Yejong (Joseon)

Yejong 8th King of the Joseon Dynasty
Spelling of names
Hangeul	예종
Hanja	睿宗
Revised Romanization	Yejong
McCune-Reischauer	Yejong
Reign
Reign of	1468
Reign until	December 31, 1469
predecessor	King Sejo
successor	King Seongjong
Life dates
Born on the	February 12, 1440
Birth Name	이황
Hanja	李 晄
Revised Romanization	Yi Hwang
McCune-Reischauer	Yi Hwang
father	King Sejo
mother	Queen Jeonghui
Death dates
Died on	December 31, 1469
Spouses, mistresses, offspring
Woman (s)	Queen Jangsun Queen Ansun and three other ladies of the court
Sons	Prince Insong (Yi Bun) Prince Jean (Yi Hyeon)
Daughters	Princess Hyeonsuk Princess Hyesun

Yejong ( Korean : 예종 ) (born February 12, 1450 , Joseon ; † December 31, 1469 , ibid) was the 8th King of the Joseon Dynasty ( 조선 왕조 ) (1392-1910) in Korea during his reign from 1468 to 1469 .

Life

King Yejong, known as Prince Haeyang-daegun Hwang ( 해양 대군 황 ) before his coronation , was the second son of King Sejo ( 세조 ) (1417–1468). When his older brother Deokjong ( 덕종 ) (1438-1457), known as the Crown Prince under the name Uigyeong seja ( 의경 세자 ), suddenly died, his father named him Crown Prince at the age of eight. Ten years later, his father passed away, and Yejong was crowned king at the age of only 18. Too young to rule, he was supported by his mother Queen Jeonghui ( 정희 ), who also took over the business of government. She was supported and advised by Sin Suk-ju ( 신숙주 ) and Han Myeong-hoe ( 한명회 ), both senior officials of the state. Queen Jeonghui accompanied her son King Yejong to all official receptions or meetings of the government. Although her power was limited, she was the first woman in Joseon's history to exert great influence over the affairs of government and the country's fortunes.

In 1469, while King Yejong was still in office, a ceremony for the palace guards, called Sumungun ( 수 문군 ), was introduced at the gate to the palace and the gates to the capital. Sumunjang ( 수문장 ), the chief of the palace guards, led the guards to the respective gates, where the opening and closing ceremony of the gates was performed. According to the sources from those days, nowadays the opening and closing of the gates for tourists are vividly celebrated in front of the entrance gate to the palace, which is called Gungseongmun ( 궁 성문 ).

King Yejong was interested in finding out the background and truth of a crime and then took it to court. He researched u. a. to a rumor that he was about to be dethroned and found a helper in the young chronicler Yi-seo ( 이서 ). The story was the basis for a comedy film released in 2017, which was called " The King's Case Note " in English .

Yejong, who had been in poor health since childhood, passed away at the age of 20 after only 14 months in office. After his death, the son of his deceased older brother succeeded the throne as King Seongjong ( 성종 ).

King's tomb

The tomb Changneung ( 창릉 ) of King Yejong is located on the area called Seooreung in the city of Goyang -si ( 고양시 ) in the province of Gyeonggi-do ( 경기도 ). His wife, Queen Ansun ( 안순 ) is also buried there. The tombs have been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO .

literature

• Yi, Pae-yong ( 해양 대군 황 ): Women in Korean History . Ewha Womans University Press , Seoul 2008, ISBN 978-89-7300-772-1 (English, Korean: 한국 역사 속 의 여성들 . Translated by Lee Kyong-Hee ).
• Han Young Woo : Joseon Era . In: A Review of Korean History . Volume 2 . Kyongsaewon Publishing Company , Pajubookcity, Gyeonggi-do 2010, ISBN 978-89-8341-092-4 (English).

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} Han : Joseon Era . In: A Review of Korean History . 2010, p.  307 .
2. ^ Yi : Women in Korean History . 2008, p.  51 .
3. ^ Ceremonies for the opening and closing of palace gates and guard changes . Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation , accessed November 6, 2018 .  
4. ↑ Moon Hyung-sung : The King's Case Note . (PDF 478 kB) CJ Entertainment , accessed on November 6, 2018 (English).  
5. ^ Royal Tombs . Cultural Heritage Administration , accessed November 6, 2018 .  
6. ↑ Seooreung Royal Tomb (Gyeongneung, Changneung, Hongneung, Ingneung and Myeongneung) (UNESCO World Heritage) ( 고양 서오릉 ( 유네스코 세계 문화 유산 )) . In: Visit Korea . Korea Tourism Organization , accessed November 6, 2018 .