The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Jeongjo the Great launched in 2025 as Heroes of Korea's portrait of an 18th-century Joseon king known for cultural reform and patronage of learning. The unisex fragrance follows that historical subject through raspberry, bergamot, cherry, lemon, rose, cinnamon, peony, clove, sandalwood, Indonesian patchouli, cedarwood, and oud. Raspberry, cherry, and lemon lend a vivid fruit character, joined by the citrus lift of bergamot and the floral presence of rose. Cinnamon and clove add warm spice, while peony extends the floral register. Beneath them, sandalwood, Indonesian patchouli, cedarwood, and oud create a dense base of creamy wood, earthy depth, dry timber, and resinous richness.
The interesting part is the handoff between fruit, floral, spice, and wood. Raspberry and cherry are joined by lemon and bergamot, while rose and peony contribute different floral textures. Cinnamon and clove bring their own aromatic warmth to the composition. As the opening loses its fruitiness, sandalwood gives the center a smooth character, Indonesian patchouli adds an earthy presence, and cedarwood brings a drier woody facet. Oud deepens the final composition with a dark, resinous quality.
The evolution
The opening presents raspberry, cherry, lemon, bergamot, and rose together, with the fruit notes occupying much of the first impression. Lemon and bergamot add a sharper citrus edge, while rose gives the opening a floral accent. As those notes soften, cinnamon and clove introduce warmer spice, and peony maintains the presence of flowers within the middle. The scent then moves gradually toward sandalwood, Indonesian patchouli, cedarwood, and oud. Sandalwood contributes smoothness, patchouli brings an earthy quality, cedarwood adds a dry wood character, and oud supplies dark resinous depth. The earlier fruit becomes less noticeable during this later stage, leaving the woody materials to define the drydown.
Cultural impact
Jeongjo the Great is a contemporary unisex fragrance centered on an 18th-century Joseon king known for cultural reform and patronage of learning. The historical figure supplies a distinctive cultural reference, while the fragrance presents that subject through its own list of fruit, citrus, floral, spice, and woody notes. Raspberry, cherry, lemon, and bergamot form the brighter side of the composition. Rose and peony add floral layers, cinnamon and clove contribute warmth, and sandalwood, Indonesian patchouli, cedarwood, and oud give the scent a deeper finish.
The House
Heroes of KoreaHeroes of Korea is a Korean niche fragrance house founded by Hani Oh in 2020. Its central idea treats perfume as a record of people, places, and episodes in Korean history. The catalogue turns historical subjects into olfactory portraits, spanning figures such as King Sejong, Kim Gu, Heo Jun, Shin Saimdang, Yi Sunsin, and Heo Nanseolheon. The first released collection includes Kim Hongdo, Sejong The Great 001, Kim Gu, Heo Jun, Heo Nanseolheon, Shin Saimdang, and Yi Sunsin, all dated to 2020. Jeongjo the Great followed in 2025. Available research does not identify the perfumers responsible for these compositions, so any account of their individual creative signatures would go beyond the documented record.
The Creator
Oh HaniThe house’s fragrance style can be described as polished, modern, and deliberately edited. Oh Hani’s compositions are associated with a refined Korean perspective, where familiar perfumery conventions meet a more personal and understated sensibility.
