Korean history is long and interesting, especially when it comes to the lives of the Korean princes and kings. Here are some of the more famous Korean princes and kings.

Sejong the Great (세종대왕) is only one of the few Korean kings that have the distinction of being called “great”. He created the Korean writing system called Hangul (한글), which made it easier for peasants to read. He also strengthened the Korean military to protect the country against foreign attacks. Many technological inventions were spurred by his determination to defend Korea’s borders. Sejong left behind some personal writings. Here is a video that shows Sejong’s portrait, and a part of his diary :

King Jeongjo (정조) was known for his attempts to reform Korean society. Before King Jeongjo’s reign, many government posts were barred from the lower classes. He tried to change Korean society by appointing government workers from the lower classes. The nobles were upset by this and there are various theories pointing the nobles’ involvement in King Jeongjo’s death. You can check out a Korean drama called Yisan (이산). The drama portrays the life of King Jeongjo from his childhood to his death.

Prince Sado (사도) was actually the father of King Jeongjo. He was the crown prince, next in line to the throne. Unfortunately, Prince Sado was framed by the court nobles. An armory of guns was found at his residence and the king (grandfather of King Jeongjo) ordered Prince Sado to die by starvation in a rice chest. The story of Prince Sado’s life was carefully written by Prince Sado’s wife (King Jeongjo’s mother). Her memoirs can be found on amazon.com.

King Yeonsangun’s (연산군) title as king was taken away when he was forced into exile. He was one of Korea’s infamous kings. He angered the nobles by bringing prostitutes to the royal court. He also led two major massacres to get rid of certain nobles and his father’s concubines. The massacres were carried out to avenge his mother’s death, who he felt was framed to death. An old Korean drama aired in 1995 called Jang Nok-Su (장족수) describes the story of both the king and his concubine Jang Nok-su.