Jeongjo of Joseon
Encyclopedia
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...
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...
. He made various attempts to reform and improve the nation of Joseon. He was preceded by his grandfather 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:...
(1724–1776) and succeeded by his son King Sunjo
Sunjo of Joseon
Sunjo was the 23rd king of the Korean Joseon Dynasty.He was born His Royal Highness Prince Yi Gong, the 2nd son of King Jeongjo by his concubine, Lady Subin....
(r. 1800–1834). He is widely regarded as one of the most successful and visionary rulers of Joseon
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...
along with King Sejong
Sejong the Great of Joseon
Sejong the Great was the fourth king of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea. During his regency, he reinforced Korean Confucian policies and executed major legal amendments . He also used the creation of Hangul and the advancement of technology to expand his territory...
.
Early life
He was the son of Crown Prince SadoPrince Sado
Crown Prince Sado was born as the second son of the Korean king Yeongjo of Joseon. Because his older brother, Prince Hyojang, had died young, in 1728, Prince Sado was born the royal heir. However, it had been reported to his father that he was mentally ill, wantonly killed people, and was very...
, who was put to death by his own father, King Yeongjo. His mother, Lady Hyegyeong, wrote an autobiography, The Memoirs of Lady Hyegyeong (한중록, 閑中錄), detailing her life as the ill-fated Crown Princess of Korea. This collection of memoirs serve as an invaluable source of historical information on the political happenings during the reigns of King Yeongjo, King Jeongjo and King Sunjo.
When he was the Crown Prince, King Jeongjo met Hong Guk-yeong (홍국영, 洪國榮), a controversial politician who first strongly supported Jeongjo's accession and toiled to improve the king's power, but ended up being expelled because of his desire for power.
Jeongjo spent much of his reign
Reign
A reign is the term used to describe the period of a person's or dynasty's occupation of the office of monarch of a nation or of a people . In most hereditary monarchies and some elective monarchies A reign is the term used to describe the period of a person's or dynasty's occupation of the office...
trying to clear his father's name. He also moved the court to the city of Suwon
Suwon
Suwon is the provincial capital of Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. A major city of over a million inhabitants, Suwon lies approximately south of Seoul. It is traditionally known as "The City of Filial Piety"....
to be closer to his father's grave
Grave (burial)
A grave is a location where a dead body is buried. Graves are usually located in special areas set aside for the purpose of burial, such as graveyards or cemeteries....
. He built Hwaseong Fortress
Hwaseong Fortress
Hwaseong , the wall surrounding the centre of Suwon, the provincial capital of Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, was built in the late 18th century by King Jeongjo of the Joseon Dynasty to honour and house the remains of his father Prince Sado, who had been murdered by being locked alive inside a rice...
to guard the tomb. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Accession
His era was quite in disorder as his father was forcefully killed. King Yeongjo's ultimate decision to execute Prince Sado was greatly influenced by other politicians who were against Prince Sado. After King Yeongjo's death and on the day that he became the King of Joseon, he sat on his throne in the throne room and looked at everyone and said, "I am the son of the late Crown Prince Sado..." A bold statement that send shivers to all of the politicians that influenced his father's death. During his accession, he also gave a royal decree that his mother, Lady Hye Gyeong, to be a Dowager Queen since his father, her husband, was supposed to be the King before him but it never happened so automatically, she became the Queen Dowager, the widow of Crown Prince Sado.From this, he went through many turbulent times but overcame them with the aid of Hong Guk-yeong.
Renaissance
King Jeongjo led the new renaissance of Joseon dynasty. It was originally stepped by continuing policy of Tangpyeong, Yeongjo's. He tried to control whole politics of the nation for acquisition of national progress.He made various reforms throughout his reign, notably establishing Kyujanggak
Kyujanggak
The Kyujanggak was the royal library of the Joseon Dynasty, and functions today as a key repository of Korean historical records. It was founded in 1776 during the reign of Jeongjo, at which time it was located on the palace grounds of Changdeokgung...
(규장각), a royal library. However, its purpose was to improve the cultural and political stance of Joseon
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...
and to recruit gifted officers to run the nation. He also spearheaded bold new social initiatives, opening government positions to those who were barred because of their social status.
Jeongjo had the support of the many Silhak
Silhak
Silhak was a Korean Confucian social reform movement in late Joseon Dynasty. Sil means "actual" or "practical," and hak means "studies" or "learning." It developed in response to the increasingly metaphysical nature of Neo-Confucianism that seemed disconnected from the rapid agricultural,...
scholars including Jeong Yak-yong
Jeong Yak-yong
Jeong Yak-yong was a leading Korean philosopher in the late Joseon Dynasty. He has usually been regarded as one of the greatest thinkers of the so-called "Practical Learning" movement...
, Yu Deuk-gong
Yu Deuk-gong
Yu Deuk-gong was a Korean scholar during the Joseon Dynasty. He is remembered today for his work in recovering the history of Balhae, which had not generally been considered part of Korean history before his time.-See also:*History of Korea...
, Pak Ji-won and Pak Je-ga, and in addition the Silhak scholars supported Jeongjo's regal power. King Jeongjo's reign also saw the further growth and development of Joseon's popular culture.
Death
He was known to history as an innovative person, in spite of his high political status in Joseon. He died suddenly at the age of 48 in 1800 under mysterious circumstances, without seeing his lifelong wishes realized by his son, Sunjo. There are many books regarding the mysterious death of Jeongjo, even today.He is buried with his wife at the royal tomb of Geolleung
Yungneung and Geolleung
Yungneung and Geolleung are two royal tombs from the Joseon Dynasty within an oak-forested park in Hwaseong, South Korea. Yungneung is the tomb of Crown Prince Sado and Princess Hyegyeong, while Geolleung houses King Jeongjo and Queen Hyoui...
(건릉, 健陵) in the city of Hwaseong.
Family
- Father: Crown Prince Sado (사도세자, 1735–1762)
He is given the posthumous title "Jangjo" (장조) - Mother: Queen Heongyeong of the Poongsan Hong clan (헌경왕후 홍씨, 1735–1815)
- Consorts:
- Queen HyouiQueen HyouiQueen Hyoui , was the wife and Queen Consort of King Jeongjo of Joseon. She came from the Cheongpung Kim clan .-Biography:...
of the Cheongpung Gim clan (효의왕후 김씨, 1753–1821) - Royal Noble Consort Wonbin of the Pyeongsan Hong clan (원빈 홍씨, 1766–1779)
- Royal Noble Consort Hwabin of the Yun clan (화빈 윤씨, 1765–1824)
- Royal Noble Consort Uibin of the Seong clan (의빈 성씨, 1753–1786)
- Royal Noble Consort Subin of the Park clan (수빈 박씨, 1770–1822)
- Issue:
- Prince Successor Munhyo (문효세자, 1782–1786), Only Son of Royal Noble Consort Ui of the Seong clan.
- Royal Prince SuccessorSunjo of JoseonSunjo was the 23rd king of the Korean Joseon Dynasty.He was born His Royal Highness Prince Yi Gong, the 2nd son of King Jeongjo by his concubine, Lady Subin....
(왕세자,1790–1834), Only Son of Royal Noble Consort Su of the Park clan. - A daughter of Royal Noble Consort Ui of the Seong clan.
- Princess Sukseon (숙선옹주, 1793–1836) Only daughter of Royal Noble Consort Su of the Park clan.
- Prince Sanggye (상계군, 1770–1786), Adoptive Son of Royal Noble Consort Won of the Hong clan.
Full posthumous name
- King Jeongjo Gyeongcheon Myeongdo Hongdeok Hyeonmo Munseong Muryeol Seongin Janghyo the Great of Korea
- 정조경천명도홍덕현모문성무렬성인장효대왕
- 正祖敬天明道洪德顯謨文成武烈聖仁莊孝大王
Portrayal in works of media
Jeongjo portrayed in modern dramas:- Portrait of a BeautyPortrait of a BeautyPortrait of a Beauty is a 2008 South Korean film directed by Jeon Yoon-soo. Adapted from the novel Painter of the Wind by Lee Jeong-myeong, the film portrays Joseon-era painter Shin Yoon-bok as a being a woman disguised as a man...
- a 2008 filmic adaptation of the novel Painter of the Wind by Lee Jeong-myeong - The Painter of the Wind - a 20 episodes drama, also adaptation of the novel Painter of the Wind
- Yi SanYi SanYi San was a South Korean historical drama that aired on MBC, Monday and Tuesdays at 9:55 P.M. Yi San had much success and ended up in MBC's Acting Awards with "Top Excellence Acting Award" for Lee Seo Jin and "Best Actress" for Han Ji-min. It was also nominated for MBC Best Drama but lost to Legend...
(MBC, 2007) - a Korean drama concerned primarily with his life story and a fictionalized account of his relationship with the Lady Ui. - The Ballad of Seoul - also known as "Conspiracy in the Court", this story starts from a mystery thriller evolving into a court intrigue surrounding the king and his conservative ministers.
- 8 days Mystery of Jeongjo's Assassination-a Cable series 10 episode drama, depicting mysterious events that surrounded Jeongjo when he traveled to the completed site of Hwaseong, where he planned to move the nation's capital
- Hong Guk-yeong (TV series) - This drama is about Hong Guk-Yeong, Jeongjo's right hand.
- Sungkyunkwan ScandalSungkyunkwan ScandalSungkyunkwan Scandal is a 2010 South Korean historical fiction drama, broadcast by Korean Broadcasting System , whose original run was from August 30, 2010 to November 2, 2010.-Synopsis:...
- Korean historical drama about a female who enters Sungkyunkwan University during Jeongjo's reign in a time when women were not allowed to enter the school under penalty of beheading if caught. - IMmvp (StarCraft 2 Progamer) - one of the Korean StarCraft 2 GSL winners, he's also known on the Korean ladder (his unofficial nickname) as King JJ
- Painter of the Wind - a Korean Drama.
- Warrior Baek Dong-sooWarrior Baek Dong-sooWarrior Baek Dong-soo is 2011 SBS Historical television series in 29 episodes, aired beginning July 4, 2011, and continuing twice-weekly through October 10, 2011, set in the 18th century Joseon dynasty...
- about life of Jeongjo's bodyguard Baek Dong-soo