The King’s Letters (2019) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

King Sejong chose Buddhist monks because they possessed unique knowledge of phonetic languages like Sanskrit. Their expertise in understanding how sounds could be represented as symbols was essential for designing a new alphabet that could be learned by common people, unlike the complex Chinese characters used by elites.

Foreshadowing: Earlier in the film, Sejong explains that the monks' knowledge of Sanskrit gives them insight into phonetic systems.

• shinmi
• hangul
• king sejong
• buddhist monks
• creation
• phonetic alphabet

The monks were disguised as eunuchs to protect them and keep their work secret. At the time, there was intense political tension between Buddhists and Confucian scholars who held power at court. Disguising the monks prevented hostile factions from discovering and sabotaging the project.

Foreshadowing: The summary notes that trust was fragile due to conflicts between Buddhists and Confucian scholars.

• monks
• eunuchs
• disguise
• secret
• confucian scholars
• buddhists

Queen Soheon starved herself as a sacrifice to force King Sejong to reconcile with Shinmi and the monks. She believed her death would convince Sejong to bring them back to the palace, fulfilling his promise to build the Buddhist temple and honoring the Buddhist faith she secretly practiced.

Foreshadowing: Queen Soheon was secretly a devout Buddhist who had welcomed the monks and supported their project.

• queen soheon
• starvation
• death
• sacrifice
• buddhist
• reconciliation

Sejong sent the monks away because he was under intense political pressure from Confucian scholars who wanted to maintain their influence and control over the new writing system. To appease them and avoid political instability, Sejong temporarily dismissed the Buddhist monks despite their crucial role in creating Hangul.

Foreshadowing: The timeline shows both Buddhists and Confucian scholars sought credit for Hangul's invention, creating a power struggle.

• monks
• dismissed
• confucians
• political pressure
• hangul
• king sejong

Out of grief and love for Queen Soheon, Sejong chose to honor her final wish by recalling Shinmi and the monks. Her sacrifice convinced him to fulfill his original promise to build the Buddhist temple and reconcile with the Buddhist faction.

Foreshadowing: Queen Soheon's tragic death was meant to reunite Sejong with Shinmi, as indicated by her sacrifice.

• shinmi
• recall
• queen soheon
• temple
• reconciliation
• grief

Before starting the project, King Sejong promised Shinmi and the monks that if they succeeded in creating the new writing system, he would build a Buddhist temple in their honor. This promise became a point of political contention later when Confucian scholars opposed recognizing the Buddhist contribution.

Foreshadowing: The promise is mentioned early in the timeline as Sejong's incentive for the monks.

• buddhist temple
• promise
• shinmi
• hangul
• king sejong

Hangul was significant because it was the first writing system designed specifically for ordinary Korean people rather than the educated elite. It used a phonetic alphabet based on scientific principles of sound, making it accessible to anyone who wanted to learn, unlike the complex Chinese characters that required years of study.

Foreshadowing: Shinmi's allegory at the end suggests the one book, Hangul, would have an enduring impact on Korean society.

• hangul
• significance
• alphabet
• phonetic
• accessibility
• korean

King Sejong suffered from diabetes, which caused him to lose sight in his right eye. His doctors advised him to avoid stress, which led him to retreat to a mountain spa for treatment while the monks continued their work on the new script.

Foreshadowing: The summary notes that the project took a toll on Sejong's health.

• king sejong
• diabetes
• health
• eye
• mountain spa
• stress

Both factions sought credit for creating Hangul because it represented significant cultural and political power. The Buddhists expected recognition for their role, per Sejong's agreement with them. The Confucian scholars wanted to maintain their dominance and good relations with China, so they opposed giving credit to Buddhists.

Foreshadowing: The political tension between the two groups was established early, affecting trust at court.

• buddhists
• confucians
• conflict
• hangul
• political power
• credit

Queen Soheon kept her Buddhist faith secret because Buddhism faced opposition from the dominant Confucian scholars at court during the Joseon dynasty. As queen, she had to maintain a public appearance aligned with Confucian values while secretly supporting Buddhist traditions and the monks.

Foreshadowing: The summary notes the tense political atmosphere marked by conflicts between Buddhists and Confucian scholars.

• queen soheon
• buddhist
• secret
• confucian
• faith
• disguise