All language subtitles for the kings letters 2019

This movie is based on one of many
creation theories on the Korean alphabet

MegaboxJoongAng PLUS M presents

A Doodoong Pictures production

THE KING’S LETTERS

This day in the year of 1442,

I, LEE Do, King of Joseon,

SONG KANG-HO
I, LEE Do, King of Joseon,

SONG KANG-HO

beseech the Yongshinho of Baegaksan...
SONG KANG-HO

beseech the Yongshinho of Baegaksan...

PARK HAE-IL
beseech the Yongshinho of Baegaksan...

If you use Chinese,
will the gods of this land understand?
PARK HAE-IL

If you use Chinese,
will the gods of this land understand?

CHUN MI-SUN

Say it in Korean.
CHUN MI-SUN

CHUN MI-SUN

O, God of Rain!

We’re on the verge of dying
from drought.

The masses have thirsted for rain
for 6 months.

Is this your punishment...

because of an unworthy king?

O, God of Rain!

Wearing black robes in this heat,
I’ll take the punishment.

Please put all the fault on me

and bless the land with sweet rain!

Take my robes.

You’re better than me.

What is the matter, sire?

You’ve worked tirelessly
to make those books.

You even included pictures
for those who can’t read.

They’re useless pieces of paper.

I lived in vain and wasted time
making such rubbish!

How is that rubbish, sire?

No matter how many books I make,

the common people can’t read them!
They’re rotting in storage.

That makes them rubbish!

That’s why

you’re working hard on creating
letters that are easy to learn.

I think making new letters
is beyond my abilities.

Why struggle alone
when you have clever court ministers?

They are the ones
who’d be most against the letters.

Knowing how to read Chinese
have given them power for generations.

They won’t lose their privileges.

Your Majesty.

Along with our visit,

we’ve been blessed with rain.

Heaven must be pleased with

Joseon and Japan’s ties, sire.

Why have you come this time?

Your Majesty!
Please spare our lives!

What do you mean?

If we can’t bring
Buddha’s Tripitaka,

we swore we wouldn’t return alive

and came across the sea, sire.

But I gave you printed copies
whenever you came.

It is not the books we want,

but the original wooden blocks.

Your Majesty.

What?

You want our national treasure?

Joseon has rejected Buddhism

and worships Confucius, sire.

It is not needed here.

The late King Jeongjong
promised to give it to us,

so we’ve built a temple
to preserve it, sire.

If a late king’s promise isn’t kept,

how could Joseon be
a civilized country, sire?

How refreshing.

Father, what will you do
about the Tripitaka?

Buddhism this, Buddhism that.

Su-yang? An-pyung? Let’s drink.

Just one drink!

Liquor is poison to diabetes.

Just one.

How long must we wait?

If you can’t give us the Tripitaka,

just kill us, please!

Kill us, please!

Why hesitate
to give it to them, sire?

Since we can’t burn all the temples
and kill the monks,

getting rid of the Tripitaka

is what we, as Confucians, must do.

The people still believe in Buddha.
It will cause uproars.

If we weed out the roots of Buddhism
that commoners believe and rely on,

there will be no cause for uproars.

Though the Tripitaka is but
80,000 wood tablets to us,

it could be a powerful symbol
for the Japanese who believe in Buddha.

If the country unites
around that symbol,

who knows what they’ll do next?

It’s a complicated problem.

Discuss more.
Let’s talk tomorrow.

Tomorrow, sire?

Why not just tell them
to scram, sire?

You’re one to be firm
in seeing to what you want.

But you seem to have lost interest
in the court, sire.

Sit down and speak.

For instance, the rain ritual.

You delayed it till you had no choice.
Now, it won’t stop raining!

DAEJA-AM TEMPLE,
GYEONGGI-DO

The Tripitaka isn’t merely
a collection of Buddhist Scriptures.
DAEJA-AM TEMPLE,
GYEONGGI-DO

The Tripitaka isn’t merely
a collection of Buddhist Scriptures.

It means much more.

The small group of Confucians
in power debating over the Tripitaka

is treating the people’s
sweat and tears like an old shoe!

What can we do?

There is a man who can resolve this,
but he’s a stubborn fool.

I’ll see to the rest, sir.

HAEINSA TEMPLE,
STORAGE HALL OF TRIPITAKA KOREANA

Master!
HAEINSA TEMPLE,
STORAGE HALL OF TRIPITAKA KOREANA

HAEINSA TEMPLE,
STORAGE HALL OF TRIPITAKA KOREANA

Master!
HAEINSA TEMPLE,
STORAGE HALL OF TRIPITAKA KOREANA

HAEINSA TEMPLE,
STORAGE HALL OF TRIPITAKA KOREANA

Master!

Master!

It’s a letter from the head monk
of Daeja-am Temple.

Hak-jo.

Let’s go to Hanyang.

JAPANESE ENVOY RESIDENCE

Are you Shin-mi?

Thanks for coming all this way.

Save us, merciful Buddha!

Joseon must keep its promise.

Save us, merciful Buddha!

Joseon must keep its promise.

Are you beggars?

Who might you be?

Me?

I’m the protector of the Tripitaka
at Haeinsa Temple.

I’m Buddha’s disciple.

Have mercy, sir!

If we can’t take the Tripitaka back
with us again,

our families will be killed, too!

I can’t give it to you,
and you can’t return.

So, let’s just die here.

The owners of the Tripitaka
are not the king,

the court ministers, or the monks,

but the people of Joseon.

If you must take it,
get their permission first.

Have mercy on us!

China, Tibet, Khitan, and Corea.

The native peoples made their own.

You should make your own, too.

Even a great country like Corea,

took 16 years to make it.

We don’t have to ability to make it.

Even if it takes 100 years,
if it’s not made on your own,

it’s nothing but pieces of wood.

You may beg for food,
but not truth.

Please come in.

Why aren’t you bowing to me?

Have you seen a dog bow?

The court treats monks as dogs.
We’re just following the law.

How about some tea, sire?

What kind of tea is this?

It’s really sweet and bitter.
It’s great!

It’s Omija tea,
the pride of my palace.

Would you like more?

Yes, please.

You’re the lad who chants
the strange Buddhist prayers?

It’s the Sutra of the Heroic One
in Buddha’s native Sanskrit.

Sanskrit?

Did you persuade the Japanese monks
in Sanskrit, too?

A good monk can speak it
regardless of what country he’s from.

Monk Hak-jo?

May we hear the Sutra, too?

Can you write what you said?

Monk Hak-yeol is the best at writing.

Are they phonetic letters?

NO SPEAKING IN TRAINING

Do you know other
phonetic letters?

Master Shin-mi reads Buddhist scriptures
in Tibetan and Phagspa letters, too.

They’re all phonetic letters,
made by monks, based on Sanskrit.

If the root of all phonetic letters
is Sanskrit,

there must be a principle behind it.

1500 years ago,

some monks of India
categorized sounds and letters.

The principle is written
in the Tripitaka.

What?

Do you know that principle, too?

I read through all Chinese books
on phonetics, but couldn’t find a clue.

You must help me.

I’m the son of a traitor.

I became a monk to survive.

You’ve destroyed my temple, my home.
Why seek my help?

Master Shin-mi?

I’m the daughter of a traitor.

It saddened me each time
I went to the temple.

How great it’d be for anyone
to read Buddha’s teachings?

Then his sermons
from 2000 years ago

could be seen before our eyes

and ring loudly in our ears...

I wear the mask of a king,

and you claim to be a dog.

But we both owe our bread
to what the people offer.

Will you help me?

Under one condition, sire.

Say it.

Please build a temple
inside the capital.

What?

Build Buddha’s house
in the heart of a Confucian country?

Can’t a king even do that?

Fine. I’ll build it.

I’ll leave Confucius behind and go.

You come with Buddha aside, too.

No.

I’ll come on Buddha’s back.

Please come on Confucius’ back.

You must be punished.

Must you always do things
so clamorously?

Pretentiousness!

That’s your illness.

I’ll take 2 of the 3 hits, sir.

‘Seokyeong’...

‘Yukseoryak’...

All these books on
Chinese phonetics...

You’ve wasted your time.

How dare you!

Why wrestle with Chinese characters
to make a phonetic alphabet?

Hak-jo!

What did you hear?

Well,

I heard sounds that came out
from his throat

and rung in his mouth
then came in my ears.

Not hopeless. Good.

Before these men
memorize all those letters,

don’t let them out of this temple.

Yes, master!

Here.

Give this to the king.

How can the relationship between
sound and letters be so organized?

And it was all within the Tripitaka?

He said the principles and framework
of the letters are there

and explained why we weren’t
able to gain progress.

Why is that?

Chinese characters

indicate a sound
by the front and end only.

Thus, for ‘Gang’,

they use the ‘g’ of ‘gap’
and the ‘ang’ of ‘jang’.

But Sanskrit
notes ‘ang’ differently.

They divide it as ‘a’ and ‘ng’.

Not ‘gang’ but ‘g-a-ng’?

They call the middle sound a vowel.

They call the ‘g’ and the ‘ng’
as consonants.

Sanskrit notes the first, middle,
and end sounds.

They use vowels and consonants
to make words?

Thus, they can capture all sounds
with a few letters?

How many vowels and consonants?

Sanskrit has 50 letters.

Phagspa has 41 letters.

Tibetan has 34 letters.

They’re far too many,
and they look complicated.

As you said,
we’ve categorized

all consonants according to
the phonological hierarchy.

What is next?

I’m not sure.

From here on,
it’s new to me too.

Who knows but you?

Let’s collect and classify
the sounds of our language,

and fill the empty sheets.

Should we record them
in Sanskrit? That’s easiest?

And sounds
we can’t note in Sanskrit?

Let’s try with
Phagspa or Tibetan script.

If that doesn’t work,

we’ll just have to store
in someone’s head.

Let’s start with molar sounds.

Galoot.

Gap. Game.

Garbage.

Galley. Gag.

Keeper.

Kick! Kite!

Caw! Caw! Crow?

Ca! Ca! Qu?

Quiet.

Tongue sound!

Navy.

Nirvana.

Nice.

Nasty.

‘Namu Amida Butsu...’

God rest his soul!

That starts with ‘g,’
a molar sound!

Again!

Dame. Dog.

Dharma.

Dairy.

Delicious.

Deli meat.

Down the drain.

There are more vowels than that.

What about ‘ya’ or ‘yo’?

You know?

Old. Oil.

Omija. Oak.

This will take forever.

Oar. Oath. Obey.

O... o... okay!

Ogre!

The Jiphyeonjeon seems different.

It’s the same here.
Your Majesty has changed.

I published many books
and drank much with you here.

Since that day, people are doubting
your actions, sire.

What day?

When a mere monk made a fool
out of the court, sire.

What I see,
won’t the other ministers see too?

What do you see?

Please be careful, sire.

I’ll always take your side
except on Buddhism, sire.

Is that so?

You asked to meet in secret
to threaten me?

Though I may be weak,
don’t test my royal anger.

The scholar-gentry class has a line
that even the king can’t cross.

I fret my eyesight is weakening quickly
and can’t sleep.

From now on,
work face to face with me.

Why do you wish to make letters so?

For the dynasty to last.

No dharma talk, please.

Corea was ruined
under the pretext of Buddha,

because monks monopolized on
knowledge, wealth, and power.

The Confucians
won’t be any different.

I plan to crush the exclusivity
with the new letters

and let the people have access
to all the world’s knowledge.

Great.

I read the Sutra of the Heroic One.

It’s far from
the Seven Confucius Classics.

It was difficult.

Who is an owner
and who is a traveler?

A hundred years ago,

kings bowed to monks.

Who would bow to whom
a hundred years later?

There is no owner nor traveler.

Just people traveling
on their own wheels of life.

Su-yang.

An-pyung.

Regard Master Shin-mi as your teacher.

They’re guests invited by
His Majesty.

Before they leave my palace,
they must not be known.

What they do
must not escape these walls.

I trust you all.

Where are you going?

To sweep the yard, ma’am.

Why would you do that?

Change into this.

A eunuch’s robes?

Eunuch?

-This is wrong.
-Let’s wear it.

Let’s just wear it then.

We’ve divided
all the sounds of our words

into 26 consonants and 13 vowels

using Sanskrit for now, Your Majesty.

I want fewer letters.

Su-yang.

Hak-jo.

Do you know
how many stars are in the sky?

A gazillion, sire?

There are more stars
than grains of sand in the beach.

But they were compressed into
just 28 constellations

in an astronomical chart.

I think the same for letters.

People’s verbal sounds are many,
but they can’t be more than stars.

Still, we should put sounds to letters,
not the other way around, sire.

The new letters must be
simple and easy!

If they weren’t, the busy people
will never have time to learn them.

Now, it’s time to design the shapes
to capture these sounds.

I’m listening, sire.

The book you gave me says that letters
can be made with dots and lines.

With that good principle,
Sanskrit was made like this?

I studied mathematics
and geometry.

Mathematics pursues simple
and concise principles.

Geometry expresses the principles
in dots, lines, and also facets.

Please go straight
to the point, sire.

Are all monks feisty
or is it just you?

Make the new letters
with just dots and straight lines.

Draw in one stroke.

He said no curves.

I don’t care.

Draw in two strokes!

Draw in three strokes!

-Stop copying.
-They’re different directions.

Draw in four strokes!

What kind of meat is that?

Is it tough to chew?

Why? Will you chew it for me?

Monks don’t eat meat.

There’s no benefit
to living in the palace...

In doing difficult work,
we can’t just eat vegetables.

What is the matter with His Majesty
that he doesn’t come to court meetings?

I said he isn’t feeling well.

The rice plants in the field
grow upon the farmer’s footsteps.

What about us?

We must see the king to gain strength
and work on the court’s affairs.

Oh my.

I shall deliver that word for word
to His Majesty.

Ga. Ka.

Kka.

‘Ung-ah’.

They’re similar sounds
and seem to have similar shapes.

What’s the relation to this sound
and this shape?

Though they appear to have
some regularity,

we don’t know
what they’re based on.

Molar sound is said to be
a velar sound.

How can a sound come from
a molar?

It must mean the sound comes
from the molar area, sire.

Maybe I am straining the molar area...

It’s refreshing.

Good. Put it down.

Jin-a.

Put your finger into my mouth.

Go on.

How dare I...

I order you!

Heavens!

Spare my life, Your Majesty!

Hak-jo?

Any movements in the molar?

Feel anything?

Whenever I make the sound,

my tongue feels like

it is bent back to the cleft palate
of my mouth, sir.

Like a scythe or pickaxe.

A scythe or pickaxe!

Why waste your time?

Why sweep every morning
when it’s clean?

What is this?

Open it.

I’d love to learn
the letters from you.

Molar sound ‘g’.

Tongue sound ‘n’.

Lip sound ‘m’.

Incisor sound ‘s’.

Throat sound ‘e’.

What’s next?

We made basic shapes
based on the vocal organs.

The rest is only
a matter of time, sire.

Time is what I don’t have.

How about a break, sire?

Let’s start over.

Enough!

You’ll break the kid’s jaw.

You can’t talk.

Listen to me, master.

Your Highness?

Could you pluck the string again?

Not the drum.

Press it hard, then pluck, sir.

See? That’s it!

Don’t you get it?

Listen.

The ‘ding’ is the basic letter.

Do it again.

Again!

That’s it!

‘Ding’!

‘Dding’!

As it goes up, add another line.

When the sound gets stronger
and higher, draw a line.

How frustrating!

‘S’, ‘C’, ‘Ch’ works, too.

‘Ding’.

‘D-ing’.

‘D-i-ing’!

‘Hak-jo’.

‘Fool’?

‘KKK’

What?

‘Na... Nu... Nuroungji! (crispy rice)’

T? Ta... Th... Thanks?

That little monk!

A Buddhist funeral, 20 years after
being framed as a traitor and killed...

My father’s soul has finally found
a place to rest.

What a pity.

The queen has to hide Buddha
deep inside the palace,

and pray for her late father’s soul?

What about you?

What about me?

You, a proud disciple of Buddha,

are hiding where women live

and making strange sounds
with an ailing king.

‘Gang’.

‘G-ang’.

Not ‘g-ang’, but ‘g-a-ng’, right?

Don’t you resent the king?

I could never do that.

It’s all my fault.

Why is it your fault, Your Majesty?

Claiming to stop your family
from politics, his father killed them.

My husband never wanted to be king.

As he is clever

and upright in heart,
I said he should be king.

I urged him.

I’ll do it. Wait outside.

What’s gotten into you?

Allow me to scrub your body.

Sit back, please.

It hurts. I really hurts!

Stop exaggerating.

When you were 12 and I was 14,
you hated being washed so.

I miss those days.

When you were with me,
everything was a delight.

I was so happy.

Master Shin-mi told me

the Sanskrit words for firewood
and worry are the same.

Firewood burns the dead’s body,

while worry burns the heart
of the living.

-Why don’t you come in?
-Oh please.

You’ve missed me so?

How could the king
deceive his subjects, sire?

We heard you were sick from diabetes,
but you look radiant

and walk so briskly!

Who’d believe you’re sick?

That’s good to hear.

Your Majesty.

A strange rumor is circulating
the capital at present.

What is it?

Inside the queen’s palace,
where it is the most private,

there are disgraceful rumors
of Buddhist prayers being heard.

How dare you show contempt
of the queen!

There is a witness, sire.

Bring the witness.

It is more important
whether it’s true or not, sire.

Let us search the queen’s palace
and prove the rumor wrong.

Everyone knows that the queen
is infatuated with Buddhism.

By chance,

if she did let the filthy monks
into the palace,

we must discuss again on
impeaching the queen, sire.

Instead,

impeach me.

You eat meat.

Why not liquor?

Do you know the difference
between monks and eunuchs?

Eunuchs don’t do things
because they can’t.

Monks don’t do things
even if they can.

What is your true intention
in doing this?

True intention?

Having the king’s favor,
there is something I’ve come to want.

Any good monk

would dream of a land
that reads and practices

Buddha’s teachings, don’t you think?

You!

Stop what you’re doing
and return to where you belong.

Only then will you
and our royal family live.

Even if the king says to stop,
I can’t now.

What?

You do what you must do.

I’ll do what I must.

Please quit drinking, sire.

Instead, please eat much of
boiled, fatless meat.

He has quit drinking.

He won’t eat without meat,
so that’s not to worry either.

Please refrain from doing anything
that gives you stress, sire.

If you overuse your eyesight,
you’ll go blind in your left eye, too.

You may go.

When it’s almost done...

They’re so suspicious.
We can’t keep working here.

If you stop, you’ll worry
and harm your health more.

Why not do it outside the palace?

There’s good mineral water
for the eyes in Chosu.

What if we send Shin-mi first to
nearby Bokcheonsa Temple...

Dear!

I’ve been busy

with my sons in making letters
for anyone to learn and use easily.

No more misunderstandings.

That’s preposterous, sire.

Why do something so important
without consulting us first?

Do you have the skills to do it?

What do you know about phonetics?

Do you know how many
consonants and vowels there are?

I’ll go to Chosu to treat my eyes.

Don’t disturb the people there
and prepare my trip modestly.

BOKCHEONSA TEMPLE NEARBY CHOSU

‘I long for?’

You long for that court maid?

No! It means I loathe!

I raised you since you were a baby!

You may fool Buddha, but not me!

Why you!

It stings!

And I can’t breathe.

The bubbles in the mineral water
must stimulate the retinas

to treat the eyes, sire.

One more time, sire.

Father!

Welcome.

Any news of the creation
of the vowels at the temple?

It’s not easy, sire.

Shin-mi said he won’t come down
until he’s done.

Tell him I’m not going back either
until he comes down.

Design all vowels with a dot...

CHOSU TEMPORARY PALACE

Congratulations, Your Majesty!
CHOSU TEMPORARY PALACE

CHOSU TEMPORARY PALACE

Whenever you bowed towards Beijing
during the Manggwollye Rituals,

your faded robes saddened us.

Now, the Emperor has sent
new robes for you, sire.

I told you not to come here.

We fret some things are greatly wrong
and came to do right, sire.

About what?

First, you are becoming ill

because of making
useless letters, sire.

Second?

If everyone can use
such simple letters,

who’d learn the difficult Chinese
to study Confucian ways?

Continue.

When the barbarians took over China,

new letters were made to oppress
the Chinese civilization.

Should the Emperor of China
suspect us,

it could be a diaster
that jeopardizes the fate of Joseon.

You’re set on destroying me
with the Emperor on your back?

To the Emperor,
Your Majesty and we

are the same subjects, sire.

Go back.

I shall wear this

and do the ritual-dance
towards Beijing.

Your Majesty!

No!

Sire!

Your Majesty!

Your Majesty!

Physician!

Your Majesty!

He’s developed urinary stones
from diabetes, Your Majesty.

The pain has subdued,

but it could return
with stress at any time.

If it hurts, say so.

Don’t just bear the pain.

Master?

Why are you obsessed with the dot?

Are you doubting me?

There’s no time to lose,
but you insist on the dot.

Sometimes you may compromise.

Sometimes you must stick to
principles no matter what.

We’re making letters
that must last a thousand years.

Still, how long must we make dots?

Like the letters from Sanskrit,
Tibetan, and Phagspa,

can’t we make vowel symbols
similar to the consonants?

If it was to make such lousy letters,
I wouldn’t have started this at all.

And the king as well.

Take charge and lead me
or follow me.

Or leave here at once!

The easiest and most beautiful
letters in the world...

Why can’t we make them?

Let’s use one more line.

17 consonants and 11 vowels.

We made 28 basic letters, sire.

It’s unprecedented!

Using the principle of letters
in the Tripitaka,

you’ve created new letters
with just lines and dots!

Let me hear the sounds.

Is something wrong, sire?

Although the first sound expressed
in the dot is used often in Korean,

It sometimes sounds like ‘ah’
and sometimes ‘eu’.

Perhaps it’s in all of them.

It is the root of all vowels, sire.

It arises deep in the throat
and reverberates through the mouth.

Leave it out.

The sound is profound
but too complex.

It’s like a flaw in the simple
yet perfect set of vowels.

Letters can be containers of sound,

but they can also kill sounds.

If a sound is killed,
the sentiments in it also dies.

Letters should not be made
to satisfy just the maker.

What is your reason
for making the letters?

You know why!

Claiming it’s for the people,
you’re insisting a general standard

to solidify royal authority,
are you not?

The king must set the standard.

No matter how beautiful
that standard is,

if you oppress and kill
the people’s norms,

it’s violence
under the guise of goodwill.

What?

Your Majesty.

When I hear

a cow crying,

it reminds me of

a mother I don’t even know,
and I like it.

Whenever I say the same sound

in reciting the Sutra,

it feels great, too.

All the stars were categorized
into 28, right?

If we leave out this letter,
it’ll be just 27, sire.

Leave it in.

Something is not right.

Chinese characters may be difficult,
but it can be read easily.

But this seems disorderly.

Joint letters!

Still, something seems lacking.

Tibet!

In Tibetan,

if the first letter is a vowel,
a silent letter is added before it.

Perfect!

‘Om Mani Padme Hum’.

Of our 17 consonants,
that’ll be the letter with no sound value.

That will signify
the round throat sound.

It’s the geometry facet
I spoke of earlier.

Now, our songs’ lyrics
can be recorded as they sound.

Your favorite, this ‘Song of Cheongsan’,
will never be forgotten.

Just one drink, sire.

That’s Hak-jo’s!

I was afraid you didn’t come.

Why?

I wanted to give you something.

LEE JIN-A

It’s your name.

It’s pretty.

There are two circles.

When we return,
let’s test the new letters.

They say, when a hen cries
a house is ruined.

‘Gak-shi-mi’

I don’t think that’s right.

I think a hen must cry for the house

‘Saeng-gak-shi’

and the country to thrive.

How much longer must we
not know to write

to send letters and ask
if our mothers are well?

You must learn it well

and teach it to the women
in your families and spread it.

Yes, Your Majesty.

You worked with the monks
on creating new letters?

You lack the knowledge of language

but the monks, who you think of as dogs,
have the skills to create the letters.

You always talk about
being loyal to China.

Has anyone offered more
to science than me?

That’s why
Joseon exists today, sire.

I’m tired of it.

I want to make a country
that can surpass China.

Impossible, sire.

Why not!

A country where everyone
can read and write...

Where everyone learns and lives out
the teaching of the sages...

China could never let this happen!

What do you wish to say, sire?

The new letters...

You, Confucians, may take it.

Only then,
can such a country be made.

You want the monks to do that too?

How was testing and using
the new letters?

Writing Buddha’s words
in our easier letters

made it seem more vivid.

And you? An-pyung?

If the Confucian scriptures
are also written in our new letters,

the people will be able to learn
and apply them, too.

Now, we’ll compile a book on
the creation and usage of the letters.

I think it is time to bring in
the Confucians.

Pass everything on the new letters
to the young scholars of the court.

Why would you collude with them now?

They see you and I as colluding.

They have the power
to destroy the new letters at will.

We must give the credit to them
for the letters to last forever.

When Your Majesty dies,

do you think the court’s seal
will keep the letters alive?

Say what you wish.

You always speak of the people,
but do you believe in their power?

If we complete the letters
and plant them in their hearts,

they’ll become iron stakes
that no one can root out.

I know.

Your goal is to plant Buddhism
in people’s hearts

with the new letters
and turn Joseon to Buddha again.

Is that wrong?

Joseon was established on Confucius.

How can the king set aside Confucians
and plan for the future?

You’re the one who told me
to come on Confucius’ back.

So, this is what happens to a dog
when the hunt is over?

I never once thought of you
as a dog.

Is this how you were

when your father-in-law was framed
after he made you the king?

What?

You’ve trapped his daughter, the queen,
to rot in court!

Is this how you work?

Enough!

Pretending to be good
and not greedy,

you hurt people who help you
with that innocent face of yours!

If you’re on the throne,
do your job properly!

You...

Is that all you were made of?

You beg Buddhists for help
and implore to Confucians!

You’re a beggar behind
the mask of a king!

What?

Would letters created so abjectly
be able to survive?

Be gone!

I hope you make a good country.

I’ll take my remaining one hit,
then return to Haeinsa Temple, sir

One won’t do.
You deserve 3000 hits.

Go and shave!

How long will you live like that?

What?

The people can no longer
wait for you.

Why fret the court now?

Call Master Shin-mi back.

There’s nothing more I can do
beside you here.

I’ll move to Su-yang’s house.

Mother?

You haven’t eaten
in more than 2 weeks.

Father hasn’t been able to do
anything, either.

I’ll pass the throne to you.

No, Your Majesty.

Whatever time I have left to live,

I’ll exchange it
for the new letters.

But you’ve already made them.

More than making the letters,

it is more difficult to protect
and spread them.

Please don’t abdicate the throne.

My eyes...

I could go blind any day.

Father...

I...

Even after I die...

they must last...

My son...

Will you help your father?

The sun is bright.

Please return to the palace.

No.

I don’t want to die at the palace.

Mother left a message for you.

She said if you must go,
finish to the end.

She said you mustn’t stay
where you’ve fallen,

but arise and press forward.

Is that all?

She said to keep eating meat.

Call Shin-mi.

You’ve been called back here

not by me, but by the queen.

I guess she was the brave one.

She brought two cowards
back together as she left.

How about some tea?

Let’s make a book on the creation
and usage of the new letters.

Will you take charge of it?

I’ll summarize everything.

Let the Confucians publish
and distribute it, sire.

I guess monks hold grudges too.

You said only then
will the letters survive.

As promised, I’ll build a temple

and hold a Buddhist funeral
to console the queen’s soul.

Is saying Buddhist prayers in a funeral
really what she wants?

I recently learned

she taught the letters to court maids
and had them teach their families.

I think she would want us
to continue spreading it more.

You’re right.

But I have a condition.

What is it this time?

Until the letters
are officially issued,

you and I must promise not to die.

We have a long road ahead.

This should be enough
to make a book.

It was difficult to be born.
We should give it a good name.

It’s our custom to give a dear child
a humble name to live longer, sire.

How about ‘Eon-mun’?

It means common and crude,
but it can also mean strong and tough.

‘Eon-mun’.

Great.

The queen’s funeral

will establish a pact of workers
to preserve and spread the new letters.

The late Queen So-heon
will receive tribute

and a small temple will be built
beside her palace to console her soul.

In broad daylight,

filthy monks were allowed
to walk into the palace!

Now, you’ll weaken our nation’s roots

by building a Buddhist temple
in the palace?

I regret being unable
to listen to your rightful cause.

You do what you must do.

I’ll do what I must.

When these letters
spread amongst the people,

don’t you see,
it could threaten the dynasty, sire?

If it’s a dynasty that sucks
on the people like a leech,

it is better to perish.

This country isn’t yours alone, sire!

I want to erase
the traces of the Buddhist monks.

You may change the text
into Confucius’ context.

-The book’s title is...
-We’ll decide that too, sire.

I’ll write the preface,
you write the postface.

Winter of 1443,

His Majesty created 28 new letters

and called them, ‘Hunminjeongeum’.

The letter shapes were based on
Chinese letters and phonetics.

They are also based on
Chinese cosmology and philosophy.

The speech of this country

does not match the Chinese letters.

Therefore, even if illiterate people
wish to communicate,

they cannot state their concerns.

Saddened by this,

I’ve had 28 letters newly made.

It is my wish that all the people
may easily learn them daily

and live more comfortably.

How many words are there?

109 words, Father.

Make it one less.

‘daily’

Please stop
the Buddhist funeral at once!

Please stop
the Buddhist funeral at once!

Your Majesty.

Hear the cries of Confucian scholars
throughout the country!

Can you not see
their joint petition, sire?

Please stop
the Buddhist funeral at once!

Carry on.

Please destroy the temple
by the palace, sire!

Please destroy the temple!

Or hit our necks with this axe, sire

To pray for Queen So-heon’s soul,

this is a song that His Majesty
had written with his new letters.

How long must we listen
to that hideous noise, sire?

That is a requiem
to console my wife’s spirit.

Will you truly turn Joseon back
to a land of Buddha, sire?

Both Confucians and Buddhists
are all peoples of this country.

You know why Corea was ruined, sire!

Everyone was enticed by
that filthy heresy, so it was ruined!

I’ve heard enough!

Who here hasn’t offered
a Buddhist rituals?

What?

Seeking for higher positions
and more riches,

you’ve all sent your wives
to hold prayers and rituals, too!

Why you!

I hate such hypocrisy.

I think Buddha’s teaching
is the truth, too.

The world is not ruined by the truth.

It falls due people pointing fingers
at others for selfish gains.

Even if the world crumbles,

white is white
and black is black, sire.

Had Confucius met Buddha,

he wouldn’t have done this.

We’ve formed a pact here

to protect the new letters

and vow to let them be spread
throughout Joseon.

Let us pledge together.

Let us never forget our oath today
till the day we die.

Even after everyone dies,

may the ‘Eon-mun’
blossom and bear fruit.

Even as those in power

belittle and curse it
as vulgar language for women,

let it be a blessing that overflows
in the most humble and lowest places.

By writing our names
and burning our skins,

let us keep our vows
to protect the letters to the end.

May the small fire
planted on our forearms

grow into an explosive wildfire.

Will building a small temple
beside the palace ruin Joseon?

This country
belongs to you, Confucians.

If you don’t stop
that atrocious ritual,

we can no longer be
your subjects, sire.

I’ve brought the Hunminjeongeum
which we’ve completed as commanded.

Your Majesty.

We’ve brought the completed
Hunminjeongeum.

Distribute them.

I am not a Confucian
nor a Buddhist.

I’m just an old and ailing king
who can’t do a thing without your help.

It is my final request.

This book...

Don’t let it rot in storage,
but let it be spread.

I implore you.

Dear.

I’ve come.

HUNMINJEONGEUM

Let us bow.

I thought the people couldn’t express
their thoughts for they can’t write.

But I was the one
who couldn’t express my heart.

I owe you so much.

I’m so sorry.

And I thank you.

You’ve already given me
a great gift.

You wrote Hunminjeongeum’s preface
in 108 words

to be free of the 108 worldly desires
and attain Buddhahood.

In my 30 years as king,

I leave but one book.

Everyone knows how many seeds
there are in a peach,

but no one knows how many peaches
come from one seed.

‘Eon-mun’ is the Tripitaka carved
by Your Majesty for the coming world.

Though it captures words
of Confucius and Buddha now,

should another great man
appear in the future,

it will be able to deliver
his words and wishes, too.

THE KING’S LETTTERS

SONG KANG-HO

PARK HAE-IL

CHUN MI-SUN

Directed by
CHO CHUL-HYUN

The late CHUN MI-SUN, the beautiful actress,
will always be remembered