[One Thousand Characters a Day] Joseon's Crisis Response Notes<2> - Attitude Toward Preparing for Natural Disasters

Editor's NoteAsia Economy provides daily 1,000-character transcription content for the 'One Day, One Thousand Characters' newsletter readers. The transcription content is carefully selected according to daily and monthly themes from Eastern and Western classics, Korean literature, famous columns, and notable speeches. Today, through Dr. Kim Joon-tae's (Senior Researcher at the Institute of Korean Philosophy and Culture, Sungkyunkwan University) book , we glimpse King Sejong's crisis management know-how, who prepared thoroughly for unpredictable natural disasters and sought to quickly recover when damage occurred. Word count: 1007 characters.

"Recently, disasters caused by drought have overlapped, resulting in poor grain harvests, so I truly worry about how the people will survive. Although we cannot predict the calamities given by Heaven, we must do everything within human capability without leaving anything undone." ('Annals of King Sejong')

Earthquakes, droughts, floods, fires, typhoons, epidemics... These disasters have repeated throughout history and continue today. Many disasters are beyond human control. It is impossible to predict when they will occur since most are caused by natural phenomena. However, we cannot just stand by. While humans cannot prevent disasters from occurring, the outcomes greatly depend on how humans prepare and respond. Minimizing damage is the role of people. Therefore, King Sejong said, "Whether natural disasters (cheonjae, 天災) and terrestrial anomalies (jii, 地異) occur or not is beyond human control, but taking proper measures is something humans can certainly do."

King Sejong emphasized thorough 'prevention.' Even the slightest sign of disaster prompted immediate action. When heavy rain fell, he ordered prompt inspection of flood situations and checked areas at risk of water damage. During continuous rain over several days, he instructed, "There will certainly be flooding, so open the sluice gates to allow water flow and have officials patrol throughout the night." When the weather suddenly warmed in winter, he even gave orders such as, "The river ice has thinned, and I worry people might fall through. At each ferry crossing, break the ice and help people cross safely."

His long-term responses were no different. Grain from regions with surplus was moved to areas expecting famine, ensuring relief supplies were always prepared for unforeseen disasters. In addition to food, seed grains were also provided, which can be understood in the same context. The relief administration was comprehensively organized. Local magistrates in famine-stricken areas were granted discretionary authority to use relief rice, so they would not miss the 'golden time' to save people by waiting for approval from higher authorities. By enabling the state to respond swiftly and timely, efforts were made to reduce disaster-related damage.

- Kim Joon-tae, (Minumsa, 16,000 KRW)