Yeongjo of Joseon
Encyclopedia
Yeongjo was the twenty-first king
of the Korea
n Joseon Dynasty
. He was the second son of Sukjong
by Lady Suk-bin of the Choi clan , succeeded his older brother Gyeongjong
.
monarch, and is said to have had a greater knowledge of the classics than his officials. During the reign of Yeongjo and his grandson Jeongjo
, Confucianization was at its height, as was economic recovery from the wars of the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries.
The king is also famous for having treasured Park Mun-su
, who was appointed as Amhaeng-eosa (암행어사) or a secret governmental inspector. Park, who had earned great merit in putting down Yi In-ja's rebellion, went around the nation arresting corrupt local officers in the name of the king.
The only significantly dismal incident during Yeongjo's reign was the death of his son, Crown Prince Sado
. Sado most likely suffered from mental illness. He randomly killed people in the palace and was a sexual deviant. Yeongjo could not by court rules kill his son by his own hand and on a hot August day in 1762, Sado was ordered to climb into a large wooden rice chest. After eight days, Sado died of suffocation.
Nine years later Yeongjo died, and Sado's son, Jeongjo, became king. The early part of his years were marked by political intrigues and fear of court officials that were afraid of Jeongjo taking revenge on them for petitioning the punishment that caused the death of his father, Crown Prince Sado. Yeongjo was buried in the dynastic tombs at Donggureung
.
Yeongjo was the first to take action against Roman Catholic activities in the country. By the 18th century, Catholicism was beginning to acquire a following especially in the Gangwon
and Hwanghae
provinces. In 1758, Yeongjo officially outlawed Catholicism as an evil
practice.
He is buried with his second wife at the royal tomb of Wonneung (원릉, 元陵) in the city of Guri
.
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 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...
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...
. He was the second son of Sukjong
Sukjong of Joseon
Sukjong was the 19th king of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea from 1674 to 1720.- Biography :King Sukjong was born on 15 August 1661 to King Hyeonjong and Queen Myeongseong at Changdeok Palace. His given name was Yi Sun...
by Lady Suk-bin of the Choi clan , succeeded his older brother Gyeongjong
Gyeongjong of Joseon
Gyeongjong was the 20th king of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea. He was the son of Sukjong by Jang Hui-bin.In 1690, Gyeongjong's designation as heir to the throne precipitated a struggle between the Noron and the Soron faction, which supported Gyeongjong of Joseon...
.
Reign
King Yeongjo was a deeply ConfucianKorean Confucianism
Korean Confucianism is the form of Confucianism developed in Korea. One of the most substantial influences in Korean intellectual history was the introduction of Confucian thought as part of the cultural influence from China...
monarch, and is said to have had a greater knowledge of the classics than his officials. During the reign of Yeongjo and his grandson Jeongjo
Jeongjo of Joseon
King Jeongjo was the 22nd ruler of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea. He made various attempts to reform and improve the nation of Joseon. He was preceded by his grandfather King Yeongjo and succeeded by his son King Sunjo...
, Confucianization was at its height, as was economic recovery from the wars of the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries.
The king is also famous for having treasured Park Mun-su
Park Mun-su
Park Mun-su or Bak Munsu was a Korean government official in the period of King Yeongjo of Joseon in the Joseon Dynasty in the history of Korea....
, who was appointed as Amhaeng-eosa (암행어사) or a secret governmental inspector. Park, who had earned great merit in putting down Yi In-ja's rebellion, went around the nation arresting corrupt local officers in the name of the king.
The only significantly dismal incident during Yeongjo's reign was the death of his son, Crown Prince Sado
Prince 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...
. Sado most likely suffered from mental illness. He randomly killed people in the palace and was a sexual deviant. Yeongjo could not by court rules kill his son by his own hand and on a hot August day in 1762, Sado was ordered to climb into a large wooden rice chest. After eight days, Sado died of suffocation.
Nine years later Yeongjo died, and Sado's son, Jeongjo, became king. The early part of his years were marked by political intrigues and fear of court officials that were afraid of Jeongjo taking revenge on them for petitioning the punishment that caused the death of his father, Crown Prince Sado. Yeongjo was buried in the dynastic tombs at Donggureung
Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty
The Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty refers to the 40 tombs of members of the Korean Joseon Dynasty . These tombs are scattered in over 18 locations across South Korea. They were built to honour and respect the ancestors and their achievements, and assert their royal authority...
.
Yeongjo was the first to take action against Roman Catholic activities in the country. By the 18th century, Catholicism was beginning to acquire a following especially in the Gangwon
Gangwon (historical)
Gangwon Province or Gangwon-do was one of the Eight Provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. The province was formed in 1395, and derived its name from the names of the principal cities of Gangneung and the provincial capital Wonju .In 1895, Gangwon-do was replaced by the Districts of...
and Hwanghae
Hwanghae
Hwanghae was one of the Eight Provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. Hwanghae was located in the northwest of Korea. The provincial capital was Haeju.The regional name for the province was Haesŏ .-History:...
provinces. In 1758, Yeongjo officially outlawed Catholicism as an evil
Evil
Evil is the violation of, or intent to violate, some moral code. Evil is usually seen as the dualistic opposite of good. Definitions of evil vary along with analysis of its root motive causes, however general actions commonly considered evil include: conscious and deliberate wrongdoing,...
practice.
He is buried with his second wife at the royal tomb of Wonneung (원릉, 元陵) in the city of Guri
Guri
Guri is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. The name "Guri" is thought by some to mean "nine villages," which is reflected in the Hanja for the town. It is located immediately to the east of Seoul, in the heart of the Capital Metropolitan Area.The Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty are...
.
Family
- Father: King SukjongSukjong of JoseonSukjong was the 19th king of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea from 1674 to 1720.- Biography :King Sukjong was born on 15 August 1661 to King Hyeonjong and Queen Myeongseong at Changdeok Palace. His given name was Yi Sun...
(숙종) - Mother: Royal Noble Consort Suk of the Haeju Choi clanConsort Suk of the Choe clanRoyal Noble Consort Suk of the Choe clan was a concubine of King Sukjong of Joseon. She is best remembered as the birth mother of King Yeongjo of Joseon.-Biography:...
(숙빈 최씨) - Consorts:
- Queen Jeongseong of the Dalsung Seo clanQueen JeongseongQueen Jeongseong was the first wife and Queen Consort of King Yeongjo of Joseon, the 21st monarch of the Joseon Dynasty. She was a member of the Dalsung Seo clan.-Biography:...
(정성왕후 서씨, 7 December 1692 – 15 February 1757) - Queen JeongsunQueen JeongsunQueen Jeongsun was a Queen consort of Korea as married to King Yeongjo , and the regent of Korea from 1800 to 1805 as the guardian of her minor step great-grandson, Sunjo of Joseon...
of the Gyeongju Kim clan (정순왕후 김씨, 10 November 1745 – 12 January 1805) - Royal Noble Consort Jeong of the Lee clan (정빈 이씨)
- Royal Noble Consort Yeong of the Lee clan (영빈 이씨, 1696 - 23 August 1764)
- Jo Gwi-in (귀인 조씨)
- Moon Suk-ui (숙의 문씨)
- Issue:
- Crown Prince Hyojang (효장세자, 1719–1728), Only Son of Royal Noble Consort Jeong of the Lee clan.
- Crown Prince SadoPrince SadoCrown 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...
(사도세자, 1735–1762), Only Son of Royal Noble Consort Yeong of the Lee clan. - A Daughter of Royal Noble Consort Jeong of the Lee clan.
- Princess Hwasoon (화순옹주) — 2nd Daughter of Royal Noble Consort Jeong of the Lee clan.
- Princess Hwapyeong (화평옹주, 1727–1748) — 1st Daughter of Royal Noble Consort Yeong of the Lee clan.
- Princess HwahyeopPrincess HwahyopPrincess Hwahyeop, or Princess Hwahyop was the seventh daughter of King Yeongjo of the Joseon dynasty in Korea. She was born of Lady Seonhui on the 7th day of the 3rd lunar month, 1733. Her capping ceremony took place in 1743, the 19th year of King Yeongjo's reign, where she received the official...
(화협옹주, 1733–1752) – 2nd Daughter of Royal Noble Consort Yeong of the Lee clan. - Princess HwawanPrincess HwawanPrincess Hwawan was a Joseon princess and the third daughter of King Yeongjo of Joseon.-Biography:...
(화완옹주, 1737–1808) — 3rd Daughter of Royal Noble Consort Yeong of the Lee clan. - Princess Hwayoo (화유옹주, 1741–1771) — Only Daughter of Jo Gwi-in.
- Princess Hwaryeong (화령옹주, 1752–1821) — 1st Daughter of Moon Suk-ui.
- Princess Hwagil (화길옹주, 1754–1772) — 2nd Daughter of Moon Suk-ui.
His full posthumous name
- King Yeongjo Jangsun Jihaeng Sundeok Yeongmo Uiryeol Jang-ui Hong-yun Gwang-in Donhui Checheon Geon-geuk Seonggong Sinhwa Daeseong Gwang-un Gaetae Giyeong Yomyeong Suncheol Geon-geon Gonyeong Baemyeong Sutong Gyeongnyeok Honghyu Junghwa Yungdo Sukjang Changhun Jeongmun Seonmu Huigyeong Hyeonhyo the Great of Korea
- 영조장순지행순덕영모의렬장의홍윤광인돈희체천건극성공신화대성광운개태기영요명순철건건곤영배명수통경력홍휴중화융도숙장창훈정문선무희경현효대왕
- 英祖莊順至行純德英謨毅烈章義洪倫光仁敦禧體天建極聖功神化大成廣運開泰基永堯明舜哲乾健坤寧配命垂統景曆洪休中和隆道肅莊彰勳正文宣武熙敬顯孝大王
See also
- 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...
- Rulers of Korea
- 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...
- Dong Yi (TV series)