Overview
At Gwanghwamun Square, located on Sejong-ro in front of Gyeongbokgung Palace, there is a statue of King Sejong. Considering the historical fact that King Sejong was the first king to ascend the throne at Gyeongbokgung Palace as a national hero, he built a statue of King Sejong with a new spirit to boost national pride and widely promote the excellence of the nation by creating a statue of King Sejong. The statue is 6.2 meters high and 4.3 meters wide, positioned on a pedestal facing south, and is located 250 meters behind Admiral Yi Sun-sin. The statue's appearance is more gentle than royal majesty, with a book in one hand and a warm feeling as if comforting the people in the other. In the space in front of the statue of King Sejong, there are displays of the Honcheonui (渾天儀, an instrument used to measure the movement and position of celestial bodies to serve as an astronomical clock), a rain gauge (used to measure rainfall from the time of King Sejong to the late Joseon period), and a sundial (仰釜日晷, a sundial made in the 17th~18th centuries). The waterway flowing along the edge of the square is engraved with a timeline from the Joseon Dynasty. On the back of the statue, six column-shaped columns are carved in relief form of the Hall of Worthies: the Haksa-do, Jujaso-do, Six-Base Pioneering, Tsushima Conquest, Creation, and Seoun-gwan-do, symbolically showcasing King Sejong's achievements. At the rear pedestal, there is an entrance to the underground exhibition hall of the Sejong Story Exhibition Hall. King Sejong the Great was the 4th king of Joseon (reigned 1418~1450). During his reign, he established the foundation of Confucian politics and implemented various systems such as public law, solidifying the foundation of the Joseon Dynasty. Additionally, he contributed to the flourishing of Joseon culture, including the creation of Hangul, greatly advanced science and technology, and expanded the territory based on accumulated national strength. His given name was Do, and he was the third son of King Taejong. His mother was Queen Wongyeong of the Min clan. The Queen Dowager was Queen Sohun, daughter of Sim On, Prince of Cheongcheon.