Joseon King Sejong's Legal Reforms

Timeline

1. 1419Gyeongbok Palace · Joseon dynastyIn the year after accession, Sejong ordered officials of the Office of Arts and Letters and the Ministry of Justice to compile statutes based on the Great Ming Code and old Goryeo laws, aiming to eliminate textual discrepancies and unify standards of adjudication in response to the need for administrative reform under the new king.
2. 1419Hanseong · Joseon dynastyAfter deliberation by officials, Sejong's court revised key provisions on penal categories and litigation procedures and promulgated them throughout the realm. This reform accumulated practical experience for the later compilation of the penal section of the Gyeongguk Daejeon and strengthened central control over judicial power.