There Is No Sejong In My Joseon [EN]: Chapter 1

“Let’s begin!”

In a humid village in tropical Africa.

At someone’s shout, the people huddled in front of the TV held their breaths.

– Aaaah~

Magnificent music played, and middle-aged actors in historical drama costumes revealed their names and appearances below.

The title began to appear against the backdrop of extras riding horses.

「The Land of Morning」

A historical drama dealing with everything from the Wihwado Retreat [a pivotal event in Korean history where General Yi Seong-gye turned his army back to overthrow the Goryeo dynasty] to King Sejong’s reign [considered one of the greatest rulers in Korean history].

It was a masterpiece that continued the precarious lineage of authentic historical dramas, and one I never missed every week.

‘When I was in Korea, I didn’t watch dramas, let alone historical dramas.’

Most of the people gathered here would feel the same way.

However, this was not Korea but faraway Africa. Perhaps it was because nostalgia was welling up even when doing nothing, the ‘Land of Morning’ fan club grew larger day by day.

Now, most of the Koreans dispatched to this neighborhood were attending.

From the TV connected to the computer, the loud voice of the actor playing Taejong [the third king of the Joseon dynasty] burst out.

– Can the Crown Prince’s recklessness truly not be corrected?

The drama, already halfway through, was reaching a scene where Taejong, exhausted by the Crown Prince’s misconduct, lamented his past years alone.

The son he had finally raised safely after losing three children earlier.

The scene of the Crown Prince taking a concubine and flirting overlapped with the sins he had committed. Taejong finally slammed his knee and made a firm decision.

– The court officials have unanimously requested the removal of the Crown Prince, so I have no choice but to accept.

– The Crown Prince is violent, but his younger brother, Grand Prince Chungnyeong [later King Sejong], has the qualities of a wise ruler, so I intend to entrust him with the throne.

Soon, the scene of the Crown Prince, no, Grand Prince Yangnyeong [Taejong’s eldest son], being deposed and dragged out was followed by the scene of Grand Prince Chungnyeong being appointed as the new Crown Prince.

– Smirk

At that moment, a smile briefly flashed across the lips of Grand Prince Chungnyeong as he fearfully accepted the edict.

Seeing that, I turned to my side and asked.

“Hyung [an honorific term for older brother or male friend], what’s that?”

In the drama, Grand Prince Chungnyeong had been showing the image of a loyal subject who advised the Crown Prince for his sake.

It was the image of King Sejong, the scholar-type wise ruler, that we knew.

But that smile, wasn’t it the expression that the real thing had come?

However, Jinhyuk hyung, the host of this gathering, said as if it was nothing.

“Ah, that scene? It seems they adopted the theory that Grand Prince Chungnyeong was an ambitious person?”

“Ambitious?”

“Historically, he openly showed that he was more qualified than Grand Prince Yangnyeong. His desire for the throne wouldn’t have been zero. He actually succeeded, too. Keeeuh, today’s ‘Land of Morning’ was amazing.”

Watching the rising staff roll, Jinhyuk hyung continued.

“Well, if Yangnyeong hadn’t been such a mess, it would have been difficult no matter how ambitious he was.”

“Really? Then Sejong might not have become king?”

“If Yangnyeong’s qualities were just average, Taejong would have passed the throne to Grand Prince Yangnyeong. That’s how strong his trust in the eldest son was. From our perspective, is it fortunate that Yangnyeong was a scoundrel?”

As expected of someone with a history degree, Jinhyuk hyung answered fluently.

“Well, if Grand Prince Yangnyeong had become king, Sejong’s achievements wouldn’t have existed. History is more interesting than I thought.”

“Even if it’s interesting, don’t make it your career. Not that you’d ever do that in the first place.”

It was Jinhyuk hyung’s heartfelt advice, who had finally escaped graduate school and turned to translation.

I replied with a playful tone.

“Do you think I’m you? I’m from engineering, so I’ll never go near it.”

“This punk.”

My life plan was just as twisted as Jinhyuk hyung’s, and I was dispatched to an unheard-of African country for technical cooperation, but this was also coming to an end.

The three-year technical support mission was over, and I had only to receive the date of my return.

Thinking about when I first came here made me shudder.

Even when trying to carry out the project according to local conditions, there were no proper industrial facilities, so it reminded me of the days when I was rolling around in a blacksmith’s shop.

They even told me to make gunpowder directly and do blasting work, to promote the New Village Movement [a South Korean rural development program], and to make agricultural tools that could be used by manpower because there was no electricity in the neighborhood.

The company that should have stopped this was blinded by government contracts and just stood by, telling them to use me as much as they wanted, so I was so frustrated.

‘But I made a lot of fun memories······.’

I shook my head.

It was already decided. I had worked in a remote area for three years, so a promotion and salary increase would be waiting for me when I returned.

“Contact me when you go to Korea, you rascal. I think I’ll have to suffer a little more before I go.”

“Haha, please buy me a drink when I return home.”

“······Shouldn’t you be buying since you’re going in first?”

Jinhyuk hyung shook his head, saying he’d seen all kinds of terrible guys, and got up.

Hyung brought the TV and computer he had taken outside back inside.

“It’s okay, just sit.”

When I tried to help, Hyung waved his hand.

I had no choice but to hold a can of beer and stare blankly at the night sky.

What should I do when I go back?

I had lived my whole life without a family. Even if I went to Korea, all that awaited me was the company and the annoying bald-headed manager.

I would continue to eke out a living doing unimportant work and receiving a meager salary.

On the other hand, here.

When I first came, the village, which had nothing, developed, life became more convenient, and I felt rewarded seeing people express their gratitude to me.

I felt a living sensation of changing the lives of many people with my own hands.

‘I wonder if Jinhyuk hyung and the others feel the same way.’

They check Korean news every day and even watch Korean dramas like ‘Land of Morning’ regularly, so maybe it’s different.

‘I wish it would change.’

People who want to go to Korea can go, and people like me can go to places that need me······.

I was thinking that when I inadvertently looked up at the night sky.

A bright line drawn in the sky was leading downwards.

“Oh, a shooting star.”

They say your wish will come true if you make a wish on a shooting star.

Could it be that I inadvertently made a wish just now?

I snorted and got up.

No, I was trying to get up.