Huijong of Goryeo
Encyclopedia
Huijong of Goryeo was the 21st Emperor
of the Goryeo
dynasty of Korea
and the only son of Emperor Sinjong
.
It is said of Huijong that if he were to have grown old he would have made a great Emperor. When his father ascended to the throne and Huijong became Crown Prince
, he rebelled against Choe Chungheon, the military leader of that time, and his younger brother Choe Chungsu. Huijong grew truly hostile towards them after Chungsu forced the Crown Princess to abdicate so that he could replace her with his daughter. During the rebellion, Huijong masterminded a plan to make Chungheon kill Chungsu, but Chungheon found out about it. Huijong was forced to beg for forgiveness and humble himself before one of his own subjects, which only made him hungrier for revenge.
When Emperor Sinjong fell ill in 1204, he stepped down from the throne to let his son Huijong be Emperor. Huijong, knowing that he had to lull Choe Chungheon into a false sense of security in order to be able to kill him, promoted him to Prime Minister of the State. This title was the one most often given out during the time of military rule to people such as Jeong Jung-bu
, Yi Ui-min
, and even Chungheon's father posthumously. Huijong also named Chungheon the Royal Protector, the greatest honor of the time, which was usually only given to relatives of the Emperor. With these two titles, Choe Chungheon had political power nearly equal to that of the Emperor himself. He used it to obliterate three rebellions, one led by his slave, another by Silla
partisans, and one by his nephew Park Jinjae.
As Chungheon became secure in his new position, however, Huijong began to make preparations. Claiming illness, he tricked Choe Chungheon into coming alone into the palace without his usual host of guards. Once he arrived, Huijong attempted a coup d'état
against him. Unfortunately, this failed and Choe Chungheon barely escaped with his life. Enraged, he exiled Emperor Huijong. Chungheon had realized by this time that he held the 'power of the heavens' in his hand, and could crown and exile whomever he wished whenever he wished. Emperor Gangjong
was crowned in Huijong's place.
Monarch
A 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 the Goryeo
Goryeo
The Goryeo Dynasty or Koryŏ was a Korean dynasty established in 918 by Emperor Taejo. Korea gets its name from this kingdom which came to be pronounced Korea. It united the Later Three Kingdoms in 936 and ruled most of the Korean peninsula until it was removed by the Joseon dynasty in 1392...
dynasty of Korea
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...
and the only son of Emperor Sinjong
Sinjong of Goryeo
King Sinjong of Goryeo was the twentieth monarch of the Goryeo dynasty of Korea. The fifth son of King Injong, Sinjong took the throne after his brother King Myeongjong was sent into exile by Choe Chungheon....
.
It is said of Huijong that if he were to have grown old he would have made a great Emperor. When his father ascended to the throne and Huijong became Crown Prince
Crown Prince
A crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....
, he rebelled against Choe Chungheon, the military leader of that time, and his younger brother Choe Chungsu. Huijong grew truly hostile towards them after Chungsu forced the Crown Princess to abdicate so that he could replace her with his daughter. During the rebellion, Huijong masterminded a plan to make Chungheon kill Chungsu, but Chungheon found out about it. Huijong was forced to beg for forgiveness and humble himself before one of his own subjects, which only made him hungrier for revenge.
When Emperor Sinjong fell ill in 1204, he stepped down from the throne to let his son Huijong be Emperor. Huijong, knowing that he had to lull Choe Chungheon into a false sense of security in order to be able to kill him, promoted him to Prime Minister of the State. This title was the one most often given out during the time of military rule to people such as Jeong Jung-bu
Jeong Jung-bu
Jeong Jung-bu was a medieval Korean soldier and military dictator during Goryeo Dynasty . He was a career soldier, qualified on military part of civil service examination...
, Yi Ui-min
Yi Ui-min
Yi Ui-min was one of the third major military dictators that ruled Goryeo prior to the Mongol Invasions. When Gyeong Dae-seung died, Yi Ui-min seized power. He ruled for 13 years, but was eventually assassinated by General Choe Chungheon in 1196....
, and even Chungheon's father posthumously. Huijong also named Chungheon the Royal Protector, the greatest honor of the time, which was usually only given to relatives of the Emperor. With these two titles, Choe Chungheon had political power nearly equal to that of the Emperor himself. He used it to obliterate three rebellions, one led by his slave, another by Silla
Silla
Silla was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, and one of the longest sustained dynasties in...
partisans, and one by his nephew Park Jinjae.
As Chungheon became secure in his new position, however, Huijong began to make preparations. Claiming illness, he tricked Choe Chungheon into coming alone into the palace without his usual host of guards. Once he arrived, Huijong attempted a coup d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
against him. Unfortunately, this failed and Choe Chungheon barely escaped with his life. Enraged, he exiled Emperor Huijong. Chungheon had realized by this time that he held the 'power of the heavens' in his hand, and could crown and exile whomever he wished whenever he wished. Emperor Gangjong
Gangjong of Goryeo
Gangjong was the 22nd ruler of the Goryeo dynasty of Korea. He was the eldest son of King Myeongjong. His mother was Queen Gwangjeong, a Kim, and his wife was Queen Wondeok, a Yu and the daughter of Sin An-hu....
was crowned in Huijong's place.
See also
- List of Korea-related topics
- 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 Korean rulers
- List of Goryeo people