:19,080 Speaker 1: was Seijong's patronage that fostered their creativity. Artists were also 123 00:09:19,240 --> 00:09:23,960 Speaker 1: beneficiaries of Seijung's support, as his patronage resulted in the 124 00:09:23,960 --> 00:09:28,160 Speaker 1: publication of many books, the creation of hundreds of new 125 00:09:28,240 --> 00:09:32,880 Speaker 1: musical compositions, and the invention of a new musical instrument. 126 00:09:33,520 --> 00:09:38,440 Speaker 1: But one of his contributions stands head and shoulders above 127 00:09:38,520 --> 00:09:45,520 Speaker 1: the rest. Of all of King Sejong's inventions and contributions. 128 00:09:45,960 --> 00:09:49,839 Speaker 1: There's one that's the most dazzling, the invention of an 129 00:09:50,080 --> 00:09:55,600 Speaker 1: entirely new writing system. Hangul is a script whose modern 130 00:09:55,800 --> 00:10:02,280 Speaker 1: version contains twenty four basic letters, fourteen consonants, and ten vowels. 131 00:10:03,000 --> 00:10:08,840 Speaker 1: The script is both alphabetic since specific symbols symbolize certain sounds, 132 00:10:09,360 --> 00:10:14,480 Speaker 1: and syllabic because symbols can get combined to create a 133 00:10:14,679 --> 00:10:20,280 Speaker 1: syllabic unit. Traditionally, Hangle was written like other Asian scripts, 134 00:10:20,720 --> 00:10:25,320 Speaker 1: top to bottom, right to left, but nowadays Hangul is 135 00:10:25,360 --> 00:10:30,160 Speaker 1: typically written left to right. You might be asking yourself, Dana, 136 00:10:30,400 --> 00:10:33,240 Speaker 1: why do I care that King Sejun created a new 137 00:10:33,280 --> 00:10:36,360 Speaker 1: script in the fifteen hundreds? Out of everything he did, 138 00:10:36,440 --> 00:10:40,720 Speaker 1: it seems pretty cool, but otherwise not particularly life changing, 139 00:10:41,480 --> 00:10:44,680 Speaker 1: And you'd be right that perhaps creating a new writing 140 00:10:44,760 --> 00:10:49,000 Speaker 1: system isn't the most consequential thing a monarch can do. 141 00:10:49,840 --> 00:10:54,440 Speaker 1: But King Sejung and his Hall of worthies accomplished something 142 00:10:54,960 --> 00:10:59,520 Speaker 1: never done before, inventing a script for which the theory 143 00:10:59,600 --> 00:11:04,560 Speaker 1: and motives for it are fully articulated. Okay, if you're 144 00:11:04,600 --> 00:11:07,880 Speaker 1: not a linguistics nerd, let me walk out why this 145 00:11:08,120 --> 00:11:12,720 Speaker 1: is so cool. So almost all other alphabets and scripts 146 00:11:12,760 --> 00:11:17,080 Speaker 1: that humans have used have evolved over thousands of years 147 00:11:17,120 --> 00:11:23,840 Speaker 1: with no overarching theoretical guidelines dictating its structure. Hangoul is 148 00:11:23,880 --> 00:11:28,720 Speaker 1: the first alphabet of its kind. There's a systemic reasoning 149 00:11:28,880 --> 00:11:32,719 Speaker 1: behind each facet of the script, and we know all 150 00:11:32,800 --> 00:11:37,120 Speaker 1: of those reasons. Furthermore, the theory behind the script is 151 00:11:37,280 --> 00:11:42,880 Speaker 1: pretty impressive. The symbols represent the shape that human speech 152 00:11:43,000 --> 00:11:47,080 Speaker 1: organs like the tongue and throat make when various sounds 153 00:11:47,120 --> 00:11:52,240 Speaker 1: are made. So technically, if one knows what sound every 154 00:11:52,240 --> 00:11:57,280 Speaker 1: symbol represents, one could write many different languages using Hangoul. 155 00:11:58,120 --> 00:12:02,520 Speaker 1: Most linguists and scholars agree that Hengele is an immensely 156 00:12:02,679 --> 00:12:08,160 Speaker 1: creative achievement that should be counted among humankind's greatest creations, 157 00:12:08,679 --> 00:12:12,320 Speaker 1: which is some pretty high praise. I should note that 158 00:12:12,559 --> 00:12:16,080 Speaker 1: the more commonly used name for this script, and the 159 00:12:16,160 --> 00:12:19,920 Speaker 1: name I'll be using, Hangul, was actually coined in nineteen 160 00:12:20,080 --> 00:12:25,120 Speaker 1: twelve by Korean linguist Jews Sai Jung. Hangoule's original name 161 00:12:25,559 --> 00:12:30,440 Speaker 1: was human Jiongam, which translates to quote correct sounds for 162 00:12:30,559 --> 00:12:34,719 Speaker 1: the instruction of the people. If you recall, the document 163 00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:38,320 Speaker 1: that Jong Jung pill traveled across Korea to buy in 164 00:12:38,360 --> 00:12:42,920 Speaker 1: the introduction to this episode was called the Human jiong Hoay, 165 00:12:43,320 --> 00:12:48,000 Speaker 1: which translates to quote explanations and examples of the proper 166 00:12:48,080 --> 00:12:53,440 Speaker 1: sounds for the instruction of the people. The translation of 167 00:12:53,520 --> 00:12:59,480 Speaker 1: Hangoule's original name illuminates King Sejung's motivation behind his invention. 168 00:13:00,280 --> 00:13:04,240 Speaker 1: I mean, most monarchs dedicated their free time to leading 169 00:13:04,320 --> 00:13:09,880 Speaker 1: hunting expeditions or luxuriating with their mistresses, not personally having 170 00:13:09,920 --> 00:13:13,800 Speaker 1: a hand in creating a new writing system unlike anything 171 00:13:13,880 --> 00:13:18,480 Speaker 1: seen before in human history. But King Seijun's motivation as 172 00:13:18,520 --> 00:13:22,000 Speaker 1: a king was to better the lives of his subjects, 173 00:13:22,400 --> 00:13:26,520 Speaker 1: and he believed that a writing system custom designed for 174 00:13:26,720 --> 00:13:30,840 Speaker 1: the Korean language would be a crucial tool for achieving 175 00:13:31,040 --> 00:13:36,120 Speaker 1: betterment through education. At the time he lived, the vast 176 00:13:36,200 --> 00:13:40,760 Speaker 1: majority of published material in Korea was written in Chinese. 177 00:13:41,200 --> 00:13:46,040 Speaker 1: If we're being more specific, Koreans were reading classical Chinese 178 00:13:46,160 --> 00:13:50,640 Speaker 1: texts and writing new text in the Chinese language or 179 00:13:50,800 --> 00:13:57,120 Speaker 1: in Hanga, a Chinese script retrofitted to represent the Korean language, 180 00:13:57,720 --> 00:14:01,599 Speaker 1: So in order to be literate, one had to memorize 181 00:14:02,000 --> 00:14:06,880 Speaker 1: thousands of Chinese characters. It should be no surprise then, 182 00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:11,280 Speaker 1: that literacy was a difficult skill to achieve and a 183 00:14:11,320 --> 00:14:16,640 Speaker 1: skill reserved for the elites in Korea. King Sejung hoped 184 00:14:16,760 --> 00:14:20,800 Speaker 1: to bring literacy to the masses with a writing system 185 00:14:20,880 --> 00:14:25,560 Speaker 1: that had a smaller number of symbols, therefore infinitely easier 186 00:14:25,600 --> 00:14:30,720 Speaker 1: to learn, and made specifically for the Korean language. So, 187 00:14:31,080 --> 00:14:35,720 Speaker 1: in fourteen forty three, Hungle was officially announced, and the 188 00:14:35,760 --> 00:14:39,400 Speaker 1: books detailing the logic behind the script and how to 189 00:14:39,520 --> 00:14:42,680 Speaker 1: read and write it were published a few years later 190 00:14:43,040 --> 00:14:49,520 Speaker 1: in fourteen forty six aka the book that Jong Yungpil bought. Interestingly, 191 00:14:49,720 --> 00:14:55,200 Speaker 1: we aren't entirely certain who specifically invented Hengul, because there 192 00:14:55,280 --> 00:14:58,720 Speaker 1: is no record of the project before it was announced 193 00:14:58,760 --> 00:15:04,120 Speaker 1: as completed. Was it Sejung all by himself, or did 194 00:15:04,320 --> 00:15:07,040 Speaker 1: one or more of the scholars in the Hall of 195 00:15:07,120 --> 00:15:11,520 Speaker 1: Worthies invented at his behest, or maybe it was a collaboration. 196 00:15:12,440 --> 00:15:17,120 Speaker 1: Most scholars believe that Seijung and his scholars collaborated on 197 00:15:17,320 --> 00:15:20,920 Speaker 1: the language, but that the king did indeed play a 198 00:15:21,120 --> 00:15:25,800 Speaker 1: large personal role in creating the script. In fact, records 199 00:15:25,840 --> 00:15:32,240 Speaker 1: indicate that Seijung pushed through neurologia, diabetes, and worsening eyesight 200 00:15:32,640 --> 00:15:35,280 Speaker 1: in order to work on the language even after it 201 00:15:35,360 --> 00:15:39,239 Speaker 1: was announced, going so far as to bring his linguistic 202 00:15:39,280 --> 00:15:42,560 Speaker 1: books with him on a trip to Hot Springs when 203 00:15:42,560 --> 00:15:46,560 Speaker 1: he was trying to recover his health. As you might 204 00:15:46,600 --> 00:15:50,800 Speaker 1: be able to guess, Korean elites were not thrilled with 205 00:15:50,920 --> 00:15:55,120 Speaker 1: the King's new invention. The creation of a new script 206 00:15:55,400 --> 00:16:00,560 Speaker 1: disrupted centuries of custom that privileged the Chinese life language 207 00:16:00,840 --> 00:16:05,000 Speaker 1: over Korean, which they knew. On top of that, they 208 00:16:05,040 --> 00:16:08,800 Speaker 1: weren't thrilled with the idea that the general population could 209 00:16:08,800 --> 00:16:13,160 Speaker 1: now have access to the politically powerful tools of reading 210 00:16:13,200 --> 00:16:19,440 Speaker 1: and writing. Such a change threatened their status. Now elites 211 00:16:19,640 --> 00:16:23,000 Speaker 1: couldn't just come out and say that they felt threatened 212 00:16:23,080 --> 00:16:27,960 Speaker 1: by the language, so instead they crafted other arguments against 213 00:16:28,000 --> 00:16:33,120 Speaker 1: the new script. Famously, Choi Manly, an associate professor in 214 00:16:33,160 --> 00:16:38,040 Speaker 1: the Hall of Worthies, expressed this critique quote, since the 215 00:16:38,120 --> 00:16:42,400 Speaker 1: new alphabet is so easily understood, I fear that the 216 00:16:42,440 --> 00:16:47,080 Speaker 1: people will fall into laziness and never make efforts to learn. 217 00:16:47,800 --> 00:16:51,440 Speaker 1: Those who do not use Chinese characters, but other letters 218 00:16:51,480 --> 00:16:57,200 Speaker 1: and alphabets are all barbarians without exception to use new letters, 219 00:16:57,360 --> 00:17:01,920 Speaker 1: which surely make us barbarians ourselves. Why does your Highness 220 00:17:01,920 --> 00:17:05,359 Speaker 1: seek to alter a language that has been used since 221 00:17:05,440 --> 00:17:10,160 Speaker 1: early antiquity and has no ill effects, and place alongside 222 00:17:10,200 --> 00:17:13,840 Speaker 1: it a set of course and vulgar characters of no 223 00:17:14,040 --> 00:17:17,600 Speaker 1: worth at all. In other words, if reading and writing 224 00:17:17,720 --> 00:17:23,440 Speaker 1: is easy, that'll make us lazy barbarians. But King Sejung 225 00:17:23,760 --> 00:17:28,560 Speaker 1: was not deterred by his critics. Beyond believing in his mission, 226 00:17:28,760 --> 00:17:32,040 Speaker 1: he was not about to abandon a project he dedicated 227 00:17:32,280 --> 00:17:35,960 Speaker 1: years to, and so the king stuck to his guns 228 00:17:36,359 --> 00:17:40,359 Speaker 1: and began publishing all of his royal edicts in both 229 00:17:40,720 --> 00:17:46,000 Speaker 1: Chinese Hunga and in Hungoul. He commissioned classical works of 230 00:17:46,119 --> 00:17:51,399 Speaker 1: literature transcribed into Hungul and made Hungul a required portion 231 00:17:51,640 --> 00:17:55,480 Speaker 1: of the state exam. For the remainder of his reign, 232 00:17:55,800 --> 00:17:59,439 Speaker 1: Sejung went out of his way to promote Hangoul in 233 00:17:59,480 --> 00:18:02,760 Speaker 1: the hopes that his fellow nobles would come to see 234 00:18:02,920 --> 00:18:10,880 Speaker 1: the beauty and benefits of his greatest creation. Unfortunately, despite 235 00:18:10,880 --> 00:18:15,359 Speaker 1: his best efforts, when King Sejong passed away in fourteen fifty, 236 00:18:15,840 --> 00:18:19,720 Speaker 1: so too died the push to use Hangul. The script 237 00:18:19,880 --> 00:18:23,640 Speaker 1: fell into disuse by the elites, who gave the language 238 00:18:23,760 --> 00:18:28,720 Speaker 1: nicknames that translate to quote the vulgar Script, the woman's Script, 239 00:18:29,119 --> 00:18:34,800 Speaker 1: and the children's Script. Eventually, things went beyond just social 240 00:18:34,880 --> 00:18:40,320 Speaker 1: ostracism when in fifteen o four, an anonymous writer published 241 00:18:40,440 --> 00:18:45,600 Speaker 1: criticisms of the then king in Hangul. The king was 242 00:18:45,840 --> 00:18:50,120 Speaker 1: so furious with this publication that he outlawed the script. 243 00:18:50,640 --> 00:18:55,280 Speaker 1: So for the four centuries after Hungul was created, the 244 00:18:55,320 --> 00:18:59,920 Speaker 1: nobility in Korea relegated the language to the dusty storage 245 00:19:00,400 --> 00:19:06,920 Speaker 1: of history. But listener, fear not, King Sejung's magnificent creation 246 00:19:07,320 --> 00:19:11,320 Speaker 1: was not lost to society entirely, and we can thank 247 00:19:11,480 --> 00:19:16,600 Speaker 1: religious minorities, women and my favorite people, writers and artists 248 00:19:16,680 --> 00:19:20,800 Speaker 1: for that. Like I just mentioned, one of the supposedly 249 00:19:20,920 --> 00:19:26,280 Speaker 1: derogatory nicknames for hangoul used to be the quote Women's script. 250 00:19:27,000 --> 00:19:30,720 Speaker 1: Looking past the fact that being associated with women was 251 00:19:30,760 --> 00:19:35,600 Speaker 1: supposedly a bad thing, this nickname actually reveals that women 252 00:19:36,000 --> 00:19:40,520 Speaker 1: were substantial in keeping Hungoul in use. Further, it appears 253 00:19:40,560 --> 00:19:46,320 Speaker 1: that women across social classes used hangoul from records referencing 254 00:19:46,680 --> 00:19:50,399 Speaker 1: intercept personal notes, we know that women in the royal 255 00:19:50,520 --> 00:19:55,160 Speaker 1: family used hangoul for their everyday writing, so too did 256 00:19:55,240 --> 00:19:59,320 Speaker 1: women in lower classes, who were less likely to receive 257 00:19:59,359 --> 00:20:06,320 Speaker 1: an education in the complicated Chinese characters. Additionally, Korean Buddhists 258 00:20:06,400 --> 00:20:10,800 Speaker 1: were some of the first advocates of hangoul after King Sejung, 259 00:20:11,240 --> 00:20:14,879 Speaker 1: and they played a large role in the preservation of 260 00:20:14,920 --> 00:20:20,080 Speaker 1: hangoul from King Sejung's time onward. Although the official policy 261 00:20:20,240 --> 00:20:26,280 Speaker 1: of the Josian dynasty was to promote Confucianism and repress Buddhism, 262 00:20:26,600 --> 00:20:31,280 Speaker 1: Buddhism still managed to maintain a significant foothold amongst the 263 00:20:31,359 --> 00:20:36,840 Speaker 1: general population when translating and printing scripture meant to serve 264 00:20:36,920 --> 00:20:42,080 Speaker 1: the common people. Buddhist monks used hangoul. Thus in their 265 00:20:42,119 --> 00:20:46,440 Speaker 1: efforts to bring people to Buddhism. These monks preserved and 266 00:20:46,720 --> 00:20:52,400 Speaker 1: taught hangoul throughout Korea. European missionaries also relied on hangoul 267 00:20:52,480 --> 00:20:57,240 Speaker 1: to teach the Bible and teach Christian practices, ultimately spreading 268 00:20:57,280 --> 00:21:01,639 Speaker 1: Hangol in the same way Buddhist monks did. While those 269 00:21:01,800 --> 00:21:06,480 Speaker 1: with religious motivation saw the usefulness of hangoul, they weren't alone. 270 00:21:07,080 --> 00:21:10,840 Speaker 1: Starting in the late sixteenth century, there was a renaissance 271 00:21:10,880 --> 00:21:14,359 Speaker 1: of literature and poetry in Korea, and many of those 272 00:21:14,400 --> 00:21:20,000 Speaker 1: forms utilized hangoul. Gasa and Sizo forms of poetry in particular, 273 00:21:20,240 --> 00:21:25,760 Speaker 1: used the language. A continuation of that renaissance, hangoul novels 274 00:21:25,880 --> 00:21:30,320 Speaker 1: came into popularity in the seventeenth century. Korean readers were 275 00:21:30,359 --> 00:21:34,719 Speaker 1: looking for stories similar to those from Chinese novels of 276 00:21:34,760 --> 00:21:39,359 Speaker 1: the time that told love stories and adventures. Some of 277 00:21:39,400 --> 00:21:44,480 Speaker 1: those first novels were just translations of Chinese stories into Hangoul, 278 00:21:44,800 --> 00:21:49,760 Speaker 1: but soon a flourishing industry of original Hangoul novels developed. 279 00:21:50,280 --> 00:21:54,520 Speaker 1: Hangoul novels specifically meant for a female audience were also 280 00:21:54,640 --> 00:21:59,520 Speaker 1: quite popular and further helped disseminate the language to populations 281 00:21:59,720 --> 00:22:04,679 Speaker 1: even less likely to be literate. While books and religious 282 00:22:04,800 --> 00:22:09,880 Speaker 1: texts are some of the easiest artifacts Demonstratinghungul's usage, there 283 00:22:09,880 --> 00:22:14,360 Speaker 1: were other less remarkable ways that people preserved and used Hungoul. 284 00:22:14,800 --> 00:22:18,359 Speaker 1: The script was popular amongst the urban middle class of 285 00:22:18,480 --> 00:22:27,920 Speaker 1: bureaucrats and administrators for records and bookkeepings. All of these groups, poets, Buddhists, women, Christians, 286 00:22:28,200 --> 00:22:32,560 Speaker 1: the middle class, bureaucrats, and more kept Hungul alive and 287 00:22:32,720 --> 00:22:38,760 Speaker 1: in use for centuries after Sejung's passing in the nineteenth century, 288 00:22:39,119 --> 00:22:43,800 Speaker 1: as nationalism in Korea rose, so too did people's usage 289 00:22:43,840 --> 00:22:48,520 Speaker 1: of Hangoul. Finally, in eighteen forty nine, the script was 290 00:22:48,560 --> 00:22:52,840 Speaker 1: adopted as the national writing system of Korea, and it 291 00:22:52,920 --> 00:22:56,000 Speaker 1: was used for the first time in the modern era 292 00:22:56,440 --> 00:23:01,600 Speaker 1: for official government documents. There was the period under Japanese 293 00:23:01,640 --> 00:23:06,639 Speaker 1: colonial rule when Hangoul was outlawed, but since Korea's liberation 294 00:23:06,920 --> 00:23:11,280 Speaker 1: in nineteen forty five, Hangoul has been the official writing 295 00:23:11,359 --> 00:23:16,080 Speaker 1: system of Korea, now North Korea and South Korea respectively. 296 00:23:16,760 --> 00:23:20,919 Speaker 1: In South Korea specifically, the country's literacy rate at the 297 00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:24,080 Speaker 1: end of World War II was roughly twenty two percent. 298 00:23:24,760 --> 00:23:28,120 Speaker 1: Now the country has a literacy rate of ninety seven 299 00:23:28,320 --> 00:23:32,600 Speaker 1: point nine percent. Now, I'm not attempting to attribute that 300 00:23:32,680 --> 00:23:36,520 Speaker 1: growth to just Hangoul becoming the official writing system by 301 00:23:36,560 --> 00:23:39,880 Speaker 1: any means. I only mention it because all I can 302 00:23:39,960 --> 00:23:43,639 Speaker 1: think is that King Seijung would be so proud to 303 00:23:43,720 --> 00:23:48,040 Speaker 1: note just how many people use his creation every day, 304 00:23:48,600 --> 00:23:53,000 Speaker 1: just like he wanted. Anyone who quote having something they 305 00:23:53,040 --> 00:23:56,480 Speaker 1: wished to put into words, is now able to express 306 00:23:56,560 --> 00:24:02,600 Speaker 1: their feelings in writing. Keep listening after a brief sponsor break, 307 00:24:02,760 --> 00:24:05,800 Speaker 1: to hear about the current court case going on in 308 00:24:05,880 --> 00:24:10,040 Speaker 1: South Korea over the second known copy of the Human 309 00:24:10,160 --> 00:24:14,960 Speaker 1: Juniam Here and the fire which threatened its very existence. 310 00:24:20,520 --> 00:24:24,359 Speaker 1: As I mentioned in the introduction to today's episode, until 311 00:24:24,440 --> 00:24:27,600 Speaker 1: June Jungpil found a copy of The Human jing and 312 00:24:27,720 --> 00:24:32,040 Speaker 1: Here in nineteen forty that important part of Korean history 313 00:24:32,520 --> 00:24:36,359 Speaker 1: was believed to have been lost to history forever, and 314 00:24:36,560 --> 00:24:40,960 Speaker 1: until two thousand and eight, Jones copy was believed to 315 00:24:41,040 --> 00:24:44,440 Speaker 1: be the only remaining copy of that text in the world. 316 00:24:45,040 --> 00:24:50,280 Speaker 1: That is, until another collector stepped forward with a second copy. 317 00:24:50,960 --> 00:24:54,359 Speaker 1: In two thousand and eight, Bei Ikji, a rare book 318 00:24:54,400 --> 00:24:59,280 Speaker 1: collector and scholar with a specialization in classic Chinese literature, 319 00:24:59,680 --> 00:25:03,080 Speaker 1: declared declared to the world that he had found a 320 00:25:03,240 --> 00:25:07,480 Speaker 1: copy of The Human Jingham here tucked away amongst two 321 00:25:07,640 --> 00:25:11,600 Speaker 1: boxes of ancient books that he had found earlier that year. 322 00:25:12,359 --> 00:25:17,080 Speaker 1: After Bay went public with his find, South Korea's Cultural 323 00:25:17,200 --> 00:25:22,840 Speaker 1: Heritage Administration, also known as the CHA, visited his home 324 00:25:23,000 --> 00:25:29,520 Speaker 1: to inspect the document. The CHA ultimately validated that document's legitimacy. 325 00:25:29,920 --> 00:25:33,600 Speaker 1: They declared it to be quote authentic, in good shape, 326 00:25:33,800 --> 00:25:38,119 Speaker 1: and even has a footnote. The administration even went so 327 00:25:38,280 --> 00:25:41,320 Speaker 1: far as to compare it to the copy found in 328 00:25:41,400 --> 00:25:45,720 Speaker 1: nineteen forty quote. This copy seems to be in better 329 00:25:45,760 --> 00:25:49,960 Speaker 1: condition than the current National treasure, despite its loss of 330 00:25:50,040 --> 00:25:53,119 Speaker 1: four pages of the preface and one page of the 331 00:25:53,240 --> 00:25:58,040 Speaker 1: latter part. The footnote on the newly discovered version was 332 00:25:58,119 --> 00:26:02,840 Speaker 1: particularly exciting because the copy Jong had purchased in nineteen 333 00:26:02,920 --> 00:26:07,239 Speaker 1: forty did not have that footnote. It appears to have 334 00:26:07,280 --> 00:26:10,879 Speaker 1: been written by a scholar contemporary with King Sei Jung, 335 00:26:11,320 --> 00:26:16,200 Speaker 1: therefore adding to our understanding of how scholars interpreted Hangul 336 00:26:16,320 --> 00:26:22,480 Speaker 1: when it was first announced. But unfortunately, almost everybody has 337 00:26:22,560 --> 00:26:27,080 Speaker 1: been unable to see that footnote because Bey's copy of 338 00:26:27,119 --> 00:26:31,879 Speaker 1: The Human jingam Here has courted controversy almost from the 339 00:26:31,960 --> 00:26:36,760 Speaker 1: moment its existence became public knowledge. As I mentioned, Bee 340 00:26:36,800 --> 00:26:40,879 Speaker 1: claimed that he had found the manuscript essentially hidden away 341 00:26:41,000 --> 00:26:44,359 Speaker 1: and forgotten about, in a box of rare books that 342 00:26:44,440 --> 00:26:48,000 Speaker 1: he happened to buy. A month after the announcement of 343 00:26:48,040 --> 00:26:52,400 Speaker 1: the manuscript's discovery, the antique dealer who had sold him 344 00:26:52,520 --> 00:26:56,399 Speaker 1: that box of books came forward and stated that the 345 00:26:56,680 --> 00:27:00,000 Speaker 1: Human jingam Here was not supposed to be in those boxes. 346 00:27:00,800 --> 00:27:05,359 Speaker 1: Bey had stolen it from him. The antique dealer promptly 347 00:27:05,400 --> 00:27:10,439 Speaker 1: filed civil and criminal suits against Bey. In the criminal case, 348 00:27:10,520 --> 00:27:14,240 Speaker 1: it was initially ruled that Bey was guilty and should 349 00:27:14,320 --> 00:27:18,320 Speaker 1: serve ten years in jail. However, the case was appealed 350 00:27:18,800 --> 00:27:22,840 Speaker 1: all the way to South Korea's Supreme Court, who declared 351 00:27:22,960 --> 00:27:27,280 Speaker 1: Bee innocent. The civil case, on the other hand, turned 352 00:27:27,280 --> 00:27:31,680 Speaker 1: out in the antique dealer's favor. That antique dealer named 353 00:27:31,800 --> 00:27:36,720 Speaker 1: Joe ultimately one, and judges from the lower courts all 354 00:27:36,800 --> 00:27:39,960 Speaker 1: the way to the Supreme Court ruled that the document 355 00:27:40,240 --> 00:27:45,800 Speaker 1: should be returned to Joe upon being awarded legally recognized 356 00:27:45,840 --> 00:27:50,000 Speaker 1: ownership of the human Jingham here. In twenty eleven, Joe 357 00:27:50,040 --> 00:27:54,280 Speaker 1: announced that he would donate the document to the CCHA, 358 00:27:54,920 --> 00:27:59,400 Speaker 1: and in twenty twelve they held a donation ceremony shortly 359 00:27:59,440 --> 00:28:04,000 Speaker 1: before Joe passed away. So if Joe donated the book 360 00:28:04,119 --> 00:28:09,400 Speaker 1: to CHA, why haven't many people seen it? The donation 361 00:28:09,640 --> 00:28:15,399 Speaker 1: ceremony was purely ceremonial. None of them actually had the book. 362 00:28:16,400 --> 00:28:20,480 Speaker 1: Despite the fact that Bee was found legally responsible for 363 00:28:20,680 --> 00:28:25,840 Speaker 1: returning the rare document to Joe, Bee refused and he 364 00:28:26,000 --> 00:28:32,080 Speaker 1: hid the manuscript away. CCHA has conducted multiple raids on 365 00:28:32,160 --> 00:28:36,320 Speaker 1: Bey's home and office, but they've been unable to find anything. 366 00:28:36,920 --> 00:28:41,000 Speaker 1: To this day, Be still has the document hidden away. 367 00:28:42,000 --> 00:28:44,880 Speaker 1: But I am not done regaling you with the journey 368 00:28:45,000 --> 00:28:48,880 Speaker 1: of this human Jingham Here. Things got even messier in 369 00:28:48,960 --> 00:28:53,120 Speaker 1: twenty fifteen when a fire broke out in Bey's home, 370 00:28:53,440 --> 00:28:58,000 Speaker 1: where he was presumably hiding the document Be claims that 371 00:28:58,160 --> 00:29:01,400 Speaker 1: he broke into his home while was on fire so 372 00:29:01,440 --> 00:29:05,120 Speaker 1: that he could save the document. To prove his claim, 373 00:29:05,440 --> 00:29:08,920 Speaker 1: he released a photo to the news showing the human 374 00:29:09,000 --> 00:29:13,400 Speaker 1: Jingham here, still intact, but with its edges seared by 375 00:29:13,400 --> 00:29:18,640 Speaker 1: the flames. After releasing those photos, Bey hid the document 376 00:29:18,680 --> 00:29:22,040 Speaker 1: away again, and it is still in his possession to 377 00:29:22,280 --> 00:29:27,080 Speaker 1: this day, despite many attempts by the CHA to recover it. 378 00:29:27,800 --> 00:29:32,200 Speaker 1: Negotiations between Bey and the CHA over the document are 379 00:29:32,280 --> 00:29:37,120 Speaker 1: still ongoing, but constantly stall out, with Bey asking for 380 00:29:37,520 --> 00:29:41,800 Speaker 1: only one hundred billion wand which is only one tenth 381 00:29:42,000 --> 00:29:47,000 Speaker 1: of the documents supposed one trillion one value, but the 382 00:29:47,400 --> 00:29:51,920 Speaker 1: CHA is only offering him one hundred million one. We 383 00:29:52,040 --> 00:29:55,200 Speaker 1: will have to stay tuned to see what twists and 384 00:29:55,320 --> 00:29:58,920 Speaker 1: turns come next in the drama surrounding the document, but 385 00:29:59,000 --> 00:30:01,440 Speaker 1: we can all hope that now one day it'll be 386 00:30:01,520 --> 00:30:05,000 Speaker 1: available to the public to anyone who wishes to see 387 00:30:05,040 --> 00:30:09,560 Speaker 1: a critical part of Hanghoul's history. After all, the language 388 00:30:09,600 --> 00:30:13,840 Speaker 1: itself was meant to empower the people, its documents, and 389 00:30:13,920 --> 00:30:17,680 Speaker 1: its history should be available, in my opinion, to the 390 00:30:17,720 --> 00:30:27,560 Speaker 1: people as well. Noble Blood is a production of iHeart 391 00:30:27,640 --> 00:30:31,560 Speaker 1: Radio and Grim and mild from Aaron Mankey. Noble Blood 392 00:30:31,640 --> 00:30:35,440 Speaker 1: is hosted by me Dana Schwartz, with additional writing and 393 00:30:35,560 --> 00:30:40,080 Speaker 1: research by Hannah Johnston, Hannaswick, Courtney Sender, Amy Hit and 394 00:30:40,160 --> 00:30:44,840 Speaker 1: Julia Melaney. The show is edited and produced by Jesse Funk, 395 00:30:45,200 --> 00:30:50,960 Speaker 1: with supervising producer rima il KLi and executive producers Aaron Manke, 396 00:30:51,320 --> 00:30:55,840 Speaker 1: Trevor Young, and Matt Frederick. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, 397 00:30:56,080 --> 00:31:00,440 Speaker 1: visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen 398 00:31:00,440 --> 00:31:01,440 Speaker 1: to your favorite shows.