Person

Jang Yeong-sil

c. 1390–after 1442 · 15th century

Jang Yeong-sil was a Korean engineer and inventor of the early Joseon dynasty. Born of low status, he was promoted to high office by King Sejong for his skill. He built astronomical instruments, including armillary spheres, and the self-striking water clock of 1434, and worked on Sejong's programme of scientific instruments that also produced a standard rain gauge in 1441. He was dismissed in 1442 after a royal palanquin he had made broke.

Jang Yeong-sil
Image: Himasaram · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 profile

JoseonImpact

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Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Jang Yeong-sil. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/jang-yeong-sil
MLA
“Jang Yeong-sil.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/jang-yeong-sil. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Jang Yeong-sil.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/jang-yeong-sil.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Jang Yeong-sil’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/jang-yeong-sil (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻