The Imperial Seal of the Korean Empire
(Note: names are written using the Revised Romanization of Korean, which means they may look odd to people more familiar with the McCune–Reischauer system)
The Jeonju I clan or the House of I (or Ee, Yi, Lee, Ri/Ree/Rhee, Ni...)note ruled Korea (named Joseon during their rule) from 1392 until the Japanese annexation of 1910. It produced twenty-eight rulers: twenty-six kings and two emperors.note It succeeded The House of Wang which ruled Korea (named Goryeo during their rule) from 918-1392.
After Japan annexed Korea in 1910 the monarchy was abolished as a ruling house but was entered into the ranks of Japanese nobility. The last heir to the throne of Korea and a younger brother of Emperor Yonghui, Prince Yeong (personal name I Un, also known as Crown Prince Euimin), married Princess Masako of the Nashimoto clan, a cadet branch of the Japanese imperial family, After Korea's liberation in 1945 its new president Syngman Rhee note went out of his way to ensure the I family couldn't reclaim the throne (ironically Rhee himself was part of the family as a 17th-generation descendant of King Taejong, but he had no chance of inheriting the throne and wanted to keep his position as president). Specifically, Rhee prevented Prince Yeong and his family from returning to South Korea (Prince Yeong did so eventually in 1963, after Rhee was forced from presidency, but, by this time, he was already gravely ill and he remained bedridden until his death in 1970. Princess Masako, using the Koreanized pronunciation of her name, Bangja (and using her husband's surname, I, per Japanese custom), continued to live in South Korea until her death in 1989 and became very popular among Koreans for her charitable works, despite continued Korean hostility to Japan.) Today many of the I family still live in South Korea. Several of them have publicly declared their claim to the throne, but as of 2024 the monarchy hasn't been restored (and a dispute over who has the right to be head of the family means any attempt to restore it will likely trigger a Succession Crisis, or at least a lot of family in-fighting note
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Members with their own pages:
Taejo
Personal name: I Seong-gye (이성계/李成桂); renamed himself I Dan (이단/李旦)
Lived: 4 November 1335 — 27 June 1408
Reigned: 13 August 1392 — 22 October 1398
Parents: I Ja-chun (1315 — 1361, posthumously honoured as King Hwanjo of Joseon) and Lady Choi of the Yeongheung Choi clan (c. 1320 — before 1392, posthumously honoured as Queen Uihye)
Consorts: (1) Queen Shinui of the Cheongju Han clan (1337 — 1391); (2) Queen Sindeok of the Goksan Gang clan (1356 — 1396); at least four concubines
I Seong-gye was born in what's now North Korea but was then under the control of China's Yuan dynasty. His father was an official working for China and his maternal grandfather was a (Korean-born) military commander in China. At some point the I family moved back to Goryeo, which was rapidly disintegrating and little more than a vassal state of Yuan. I Seong-gye became a well-respected general who defeated the Mongols and Japanese.
In the 1380s King U of Goryeo decided what the kingdom really needed was to go to war with China. He chose Seong-gye to lead the invasion. Instead Seong-gye turned his army back and attacked Goryeo's capital, deposing King U and replacing him first with his son then with a distant cousin.note Eventually Seong-gye decided to depose the current kingnote and take the throne himself.
Seong-gye's first choice as successor was his eighth son Bang-seok. This caused a rift in the court between those who supported Bang-seok and those who supported his older half-brother Bang-won. In 1398 one of Bang-seok's supporters decided to assassinate Bang-won. Bang-won learnt of the plan and immediately rebelled, killing the would-be assassin along with Bang-seok and another brother. Seong-gye, appalled at what had happened, abdicated in favour of another son and refused to ever see Bang-won again.
Jeongjong
Personal name: I Bang-gwa (이방과/李芳果); renamed himself I Gyeong (이경/李曔)
Lived: 26 July 1357 — 24 October 1419
Reigned: 22 October 1398 — 7 December 1400
Parents: King Taejo and Queen Shinui
Consorts: Queen Jeongan of the Gyeongju Gim clan (1355 — 1412); at least nine concubines
Seong-gye's oldest surviving son. A fairly competent ruler whose reign was overshadowed by family in-fighting. Bang-won (yes, him again) got into a fight with another brother, Bang-gan, which led to a battle between the two princes' armies and ended with Bang-gan being exiled. After this Bang-gwa decided to abdicate in favour of Bang-won.
Taejong
Personal name: I Bang-won (이방원/李芳遠)
Lived: 13 June 1367 — 8 June 1422
Reigned: 7 December 1400 — 19 September 1418
Parents: King Taejo and Queen Shinui
Consorts: Queen Wongyeong of the Yeoheung Min clan (1365 —1420); at least eighteen concubines
Before the founding of Joseon, Bang-won helped his father by assassinating officials who remained loyal to Goryeo. After Seong-gye became king Bang-won expected to be named heir, and was furious when this didn't happen. Hence the Princeling Rivalry mentioned above.
When he finally became king his first acts included banning nobles from keeping private armies and overhauling the taxation system. He was the first Joseon king to rule as an absolute monarch. He executed many of the people who helped him take the throne, including all of his wife's brothers. But on the other hand, he improved the people's lives and set up a system to ensure commoners could bring their problems directly to him. On a lighter note he was the first person ever to create a metal movable type, predating Gutenberg by several decades.
Bang-won abdicated in 1418 and handed the throne to his son. In spite of this he continued to rule behind the scenes until his death.
Sejong the Great
Personal name: I Do (이도/李祹)
Lived: 15 May 1397 — 8 April 1450
Reigned: 19 September 1418 — 8 April 1450
Parents: King Taejong and Queen Wongyeong
Consorts: Queen Soheon of the Cheongsong Sim clan (1395 — 1446); at least twelve concubines
First king of Joseon to be born after the dynasty was founded and first one to reign until his death. Notable for, among other things, creating hangeul (the Korean alphabet) and being the only king regularly referred to as "the Great".
Munjong
Personal name: I Hyang (이향/李珦)
Lived: 15 November 1414 — 1 June 1452
Reigned: 18 May 1450 — 14 May 1452
Parents: King Sejong and Queen Soheon
Consorts: (1) Crown Princess Hwi of the Andong Gim clan (1410 — 1429, divorced 1429); (2) Crown Princess Sun of the Haeum Bong clan (1414 — 14??, divorced 1436); (3) Queen Hyeondeok of the Andong Gwon clan (1418 — 1441); at least eight concubines
Notable mainly for two things: holding the position of Crown Prince for longer than anyone else in Joseon's history (made Crown Prince in 1421, became king 29 years later), and having marital problems.
His first wife, Crown Princess Hwi, was chosen for him by his father and they married when she was seventeen and he was thirteen. Hwi disliked how Hyang ignored her and consulted a servant on how to gain his love. The servant advised her to cut up his other wives' shoes, burn them to ash, then make the other wives drink the ash mixed with alcohol. When this was revealed Hwi was kicked out of the palace in disgrace, and possibly died shortly afterward.
Official wife number two, Crown Princess Sun, was also unhappy because Hyang ignored her. In 1431 one of Hyang's concubines — Consort Gwon, who he would later elevate to be his third official wife — got pregnant. Sun had no children and immediately became suspicious that Hyang planned to replace her with Gwon. So she claimed she was pregnant too, then apparently suffered a miscarriage. However, only empty burial clothes were found where she claimed to have buried the child's remains, leading to speculation she faked both the pregnancy and miscarriage. The final straw came when Sun was caught sleeping with a female slave. She was also kicked out of the palace in disgrace, and her fate is unknown.
After this Hyang raised Consort Gwon to be Crown Princess. She was reportedly the only wife he really loved and it looked like they would be Happily Married (well, as happily married as anyone could be in a polygamous society)... and then she died giving birth to his son. He posthumously named her Queen Hyeondeok after taking the throne.
Munjong's reign lasted only two years. In that time the power balance collapsed, which led to his brother leading a coup after his death.
Danjong
Personal name: I Hong-wi (이홍위/李弘暐)
Lived: 9 August 1441 — 24 December 1457
Reigned: 14 May 1452 — 11 June 1455
Parents: King Munjong and Queen Hyeondeok
Consorts: Queen Jeongsun of the Yeonsan Song clan (1440 — 1521); at least two concubines
Became king at the age of twelve. A year later his uncle seized the throne but allowed Danjong to stay as a Puppet King. In 1455 he was forced to abdicate and his uncle became King Sejo. A group of officials attempted to assassinate Sejo and reinstate Danjong. Unfortunately their plan was discovered. They were executed and Danjong was exiled. A year later Sejo decided Danjong would always be a threat to his rule, so he had him murdered.
Sejo
Personal name: I Yu (이유/李瑈)
Lived: 2 November 1417 — 23 September 1468
Reigned: 25 July 1455 — 22 September 1468
Parents: King Sejong and Queen Soheon
Consorts: Queen Jeonghui of the Papyeong Yun clan (1418 — 1483); at least two concubines
Took the throne by overthrowing and later executing his nephew. In spite of this inauspicious start, Sejo proved to be one of the best kings in Joseon's history. He strengthened the administrative system, improved Joseon's economy, compiled the first written collection of Korean laws, and wrote a number of books.
Yejong
Personal name: I Hwang (이황/李晄)
Lived: 12 February 1450 — 31 December 1469
Reigned: 1468 — 1469
Parents: King Sejo and Queen Jeonghui
Consorts: (1) Queen Jangsun of the Cheongju Han clan (1445 — 1462); (2) Queen Ansun of the Cheongju Han clan (1445 — 1499); at least three concubines
A very sickly young man, Yejong became king when he was nineteen and died fourteen months later. The most notable thing to happen during his reign was the trial of General Nam I, Minister of War. Ryu Ja-gwang, Nam's political rival, noticed that Yejong disliked Nam, so he took advantage of this and accused Nam of treason. Yejong was personally involved in the trial that followed, which ended with Nam being found guilty and executed. Ryu then made a career out of accusing ministers more prestigious than he was, leading to the deaths of an unknown number of (probably innocent) men.
Although Yejong had a son, he was succeeded instead by his thirteen-year-old nephew, who was apparently chosen as his successor by Queen Jeonghui. (Why Yejong's son Grand Prince Jean was passed over is uncertain, but it probably had something to do with the fact he was only three when his father died.)
Seongjong
Personal name: I Hyeol (이혈/李娎)
Lived: 19 August 1457 — 20 January 1495
Reigned: 31 December 1469 — 20 January 1495
Parents: I Jang (1438 — 1457, posthumously honoured as King Deokjong of Joseon) and Queen Insu (1437 — 1504)
Consorts: (1) Han Song-yi, Queen Gonghye of the Cheongju Han clan (1456 — 1474); (2) Queen Jeheon of the Haman Yun clan (1455 — 1482); (3) Queen Jeonghyeon of the Papyeong Yun clan (1462 — 1530); at least twelve concubines
For the early years of Seongjong's reign the actual rulers were his grandmother Queen Jeonghui, his mother Queen Insu, and his aunt Queen Ansun. When he finally began to rule himself he proved to be a good ruler who implemented and revised Sejo's code of law.
Unfortunately his reign was overshadowed by family troubles which had a dire impact on all of Joseon. His second wife, Queen Jeheon/Deposed Queen Yun, had a violent quarrel with him that ended in her being exiled and killed. Her son became the next king, and... well...
Yeonsan-gun
Personal name: I Yung (이융/李㦕)
Lived: 23 November 1476 — 20 November 1506
Reigned: 20 January 1494 — 2 September 1506
Parents: King Seongjong and Queen Jeheon
Consorts: Queen Jeinwondeok of the Geochang Sin clan (1476 — 1537); at least seventeen concubines
The worst king in Korean history. See his page for more information.
Jungjong
Personal name: I Yeok (이역/李懌)
Lived: 16 April 1488 — 29 November 1544
Reigned: 1506 — 1544
Parents: King Seongjong and Queen Jeonghyeon
Consorts: (1) Queen Dangyeong of the Geochang Sin clan (1487 — 1557, divorced 1506); (2) Queen Janggyeong of the Papyeong Yun clan (1491 — 1515); (3) Queen Munjeong of the Papyeong Yun clan (1501 — 1565); at least ten concubines
Took the throne after his half-brother was overthrown. A much better king (admittedly it would be hard to be worse) though easily swayed by the ministers who placed him on the throne. Better-known for his marital problems than for anything he did.
His first official wife, Queen Dangyeong, was the niece of Yeonsan-gun's wife Queen Jeinwondeok. Dangyeong's father attempted a coup to restore Yeonsan and was executed. Because of this Jungjong was forced to divorce and exile Dangyeong. According to legend she was sent to Mt. Inwangsan, which Jungjong could see from Gyeongbokgung Palace. To assure the king she was all right, Dangyeong would hang a red skirt from a rock on the mountainside every day.
Official wife number two, Queen Janggyeong, died shortly after giving birth to Jungjong's first son and eventual successor. Some of Dangyeong's supporters suggested that Jungjong reinstate her as queen consort, but the ministers refused to allow this. Instead Jungjong married Janggyeong's third cousin, who became Queen Munjeong. She did not get on well with her step-son Injong.
Injong
Personal name: I Ho (이호/李峼)
Lived: 10 March 1515 — 8 March 1545
Reigned: 1544 — 1545
Parents: King Jungjong and Queen Janggyeong
Consorts: Queen Inseong of the Bannam Bak clan (1514 — 1578); at least four concubines
Injong tried to reform the government and stop the rampant corruption. However, he was often ill and died after only ruling for a year. He and his stepmother Queen Munjeong had hated each other, leading to speculation she might have poisoned him. There's no solid evidence for or against this, but she did claim to be haunted by his ghost.
Myeongjong
Personal name: I Hwan (이환/李峘)
Lived: 3 July 1534 — 3 August 1567
Reigned: 1545 — 1567
Parents: King Jungjong and Queen Munjeong
Consorts: Queen Insun of the Cheongsong Sim clan (1532 — 1575); at least seven concubines
Became king when he was only twelve. Queen Munjeong ruled in his name for years, and during her regency two of her brothers massacred their political rivals in the Fourth Literati Purge. After Munjeong's death in 1565, Myeongjong took power himself and did his best to undo the damage she and her brothers had caused. Unfortunately he died only two years later. His only son, Crown Prince Sunhoe, predeceased him and so the throne went to his nephew instead.
Seonjo
Personal name: I Yeon (이연/李昖)
Lived: 26 November 1552 — 16 March 1608
Reigned: 1567 — 1608
Parents: I Cho, Prince Deokheung (1530 — 1559) and Lady Hadong of the Hadong Jeong clan (1522 —1567)
Consorts: (1) Queen Uiin of the Bannam Bak clan (1555 — 1600); (2) Queen Inmok of the Yeonan Gim clan (1584 — 1632); at least twelve concubines
Jungjong's grandson and Myeongjong's nephew. Became king when he was sixteen. Spent his early reign continuing Myeongjong's efforts to undo the damage caused by corruption in the royal court. Unfortunately political strife later in his reign, along with the founding of China's Qing dynasty and Japanese invasions of Korea, caused chaos. (The famous naval commander I Sun-sin — no relation to the royal family — was active during Seonjo's reign.) The war with Japan devastated Korea and left many people starving. Seonjo crossed the Despair Event Horizon and gave up on ruling. His son I Hon, Crown Prince Gwanghae, reigned in his name until Seonjo's death.
Unfortunately he set the kingdom up for more trouble after his death. Two years before Seonjo died, his second official wife gave birth to a son, Prince Yeongchang. This brought the line of succession into question. Gwanghae was in his thirties when his half-brother was born and had done a good job as regent, but his mother was a concubine and he was technically illegitimate. A faction in the court insisted that the baby had a better right to be king. Seonjo declared Gwanghae his heir shortly before his death, but one of Yeongchang's supporters attempted to make Yeongchang king instead. For what happened next, see below.
The chaos spurred by the Japanese invasions wasn't entirely in vain, as Seonjo became inspired by the armies of the Shogunate, particularly their use of the matchlock arquebus, and massively expanded the proportion of soldiers in the revamped but still-small central army using gunpowder weapons, a development that didn't quite come to fruition until the reign of Hyojong. Seonjo himself is attributed with producing a prototype of a repeating arquebus, which supposedly used a Roman candle-like mechanism to fire up to five shots before reloading with a bore of somewhere between 12 and 13 mm.
Gwanghae-gun
Personal name: I Hon (이혼/李琿)
Lived: 4 June 1575 — 4 August 1641)
Reigned: 1608 — 1623
Parents: King Seonjo and Royal Noble Consort Gong of the Gimhae Gim clan
Consorts: Queen Munseong of the Munhwa Yu clan (1576 — 1623); at least fourteen concubines
The only king apart from Yeonsan-gun of Joseon to be remembered as "Prince" rather than "King". (Like Yeonsan it's because he was deposed in a coup. Unlike Yeonsan it's not because he was generally a terrible guy; he was relatively decent by 17th century standards.) Nowadays he's remembered as a good king who was caught up in political feuds and was vilified after his overthrow.
The plot to put his half-brother on the throne was thwarted, the conspirators executed, and Yeongchang imprisoned. Gwanghae became king, but his efforts to rule were disrupted by — ironically — his supporters. They seized control of the government, had Yeongchang executed (at the age of only seven), and imprisoned Yeongchang's mother.
In foreign policy Gwanghae was faced with the unenviable task of trying to balance the Ming dynasty, who were still technically in control of Korea after they lost control of China, and the Qing dynasty, who were now in control of China and wanted to extend their control to Korea. His attempts to stay on good terms with the Qing alienated the Ming, and when he was forced to send troops to help the Ming he angered the Qing.
In 1623 he was overthrown in a coup that replaced him with his nephew. Gwanghae spent the rest of his life in exile.
Injo
Personal name: I Jong (이종/李倧)
Lived: 7 December 1595 — 17 June 1649
Reigned: 11 April 1623 — 17 June 1649
Parents: Prince Jeongwon (1580 — 1619, posthumously honoured as King Wonjong) and Lady Gye-un of the Neungseong Gu clan (1578 — 1626, later honoured as Queen Inheon)
Consorts: (1) Queen Inyeol of the Cheongju Han clan (1594 — 1636); (2) Queen Jangnyeol of the Yangju Jo clan (1624 — 1688); at least six concubines
After the coup Injo became a Puppet King for the Western faction that had dethroned Gwanghae. Less than a year after his coronation, one of the Western faction rebelled and attempted to replace Injo with another puppet king. That rebellion was quickly crushed, but it was just the start of Injo's troubles. One of the rebels fled to the Qing dynasty and convinced them to invade Joseon. After two invasions the Qing forced Injo to surrender and Joseon became a tributary state to China.
Injo's oldest son Sohyeon went to China as a Political Hostage. While there he discovered Catholicism and European science, which he tried to introduce to Joseon upon his return. Injo objected. Violently. Sohyeon was found dead of a head injury in Injo's room, possibly killed by Injo. After his death Sohyeon's sons were exiled and his wife was executed on Injo's orders.
Injo died in 1649 and left the throne to his second son.
Hyojong
Personal name: I Ho (이호/李淏)
Lived: 3 July 1619 — 23 July 1659
Reigned: 1649 — 1659
Parents: King Injo and Queen Inyeol
Consorts: Queen Inseon of the Deoksu Jang clan (1619 — 1674); at least three concubines
Hyojong spent much of his early life as a Political Hostage in China with his older brother. In his time there he was also introduced to European religion and thinking, and developed a grudge against the Qing dynasty for how they kept him prisoner. He stayed in China when Sohyeon went home, and appears to have still been in China when Sohyeon was murdered by their father. (The brothers were very close, so imagine how well he must have taken that news.) Sohyeon had three sons, but Injo rejected all of them and chose Hyojong as his successor instead.
When Hyojong took the throne he began to reform and expand Joseon's military. A group of Dutch sailors ran aground on Jeju Island, so Hyojong ordered them to build muskets for the army. He planned to declare war on Qing. This became impossible when Qing conquered Ming and took control of Ming's massive army. Hyojong knew Joseon would be defeated if they went to war so he reluctantly allied with Qing instead. When Qing went to war with Russia, Joseon joined the war on Qing's side while, oddly enough, staying on good terms with Russia. The use of Dutch gunsmiths and advancements made from studying Russian gunpowder (likely originating directly from Muscovite arsenals and thus of good quality) resulted in Korean musketeers being regarded by the Qing rulers as the best in Asia, which would hold true until the waning years of the 1700s, when the Japanese began adopting European line infantry tactics and equipment like bayonets began proliferating everywhere in Asia except Korea.
In addition to reforming the military Hyojong continued Gwanghae's reforms. During his reign agriculture increased after being devastated during the Imjin War (1592–1598). He died when he was only forty, but nowadays is regarded as one of Joseon's best kings.
Hyeonjong
Personal name: I Yeon (이연/李棩)
Lived: 14 March 1641 — 17 September 1674
Reigned: 1659 — 1674
Parents: King Hyojong and Queen Inseon
Consorts: Queen Myeongseong of the Cheongpung Gim clan (1642 — 1684)
Notable for being the first king in Korean history who wasn't a polygamist. (Historians disagree on whether this was because he and his wife were Happily Married or because he was a Henpecked Husband.) Also notable for his early rule being filled with political drama over, of all things, how long his step-grandmother (Injo's second wife, Hyojong's step-mother) should wear mourning clothes.note The Westerners faction insisted Queen Jangnyeol should wear mourning for one year, while the Southerners insisted on three years. Hyeonjong managed to compromise by siding with the Westerners but keeping a Southerner as Prime Minister. Peace was restored... for a few years. Then Hyeonjong's mother died and the debate started again. This controversy even influenced the official records of Hyeonjong's reign: the records were originally written by Southerners then revised by Westerners, and both sides painted themselves in the best light.
Apart from clothing-related political disputes, Hyeonjong's reign was relatively peaceful. He stayed on good terms with Qing and continued his father's reforms. He's also notable for legally banning incestuous marriages.
Sukjong
Personal name: I Sun (이순/李焞)
Lived: 7 October 1661 — 12 July 1720
Reigned: 1674 — 1720
Parents: King Hyeonjong and Queen Myeongseong
Consorts: (1) Queen Ingyeong of the Gwangsan Gim clan (1661 — 1680); (2) Queen Inhyeon of the Yeoheung Min clan (1667 — 1701); (3) Queen Inwon of the Gyeongju Gim clan (1687 — 1757); at least six concubines
Became king when he was only thirteen. His reign saw some of the most intense fighting between political factions in Joseon's history. Luckily for some people and unluckily for others, Sukjong turned out to be a brilliant politician who prevented the fights getting out of control by regularly overthrowing the faction currently in power.
The first fight was over — what else? — the old mourning clothes issue and what to do about Qing (the Southerners wanted to declare war at once, the Westerners wanted to wait until Joseon was more stable). A later fight was over Sukjong demoting his second wife and promoting one of his concubines (a commoner named Jang Ok-jeong) to queen. One faction refused to accept her as queen or her son as crown prince, and eventually Sukjong changed his mind and reinstated his second wife as queen. This incident ended very badly for Jang Ok-jeong; she was accused of poisoning Sukjong's second wife, and as punishment she and most of her family were executed.
For the last two years of Sukjong's life his oldest son I Yun (Jang Ok-jeong's son) ruled as regent. Sukjong knew I Yun was sickly and probably sterile, so he designated I Yun's half-brother I Geum as successor. Unfortunately he didn't have a court recorder present when he made this proclamation, leading to disagreement over whether he actually said it.
Gyeongjong
Personal name: I Yun (이윤/李昀)
Lived: 20 November 1688 — 11 October 1724
Reigned: 12 July 1720 — 11 October 1724
Parents: King Sukjong and Royal Noble Consort Hui of the Indong Jang clan
Consorts: (1) Queen Danui of the Cheongsong Sim clan (1686 — 1718); (2) Queen Seonui of the Hamjong Eo clan (1705 — 1730)
Gyeongjong suffered from lifelong ill-health and was probably sterile. (According to legend his own mother was responsible for his illness because she stabbed him in the lower abdomen. There's no evidence to support this, so it was probably invented by his mother's enemies.) His reign was notable mainly for the ruling political party carrying out two purges against their rivals shortly after he took the throne.
He died after reigning for four years. Opinions vary on whether he was murdered by his half-brother or if he died of food poisoning.
Yeongjo
Personal name: I Geum (이금/李昑)
Lived: 31 October 1694 — 22 April 1776
Reigned: 16 October 1724 — 22 April 1776
Parents: King Sukjong and Royal Noble Consort Suk of the Haeju Choe clan
Consorts: (1) Queen Jeongseong of the Daegu Seo clan (1693 — 1757); (2) Queen Jeongsun of the Gyeongju Gim clan (1745 — 1805); at least five concubines
On one hand a very good king. On the other a terrible father.
After taking the throne Yeongjo set about trying to minimise the amount of factional fighting in his government, as well as reforming Joseon's taxation system and trying to rule by Confucian ethics. He's well-remembered for those things. Unfortunately certain events in the latter half of his reign cast a dark shadow over everything else. See his son's page for more information.
Jeongjo
Personal name: I San (이산/李祘)
Lived: 28 October 1752 — 18 August 1800
Reigned: 27 April 1776 — 18 August 1800
Parents: Crown Prince Sado (posthumously honoured as King Gwanghyo) and Lady Hyegyeong (later honoured as Queen Heongyeong)
Consorts: Queen Hyoui of the Cheongpung Gim clan (1754 — 1821); at least four concubines
Yeongjo's grandson and the son of Crown Prince Sado. He was ten when his father was executed by his grandfather. After this Jeongjo was officially considered the son of his long-dead uncle Crown Prince Hyojang to ensure he could inherit the throne without difficulties. Jeongjo himself always thought well of his father, and one of his first statements as king was to declare, "I am the son of Prince Sado."
During his reign he had to deal with several attempted coups. (After one coup he personally arrested his would-be assassins.) In spite of this he managed several reforms, most notably establishing a royal library which still exists today.
Jeongjo died suddenly and under mysterious circumstances when he was only forty-seven.
He is the first king of Korea depicted in portraits with eyeglasses. Eyeglasses first appeared in Korea in early 17th century, at latest, and was in fact being used fairly widely, but no one apparently wanted to be seen wearing them.
Sunjo
Personal name: I Gong (이공/李玜)
Lived: 29 July 1790 — 13 December 1834
Reigned: 1800—1834
Parents: King Jeongjo and Royal Noble Consort Su of the Bannam Bak clan
Consorts: Queen Sunwon of the Andong Gim clan (1789 — 1857); at least one concubine
Became king when he was only ten. Sunjo's step-great-grandmother (Yeongjo's second wife) Dowager Queen Jeongsun ruled as regent for the first four years of his reign. After her death Sunjo took power himself. He attempted to reform politics, but corruption was rampant in the government and his efforts were unsuccessful. His reign is notable mainly for being the time when backlash against Roman Catholicism — which had been steadily spreading since 1784 — became widespread and turned into official suppression of Catholicism.
Sunjo died when he was only forty-four. His only son Crown Prince Hyomyeong predeceased him by four years, so the throne passed to his grandson. Sunjo has the distinction of having the second-longest name of any Korean ruler. In Hangeul it's 순조선각연덕현도경인순희체성응명흠광석경계천배극융원돈휴의행소윤희화준렬대중지정홍훈철모건시태형창운홍기고명박후강건수정계통수력공유범문안무정령경성효대왕. In English that's rendered King Sunjo Seongak Yeondeok Hyeondo Gyeongin Sunhui Cheseong Eungmyeong Heumgwang Seokgyeong Gyecheon Baegeuk Yungwon Donhyu Euihaeng Soyun Huihwa Junryeol Daejung Jijeong Honghun Cheolmo Geonsi Taehyeong Changun Honggi Gomyeong Bakhu Ganggeon Sujeong Gyetong Suryeok Gongyu Beommun Anmu Jeongryeong Gyeongseong-hyo the Great of Korea.note
Heonjong
Personal name: I Hwan (이환/李烉)
Lived: 8 September 1827 — 25 July 1849
Reigned: 18 December 1834 — 25 July 1849
Parents: Crown Prince Hyomyeong (posthumously honoured as King Munjo) and Queen Sinjeong
Consorts: (1) Queen Hyohyeon of the Andong Gim clan (1828 — 1843); (2) Queen Hyojeong of the Namyang Hong clan (1831 — 1904); at least three concubines
Became king when he was only seven. His grandmother Queen Sunwon served as queen regent during his childhood. When Heonjong came of age Sunwon refused to give up control, and he spent his entire reign as a Puppet King of the Andong Gim clan (Sunwon's family). He died childless when he was only twenty-one and the throne passed to a distant cousin.
Cheoljong
Personal name: I Won-beom (이원범)
Lived: 25 July 1831 — 16 January 1864
Reigned: 28 July 1849 — 16 January 1864
Parents: Grand Internal Prince Jeongye and Grand Internal Princess Consort Yongseong
Consorts: Queen Cheorin of the Andong Gim clan (1837 — 1878); at least eight concubines
A very Unexpected Successor, Cheoljong was a great-great-grandson of Yeongjo through Crown Prince Sado's second son (Jeongjo's half-brother). Queen Sunwon chose him as the next king because he was of age and comparatively closely related to Heonjong: he was nineteen and a second cousin once removed, while the other candidate for the throne was eight and an eleventh cousin once removed.
Cheoljong was as shocked as everyone else when he was offered the throne (until then he had lived as a peasant and was illiterate). Sunwon was his regent for the first two years of his reign, and may have had a hand in choosing his wife (Queen Cheorin was Sunwon's third cousin and a member of the Andong Gim clan, who continued to be the real power behind the throne). Even after Sunwon ended her regency Cheoljong found he was unable to rule the way he wanted to. He made several attempts to stop corruption in the government and military, but none of his attempts succeeded.
For centuries Joseon had taken an isolationist stance towards foreign countries. Cheoljong attempted to continue this, but Western powers were now invading China and increasingly turned their attention towards Korea. Foreign countries including America, Britain, France and Russia put pressure on Cheoljong to allow them in. Catholicism experienced a resurgence triggered by French missionaries.
The Andong Gim clan, alarmed at the way things were going and desperate to hold onto their power, turned their attention to persecuting other members of the royal family. They executed and exiled several of Cheoljong's relatives on trumped-up charges to avoid a potential coup. Adding to the chaos, Cheoljong was often ill (he apparently had asthma and digestive problems) and had no living heir: all five of his sons died in infancy.
Cheoljong died when he was thirty-two, possibly of tuberculosis or liver disease. He was the last king to be a descendant of Hyojong.
Grand Prince Heungseon
Personal name: I Ha-eung (이하응/李昰應)
Lived: 24 January 1820 - 22 February 1898
Parents: Prince Namyeon and Princess Consort Min
Consort: Grand Princess Consort Sunmok
Not a king per se, but someone who, for a tumultuous decade, was the de facto king and an immensely controversial ruler who appears frequently in Korean media. He is unique for being the only father of a king who played an active role in politics: There have been three occasions when a prince who was not a son of a previous monarch was installed as a king, but in two other cases, the new king's father was not among the living so Prince Heungseon was the only living person who held the title of Daewongun (literally meaning Grand Prince of the Court), reserved for the father of the king. As a young man, he had a reputation as a drunk and layabout and the influential families in Seoul decided that enthroning his young son as the king would ensure their continued hold on power.
Well, they erred badly. Once he became the regent with his son being crowned in 1864, Prince Heungseon showed himself as a shrewd and ruthless politician who brushed aside the influential families, such as the Andong Kim clan, and strived to strengthen authority of the royal government by reforming the government and resisting foreign influences, which led, among others, to repression of Christianity (over 7,000 were executed) and other "heterodox" religions accompanied by a militantly isolationist foreign policy (involving clashes with French, American, and Japanese naval expeditions). He was eased out of power in 1874 theoretically because King Gojong came of age, but also because he was outmaneuvered by his new daughter-in-law, the young queen of the Min clan (ironically, same clan as his mother and his wife), which led to the opening of Korea in 1876. He briefly returned to power in 1882, when the troops of the Seoul garrison mutinied and seized power, after not having been paid for over a year (due partly to corruption and partly to budget priorities that directed funds first to reforming the state along Western lines) as he was the only prominent official whom the mutineers would trust (Queen Min was forced to flee Seoul disguised as a commoner while several members of her family were killed, as were a number of foreigners.) However, unlike in the past where political upheavals in Korea were left alone, the Chinese sent an expeditionary force to Seoul to "protect its interests." The Chinese placed Prince Heungseon under arrest and exiled him to Tientsin until 1885, when Chinese leaders such as Li Hungchang and Yuan Shikai decided that Japanese influence in Korea was growing dangerously strong and Heungseon was their best counter. .
After returning to Korea, Prince Heungseon was controversially involved in conspiracies of every type until his death in 1898, as long as they were aimed at ousting his son, Gojong, and his wife from power. He conspired with Jeon Bongjun, the Donghak leader (ironically, Donghak was one of "heterodox religions" subject to persecution when Prince Heungseon was the regent) who would lead a major peasant uprising in early 1890s. He was in talks with radical reformers who would attempt to overthrow the government violently and seize power in 1894—only to be foiled by the prompt Chinese military intervention. He was in contact with Chinese officials and commanders in Korea as well as Japanese diplomats and politicians before the beginning of the First Sino-Japanese War, and he supposedly was informed in advance of the eventually successful Japanese plot to assault the palace and kill Empress Myeongseong in 1895 (as Kingdom of Joseon became Empire of Korea by this time). The extent to which he played meaningful roles in these conspiracies is murky, although they certainly provide rich material for fiction.
Because of his unusual role, the tumultuous period in Korean history he lived in, his involvement in many political conspiracies, and the "interesting" relationship he had with his son, the king, and even more so, his daughter in law, Prince Heungseon is the subject of many works of fiction in Korean media, with widely varying interpretations.
Gojong/Emperor Gwangmu
Personal name: I Myeong-bok (이명복/李命福), later changed to I Hui (이희/李㷩)
Lived: 8 September 1852 — 21 January 1919
Reigned: 21 January 1864 — 13 October 1897 (as king), 13 October 1897 — 19 July 1907 (as emperor)
Parents: Grand Internal Prince Heungseon and Grand Internal Princess Consort Sunmok
Consorts: Min Ja-yeong, Empress Myeongseong of the Yeoheung Min clan (1851 — 1895); at least nine concubines
A tenth-generation descendant of King Injo through his third son I Yo, Grand Prince Inpyeong (Hyojong's younger brother). For the first ten years of his life no one believed he would ever become king because his relation to the royal family was so distant. The three queen dowagers (Heonjong's mother Queen Sinjeong, Heonjong's wife Queen Hyojeong, and Cheoljong's wife Queen Cheorin) selected him as heir, possibly because he was too young to hold power himself.
Gojong became king when he was twelve. His father I Ha-eung ruled as regent and was given the title Heungseon Daewongun (Grand Internal Prince Heungseon). The Daewongun forced the Andong Gim clan out of power and promptly became just as tyrannical as they had been. On the bright side he was determined to reform the government and led an anti-corruption campaign. On the less bright side he insisted on isolationist foreign policy, persecuted Catholics and Christians, and killed or drove off foreigners who landed in Korea. Some historians believe that his insistence on keeping foreigners out and alienating potential allies contributed to the Japanese invasion of Korea that ended the dynasty. Whoops.
In 1866 Gojong married Min Ja-yeong. Queen Min, or Empress Myeongseong as she was posthumously known, was chosen for him by his father. The Daewongun believed she had no political ambitions. He was wrong. After the wedding Myeongseong became increasingly powerful. When Gojong came of age in 1874 he forced his father into semi-retirement, and Myeongseong gained complete control over the court.
In the 1870s Japan set its sights on Joseon. Gojong was forced to sign the Treaty of Ganghwa, an extremely unequal treaty that gave Japan a foothold in Korea and led eventually to the 1910 Japanese annexation of Korea. Japan believed Myeongseong was its biggest obstacle to taking control of Joseon, so in 1895 a group of Japanese assassins aided by Korean guards broke into the palace and murdered her. Gojong and his son fled to the Russian embassy after this, where they stayed for a year.
Faced with several failed revolutions within the country and increasing pressure from foreign powers, Gojong decided to declare himself emperor and changed Joseon's name to the Great Korean Empire. This meant that Korea was now equal with China and not its tributary any more. Unfortunately it was too late to make any real difference. Gojong attempted to seek support from Russia, but it was defeated in the Russo-Japanese War and Japan gained more and more control over Korea.
In 1907 the Japanese forced Gojong to abdicate in favour of his son. He was confined to Deoksu Palace. He died mysteriously in 1919, possibly murdered by the Japanese.
Sunjong/Emperor Yunghui
Personal name: I Cheok (이척/李坧)
Lived: 25 March 1874 — 24 April 1926
Reigned: 19 July 1907 — 29 August 1910
Parents: King Gojong and Empress Myeongseong
Consorts: (1) Empress Sunmyeong of the Yeoheung Min clan (1872 — 1904); (2) Yun Jeung-sun, Empress Sunjeong of the Haepyeong Yun clan (1894 — 1966)
The last ruler of Korea. Became emperor after his father's abdication and was immediately forced to sign the Japan–Korea Treaty of 1907. This allowed Japan to take over Korea's government. In 1909 a Korean patriot assassinated the former Japanese prime minister and Japanese Resident-General of Korea Ito Hirobumi note . As punishment Japan took complete control of Korea and overthrew Sunjong. He and his wife were confined in Changdeok Palace.
Sunjong died in 1926. He had no children (and may have been left infertile after being poisoned), so in the unlikely event of the monarchy being restored a new king would have to be chosen from among his half-brother's descendants.
Prince Yeong/Crown Prince Euimin
Personal name: I Un (이은/李垠)
Lived: 20 October 1897 — 1 May 1970
Reigned: N/A
Parents: King Gojong and Lady Uhm
Consort: Princess Masako (Bangja) of the Nashimoto Clan (1901 - 1989)
Half brother of Sunjong and the titular king of Korea under Japanese rule ("King of Korea, Prince I of Changdeok" became the title of the head of the royal family after the abolition of the Korean monarchy as they were entered into Japanese nobility in 1910. The title is a reflection not of any authority they had in Korea under Japanese rule, but simply that they were now Japanese nobles of highest dignity who happen to be from Korea. Title "king" (王) was in fact also used by the heads of the cadet branches of the Japanese Imperial family, like Prince Nashimoto Morimasa, Prince Yeong's father in law note .) Unlike his father and brother, he was given much more publicity under Japanese rule, became an officer in the IJA (eventually becoming a full general and a member of the Imperial General Staff), and married Princess Masako, a member of a cadet branch of the Japanese imperial family, but had very little actual power which was exercised entirely by Japanese colonial administration. Still, he remained quite popular among the Korean public, enough that, after World War 2, South Korean President Syngman Rhee refused to allow him and his family to return to Seoul. He eventually did return in 1963, but, by then, he was already gravely ill and spent his 7 years back in Korea entirely in a hospital. However, his wife, Princess Bangja (Korean pronunciation of Masako), who outlived him by almost 20 years, became much beloved by South Koreans for her charitable works for people with various disabilities.
Somewhat ironically, he is usually referred to as Prince Yeong (영친왕, 英親王), his title as a prince, or Crown Prince Euimin (의민태자, 懿愍太子) by Koreans, but never as a "king." (This is a bit confusing since his title as a prince was actually "king," if translated literally.)
Appearances in fiction:
- Works specifically about Yeonsan-gun of Joseon and Crown Prince Sado are listed on their pages.
Asian Animation
- Jang Geum's Dream (2005-2007): Spin-off of Dae Jang Geum.
Literature
- Chae Hong (2011) by Gim Byeol-a
- Haesiui Sillu (2015) by Yun I-su
- Several works by Yi Kwang-su/I Gwang-su (a very distant relative of the royal family), including Daejongaesa and Sejo of Joseon.
- Suyangdaegun Gireseo Gireul Mutda by I Jeong-geun
- The novel Hong Gil-dong (written in Joseon circa the 16th century) and its many adaptations
- Morankkochi Morangmorang Pieoseo by I Jeong-yeon
- Daewangui Gil (1998) by Gang Sin-jae
- Isan Jeongjodaewang (2007) by Ryu Eun-gyeong
- Isangwa Eummo (2007) by Yeo Seol-ha
- Moksum (2008) by Gim Sang-ryeol
- The Red Queen (2004) by Margaret Drabble
- Gwanghaeui Yeonin, a webnovel on NAVER.
Theatre
- Tae (1997 and 2007)
- Gil (2005 and 2008)
- Jeonhaui Bom (2012)
- Yi Sun-sin (2008)
- Gwanghae, the Man Who Would be King (2013): Stage adaptation of Masquerade (2012).
- Chilseo (2017)
- King Jeongjo (2007)
- Jeongjo - Mancheonmyeongwoljuinong (2016)
- The Last Empress (1995): South Korea's first original musical.
- Ileobeorin Eolsul 1895 (2013)
- Hanseore Pin Maehwa (2016)
Video Games
- Sejong the Great is a character in Civilization V.
