Jang Yeong-Sil
He was born circa 1390 and passed away after 1442.A Korean mechanical engineer, scientist, inventor and astronomer during the Joseon Dynasty.he was reportedly selected and recruited by King Sejong the Great to serve in the royal court where he invented various important technological tools.
He is one of my role models, a role model of hard working and not giving up, and one of the most important people in South Korea.
Jang was separated from his mother at the age of 10, and sent to the royal court becuase of his extraordinary talent. in There, he demonstrated his talents in craftsmanship and engineering by building machines to make the lives of his colleagues easier. He also built aqueducts of bamboo branches and canals for irrigation.Jang also repaired broken instruments.
Jang Yeong-Sil had many inventions, such as:Astronomical instruments,Iron printing press,Water clock,Sundial,Rain gauge,Water gauge and etc. and extensive research on weapons.
Honcheonui:a kind of astronomical instrument
Utilization:Whether day or night,you can measure Position of Sun, Moon, and stars.
Iron printing press:the world's first metal printing press invented in 1234 during the Goryeo Dynasty. King Sejong asked scientists to build a better printing press. In 1434,scientists accomplished building metal printing press which was made of copper-zinc and lead-tin alloys. It was said to be twice as fast as the previous printing presses and printed Chinese characters in astounding beauty and clarity.
Water clock:The Korean version consisted of two stacked jars of water, with water dropping from the top to the bottom at a measured rate.This was very inconvenient because a person had to be always on guard, so that at each hour he or she could bang a drum to inform the public.King Sejong assigned Jang and other scientists to build a clock emulating such automatic devices.
Utilization:level of the water indicated the time of the day.
Sundial:Jang's invention of the water clock saw its infusion throughout the country, however, these were very expensive. Development of the sundial provided a cheaper and more manageable alternative. Jang and other scientists made Korea's first sundial.
utilization:they were implemented in strategic spots, such as the town's main streets with heavy traffic, so the people could be well informed of the time.
Rain gauge:rain gauges had been used in ancient Greece and India, Jang invented Korea's first rain gauge in 1441.
utilization:ways to better manage water and to gather data on the yearly averages of precipitation throughout the different regions of the country.
Water gauge:In 1441,to king's order Jang invented the world's first water gauge. It was a calibrated stone column placed in the middle of a body of water, connected by a stone bridge
utilization: better water management
The end of his brilliant life:Because of Jang's extraordinary achievements, some government officials were very jealous of Jang.In 1442, King Sejong ordered Jang to make a Gamma Korean sedan chair. Gama broke while the king was traveling and Jang was held responsible.Even though, King Sejong disagreed with this order, Jang was imprisoned for a long time and banished from the royal palace. The subsequent events of his life, including the date of his death are not recorded,so nobody knows what happened to him afterwards and when he passed away.
you can watch the series "Jang Yeong-Sil" about the Jang's life in 24 episodes. It’s really incredible series and I recommend it to you.
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