The 612th anniversary of King Sejong the Great's birth has been celebrated at his royal tomb in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province.

The Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) held a ceremony Friday, where officials in traditional ceremonial garments read a ritual prayer and bowed while offering incense and cups of wine.

After the ceremony, the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Yu In-chon offered incense and flowers in place of President Lee Myung-bak. In a greetings speech, he urged the nation to remember King Sejong’s leadership and the spirit of national solidarity.

The ceremony was attended by some 12-hundred people including the culture minister and the head of CHA.

King Sejong the Great is one of the most revered kings of the Joseon Kingdom. The invention of the Korean alphabet “Hangeul” is among his many achievements.