In the 15th century, despite so many accomplishments he has made for the people, King Sejong, his biggest goal is still remaining; the invention of original letters that can be read and written by all the people. But courtiers who want to dominate the knowledge and the power, are against his will and discourage his belief. Frustrated King Sejong hears about a bonze Sinmi a phonogram expert, and secretly brings him in the palace.
Acting
Song Kang-ho's simmering frustration masked as regal calm.
Production
Palace interiors so detailed you can smell the ink and resentment.
Writing
Makes alphabet creation genuinely suspenseful. No, really.
Director
Cho Chul-hyun
Song Kang-ho
King Sejong
Park Hae-il
Monk Shin-mi
Jeon Mi-seon
Queen Soheon
Choi Deok-moon
Jung In-ji
Jung Hae-kyun
Go Yak-hae
Kim Jun-han
Crown Prince
Cha Rae-hyung
Sooyang Prince
Oh Hyeon-kyeong
Old monk
Nam Moon-chul
Choi Man-ree
Keum Sae-rok
Jin-ah
Tang Joon-sang
Hak-jo
Jeong In-kyeom
Kim Moon
Im Sung-jae
Hak-yeol
Kim Mi-hyang
Mother-in-law
Jung Ji-woo
Maid
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Hangul was so revolutionary that yangban scholars dismissed it as 'women's script'—the film weaponizes this classist arrogance.
The real Shin-mi's identity remains historically disputed; the film's interpretation leans into Buddhist-lay collaboration theories suppressed by Confucian record-keepers.
KR
