Country that you go banknotes that you find, but who is depicted on the Korean banknotes?

In this article, you will find out who are the historical Korean characters who have earned the honor of being depicted on the Won.

1,000 Won – Lee Hwang (1501 – 1570)

Lee Hwang (also known as Toegye “퇴계”) was one of the most important and brilliant characters in Korean history. He was the master of another famous Korean scholar (Lee Yi, known as Yulgok, which we find on the 5,000 won in fact).

He learned the classics of Confucius at the age of 12 and at 18 had already written one of his most important poems. He had many different positions within the government, the most important being that of “Royal Secret Inspector” (which will have been his job with this assignment?).

He was also famous, of course, for his neo-Confucian teachings, and although Yulgok was one of his students, the two eventually found themselves in a position of philosophical rivals.

5,000 Won – Lee Yi (1536 – 1584)

Lee Yi (also known as Yulgok “율곡“) was the son of Shim Saimdang, she who sits on the throne of 50,000 won, after all, good blood does not lie. Student, as we have said, of Lee Hwang, he learned to read at the age of 3, at 7 he had finished all the classics of Confucius and at 13 he had already passed the literary examination of the civil service. At the age of 16 he decided to devote his life to the study of Buddhism and moved into the mountains.

More than for his contribution to political affairs he is famous for his neo-Confucian teachings, and he also proved to be a kind of Nostradamus of the time: he suggested that Korea reinforce its army as the Japanese would soon be invading them. . As you well know, the Japanese came … do you think the government had listened to him?

10,000 Won – King Sejeong the Great (1397 – 1450)

King Sejeong the Great is perhaps the most famous character in Korean history. It is the kind of leader who emerges once every millennium in history. The benefits that have brought to Korea are so great that every Korean is immensely proud to have had him as a king in the past.

The reason is that before his coming to the throne the Koreans used only Chinese characters as a form of writing, which made access to knowledge an elitist thing that only the pupils of noble families could afford leaving the majority of the population in the ignorance.

King Sejeong, who saw us long and wanted to bring knowledge to the masses, led the creation of a new writing system that culminated in the creation of the üulul. Of course, he was strongly ostracized by the nobles who obviously wanted to keep the people in ignorance in order to control it better, but in the end, he got the best and for this, he is remembered as the one who changed the history of Korea.

The hangeul is today considered one of the most scientific alphabets in the world and learning it does not take more than a few hours. A big difference from having to learn all the Chinese characters do not you find?

50,000 Won – Shin Saimdang (1504 – 1551)

On the top step of the Korean banknotes, we find the only woman: Shin Saimdang “신 사임당”, calligraphy, poet, artist and much more. What he was most famous for was the fact of being a good wife and a wise mother (his nickname was indeed Eojin Eomeoni “어진 어머니” which means “wise mother”) and, despite being able to do things that women could only dream of doing, that was the most important thing.

In fact, as I said before, Shin Saimdang is the mother of the Yulgok schoolboy (the one on the 5,000 won), so she probably has to thank her mother for having become so brilliant in her life!

These were the people who with their talents and revolutions in Korean history have earned the honor of being depicted on Korean banknotes. It is known, however, that every few years, when the style of the coin is renewed, are changed.

Who knows who will be in place of King Sejeong the Great in a hundred or two hundred years…