Worin cheongangjigok (Songs of the Moon’s Reflection on a Thousand Rivers) is a Buddhist hymn composed in 1447 by King Sejong the Great, the fourth monarch of the Joseon Dynasty. As the earliest Buddhist song and religious text recorded in Hangeul, it is an original documentary heritage that integrates the King’s personal mourning, Buddhist faith, and musical tradition with the newly created script.
King Sejong authored this work to pray for the eternal rest of Queen Soheon based on Buddhist teachings. By expressing the Buddha’s merit, mercy, and enlightenment in verse and Hangeul, he sought to disseminate Buddhist doctrines more widely and easily. This serves as a vital example of Hangeul’s practical application in conveying complex ideology and religion immediately after its invention.
The title, Worin cheongangjigok, meaning “the moon’s reflection on a thousand rivers,” is a symbolic Buddhist expression. It implies that a single truth shines upon countless beings simultaneously, encapsulating the work’s philosophical depth and universality. This message continues to resonate across eras and regions today.
Historically, Worin cheongangjigok holds immense value as an early record where Hangeul was used on a national and ideological level. The fact that a monarch personally composed a hymn in the native script makes it a rare cultural heritage globally, blending politics, religion, linguistics, and music. It is precious evidence of how script and ideology were integrated in 15th-century East Asia.
The extant version of Worin cheongangjigok has been stably preserved over centuries, maintaining high reliability in both content consistency and physical condition. Such authenticity and universal value align precisely with the core criteria of the UNESCO Memory of the World program.
To share this value with the international community, Sejong Special Self-Governing City is pursuing a UNESCO listing for this heritage. As a city whose name inherits the spirit of King Sejong, it views the expansion of this record from a local treasure into a collective memory for humanity as a vital mission.
In this process, MIRAE N CO., LTD.—established in 1948 as Korea’s first textbook publisher—has participated as a key partner. MIRAE N has collaborated on academic research, international promotion, and the dissemination of the heritage’s public value. This partnership serves as an exemplary model of public-private cooperation in preserving and utilising cultural assets.
The pursuit of UNESCO recognition goes beyond an honorary title. It is an effort to share King Sejong’s philosophy, language, and his spirit of deep compassion for humanity with the world. What began as a King’s personal prayer is now evolving into a cultural legacy to be remembered by all of humanity.
Sejong City and MIRAE N will continue their sustained cooperation to promote the historical and cultural significance of Worin cheongangjigok both domestically and internationally, ensuring this precious record finds its place in the memory of the world.
