Cheoljong of Joseon
Encyclopedia
King Cheoljong was the 25th king of the Korea
n Joseon Dynasty
.
The only aim of the Andong Kim clan was the preservation of the influence. Their fierce campaign truly to dominate the royal house had led to a situation in which almost all of the representatives of the royal family fled from Seoul. When the royal family produced intelligent and appropriate candidates for the accession, they were either accused of treason and executed or sent into exile, so when Heonjong
died, leaving no son, no acceptable candidate could be found to succeed to the throne.
When the envoys (dispatched in order to seek for the future king) arrived on Ganghwa Island, they found the remaining clan of the Yi's barely surviving in wretched poverty. In 1849, at the age of 18, Yi Byeon/Seong(the future Cheoljong), the 3rd son of Prince Jeon-gye (great-grandson of King Yeongjo
), was proclaimed King, amidst obvious degradation and poverty. Though from the start of the Joseon Dynasty Korean kings had given top priority to the education of their sons, Cheoljong could not even read a single word on the notice delivering congratulations to him on his elevation to the royal throne.
For the Andong Kims, Cheoljong was an excellent choice. His illiteracy made him manipulatable and vulnerable to their control. Proof of it is that even though Cheoljong ruled the country for 13 years, until his very last days he had not yet learned on how to move with dignity or on how to wear royal clothes, so that in even the most luxurious of robes he still looked like a fisherman.
As part of the Andong Kim's manipulation of Cheoljong, in 1851, the clan married Cheoljong to Kim Mun-geun
(a member of the clan)'s daughter (known posthumously as Queen Cheonin
).
is . In Korean, it is Yi Byeon. However, in most Chinese materials, his name is often misrecognized as , which is pronounced as Yi Seong. This is a very serious yet very popular error, as the character 昪 is a very rare word. 昇, however, is a very common one. Therefore, we need to take care when searching.
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
n Joseon Dynasty
Joseon Dynasty
Joseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...
.
Background
At the beginning of the 19th century, the Andong Kim clan, who had provided the Joseon state with several queens, had seized power almost everywhere in Korea. The social stagnation that resulted was a breeding ground for unrest. Corruption and embezzlement from the treasury and its inevitable exploitation were taken to extreme levels, and reached staggering proportions. Rebellion after another was accompanied by natural disasters. Indeed it was one of the most gloomy periods in the country’s history.The only aim of the Andong Kim clan was the preservation of the influence. Their fierce campaign truly to dominate the royal house had led to a situation in which almost all of the representatives of the royal family fled from Seoul. When the royal family produced intelligent and appropriate candidates for the accession, they were either accused of treason and executed or sent into exile, so when Heonjong
Heonjong of Joseon
Heonjong of Joseon was the 24th king of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea. He was the grandson of Sunjo, and his mother was Queen Sinjeong of the Pungyang Jo clan. His father was Prince Munjo, posthumously named Ikjong, who died at the age of 21 before becoming king. Heonjong was born three-years before...
died, leaving no son, no acceptable candidate could be found to succeed to the throne.
Life
After a long search, the future Cheoljong was found on Ganghwa Island where his family had fled to hide from oppression.When the envoys (dispatched in order to seek for the future king) arrived on Ganghwa Island, they found the remaining clan of the Yi's barely surviving in wretched poverty. In 1849, at the age of 18, Yi Byeon/Seong(the future Cheoljong), the 3rd son of Prince Jeon-gye (great-grandson of King Yeongjo
Yeongjo of Joseon
Yeongjo was the twenty-first king of the Korean Joseon Dynasty. He was the second son of Sukjong by Lady Suk-bin of the Choi clan , succeeded his older brother Gyeongjong.-Reign:...
), was proclaimed King, amidst obvious degradation and poverty. Though from the start of the Joseon Dynasty Korean kings had given top priority to the education of their sons, Cheoljong could not even read a single word on the notice delivering congratulations to him on his elevation to the royal throne.
For the Andong Kims, Cheoljong was an excellent choice. His illiteracy made him manipulatable and vulnerable to their control. Proof of it is that even though Cheoljong ruled the country for 13 years, until his very last days he had not yet learned on how to move with dignity or on how to wear royal clothes, so that in even the most luxurious of robes he still looked like a fisherman.
As part of the Andong Kim's manipulation of Cheoljong, in 1851, the clan married Cheoljong to Kim Mun-geun
Queen Cheonin
Queen Cheolin , was a Queen consort of Korea and the wife of King Cheoljong of Joseon.-Biography:She was the daughter of Kim Mun-geun and Lady Min...
(a member of the clan)'s daughter (known posthumously as Queen Cheonin
Queen Cheonin
Queen Cheolin , was a Queen consort of Korea and the wife of King Cheoljong of Joseon.-Biography:She was the daughter of Kim Mun-geun and Lady Min...
).
Death
He died at the age of 32 in January 1864 (by suspected foul play by the Andong Kim clan, the same clan that had made him king), without a male heir.Family
- Father: Jeongye, Prince of the Great Court (전계대원군, 1785–1841)
- Mother: Yongseong, Princess Consort of the Prince of the Great Court, of the Yeom clan (용성부대부인 염씨)
- Consorts
- Queen CheoninQueen CheoninQueen Cheolin , was a Queen consort of Korea and the wife of King Cheoljong of Joseon.-Biography:She was the daughter of Kim Mun-geun and Lady Min...
of the Andong Kim clan (철인왕후 김씨, 1837–1878) - Park Gwi-in (귀인 박씨)
- Jo Gwi-in (귀인 조씨)
- Lee Gwi-in (귀인 이씨)
- Bang Suk-ui (숙의 방씨)
- Beom Suk-ui (숙의 범씨)
- Palace Lady Lee (궁인 이씨)
- Palace Lady Kim (궁인 김씨)
- Palace Lady Park (궁인 박씨)
- Issue:
- A Son of Lee Gwi-in
- 2 Daughters of Lee Gwi-in
- Princess Yeonghye (영혜옹주, 1859-July 4, 1872), Only Daughter of Beom Suk-ui. She married Marquis Park Yeong-hyo and was the grandmother of Lady Park Chan-ju, who later married her fifth cousin Wu, Prince of KoreaWu, Prince of KoreaYi Wu , was the 4th head of Unhyeon Palace and a member of the imperial family of Korea.-Biography:He was born the second son of Prince Gang, the fifth son of Emperor Gojong....
Hanja name
The King's name in HanjaHanja
Hanja is the Korean name for the Chinese characters hanzi. More specifically, it refers to those Chinese characters borrowed from Chinese and incorporated into the Korean language with Korean pronunciation...
is . In Korean, it is Yi Byeon. However, in most Chinese materials, his name is often misrecognized as , which is pronounced as Yi Seong. This is a very serious yet very popular error, as the character 昪 is a very rare word. 昇, however, is a very common one. Therefore, we need to take care when searching.
Titles
- LordLordLord is a title with various meanings. It can denote a prince or a feudal superior . The title today is mostly used in connection with the peerage of the United Kingdom or its predecessor countries, although some users of the title do not themselves hold peerages, and use it 'by courtesy'...
Wonbeom, the 3rd Son of PrincePrincePrince is a general term for a ruler, monarch or member of a monarch's or former monarch's family, and is a hereditary title in the nobility of some European states. The feminine equivalent is a princess...
Jeongye (great-grandson of King YeongjoYeongjo of JoseonYeongjo was the twenty-first king of the Korean Joseon Dynasty. He was the second son of Sukjong by Lady Suk-bin of the Choi clan , succeeded his older brother Gyeongjong.-Reign:...
) (1725–1776). - His Highness the Prince Deogwan of KoreaKoreaKorea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
, the heir presumptiveHeir PresumptiveAn heir presumptive or heiress presumptive is the person provisionally scheduled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honour, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of an heir or heiress apparent or of a new heir presumptive with a better claim to the position in question...
to the throne (1849–1850). - His MajestyMajestyMajesty is an English word derived ultimately from the Latin maiestas, meaning "greatness".- Origin :Originally, during the Roman republic, the word maiestas was the legal term for the supreme status and dignity of the state, to be respected above everything else...
the KingMonarchA monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
of Korea (1850–1863)
His full posthumous name
- King Cheoljong Huiyun Jeonggeuk Sudeok Sunseong Heummyung Gwangdo Donwon Changhwa Munhyeon Museong Heonin Yeonghyo the Great of Korea
- 철종희윤정극수덕순성흠명광도돈원창화문현무성헌인영효대왕
- 哲宗熙倫正極粹德純聖欽命光道敦元彰化文顯武成獻仁英孝大王
Ancestry
See also
- List of Rulers of Korea
- Joseon Dynasty politicsJoseon Dynasty politicsThe politics of the Joseon Dynasty, which ruled Korea from 1392 to 1910, were governed by the reigning ideology of Korean Confucianism, a form of Neo-Confucianism. Political struggles were common between different factions of the scholar-officials...
- Joseon DynastyJoseon DynastyJoseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...
- History of KoreaHistory of KoreaThe Korean Peninsula was inhabited from the Lower Paleolithic about 400,000-500,000 years ago. Archeological evidence indicates that the presence of modern humans in northeast Asia dates to 39,000 years ago. The earliest known Korean pottery dates to around 8000 BC, and the Neolithic period began...
- List of Korea-related topics