Yeonsangun of Joseon
Encyclopedia
Yeonsan-gun born Yi Yung, was the 10th king of Korea's Joseon Dynasty
. He was the eldest son of Seongjong
by his second wife, Lady Yoon. He is often considered the worst tyrant in Joseon Dynasty, notorious for launching two bloody purges
of the seonbi
elite. He also seized a thousand women from the provinces to serve as palace entertainers, and appropriated the Seonggyungwan
hall of study as a personal pleasure ground. Because he was overthrown, Yeonsan-gun did not receive a temple name
.
. Lady Yoon was chosen for her beauty, and was formally married in 1476. Several months later, she gave birth to her first son, Yi Yung, later to become Prince Yeonsan. The new queen proved to be temperamental and highly jealous of Seongjong's concubines living inside the palace, even stooping to poisoning one in 1477. In 1479, she physically struck the king one night, leaving scratch marks. Despite efforts to conceal the injury, Seongjong's mother, Grand Queen Insu, discovered the truth and ordered Lady Yoon, now known as the Deposed Queen Yoon, into exile. After several popular attempts to restore the deposed Queen to her position at court, government officials petitioned that she be poisoned.
opposed his efforts on the account of Seongjong's will, he was displeased and looked for ways to eliminate them. In 1498 Kim Il Son, a disciple of Kim Jong-jik
, included a paragraph in the royal record that was critical of King Sejo's usurpation of throne in 1455. Kim Il Son and other followers of Kim Jong-jik were accused of treason by a rival faction, which gave Yeonsangun enough cause to order execution of many Sarim officials and mutilation of Kim Jong-jik's remains. This is called First Literati Purge of 1498(무오사화 戊午士禍).
In 1504, Im Sa-hong revealed to Yeonsangun details of his mother's death and showed blood-stained piece of clothing, which was allegedly blood vomited by her after drinking poison. On March 20, 1504, he beat to their death two of his father's concubines, for their responsibility for his mother's death. His grandmother, Grand Queen Insu, died when she was pushed by Yeonsagun after one of altercations. He executed many government officials who supported the execution of his mother, now posthumously known as Queen Jeheon, and ordered the grave of Han Myeong-hoi to be opened and the head cut off the corpse. This is known as the Second Literati Purge of 1504(갑자사화 甲子士禍).
. This provoked the anger of Yeonsangun, and he banned the use of hangul.
When ministers protested his actions, he abolished the Office of Censors (whose function was to criticize inappropriate actions or policies of the king) and Hongmoongwan (library and research center that advised the king with Confucian teachings). He ordered his ministers to wear a sign that read: "Mouth is a door that brings in disaster, tongue is a sword that cuts off a head. A body will be in peace as long as its mouth is closed and its tongue is deep within." (口是禍之門 舌是斬身刀 閉口深藏舌 安身處處牢) . When the chief ennuch Kim Cheo-sun, who served three kings, entreated Yeonsangun to change his ways, the latter killed him by shooting arrow and cutting his limbs himself and punished his relatives down to the 7th degree relatives. When Yeonsangun asked the royal secretaries whether such punishment was appropriate, they didn't dare to say otherwise. He also exiled a minister of rites for spilling drink given poured by the king.
Many people were afraid of his despotic rule and their voices were quelled, in stark contrast to the liberal era of his father.
. The king was demoted to prince, and sent into exile, where he died the same year. Consort Jang Nok-su was regarded as the 'femme fatale' that encouraged Yeonsangun's misrule and was beheaded. Yeonsangun's young sons were killed as well.
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 eldest son of Seongjong
Seongjong of Joseon
Seongjong of Joseon was the ninth king of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea. He succeeded King Yejong in 1469 and ruled until 1494.-Reign:...
by his second wife, Lady Yoon. He is often considered the worst tyrant in Joseon Dynasty, notorious for launching two bloody purges
Korean Literati Purges
The term "Literati purges" is a translation of Korean term sahwa by Edward W. Wagner, Harvard professor of Korean history. Sahwa literally means "seonbi's calamity" and refers to a series of political purges in late 15th and 16th century, in which Sarim scholars suffered persecution at the hands...
of the seonbi
Seonbi
Seonbi means "virtuous scholar" in Korean and typically denotes young nobleman who was preparing for the gwageo examination or passed it but did not take on government position during Joseon Dynasty...
elite. He also seized a thousand women from the provinces to serve as palace entertainers, and appropriated the Seonggyungwan
Seonggyungwan
Sungkyunkwan, also called Taehak , was the foremost education institution in Korea during the late Goryeo and Joseon Dynasties.- History :...
hall of study as a personal pleasure ground. Because he was overthrown, Yeonsan-gun did not receive a temple name
Temple name
Temple names are commonly used when naming most Chinese, Korean , and Vietnamese royalty. They should not be confused with era names. Compared to posthumous names, the use of temple names is more exclusive...
.
Execution of his mother
Deposed Queen Yoon, formally known as Queen Jeheon, served Prince Yeonsan's father, Seongjong, as a concubine until the death of Queen Gonghye, Seongjong's first wife. With no royal heir, the king was urged by counselors to take a second wife to secure the royal successionHereditary monarchy
A hereditary monarchy is the most common type of monarchy and is the form that is used by almost all of the world's existing monarchies.Under a hereditary monarchy, all the monarchs come from the same family, and the crown is passed down from one member to another member of the family...
. Lady Yoon was chosen for her beauty, and was formally married in 1476. Several months later, she gave birth to her first son, Yi Yung, later to become Prince Yeonsan. The new queen proved to be temperamental and highly jealous of Seongjong's concubines living inside the palace, even stooping to poisoning one in 1477. In 1479, she physically struck the king one night, leaving scratch marks. Despite efforts to conceal the injury, Seongjong's mother, Grand Queen Insu, discovered the truth and ordered Lady Yoon, now known as the Deposed Queen Yoon, into exile. After several popular attempts to restore the deposed Queen to her position at court, government officials petitioned that she be poisoned.
Two Purges
The Crown Prince grew up and succeeded Seongjong in 1494. During his early reign, he was a wise and able administrator who strengthened the national defense and aided poor people. He also showed signs of violent side when he killed Jo Sa-seo, one of his tutors, soon after becoming the king. He eventually learned what happened to his biological mother and tried to restore his mother's title and position posthumously. When the government officials belonging to political faction called SarimSarim
The Sarim , or "forest of scholars," was a powerful faction of literati that dominated Middle and Late Joseon politics.-Early beginning:...
opposed his efforts on the account of Seongjong's will, he was displeased and looked for ways to eliminate them. In 1498 Kim Il Son, a disciple of Kim Jong-jik
Kim Jong-jik
Kim Jong-jik , often known by his pen name Jeompiljae, was a leading Korean Neo-Confucian scholar in the early Joseon Dynasty. He was born in Miryang in Gyeongsang province, to a yangban family of the Seonsan Kim lineage...
, included a paragraph in the royal record that was critical of King Sejo's usurpation of throne in 1455. Kim Il Son and other followers of Kim Jong-jik were accused of treason by a rival faction, which gave Yeonsangun enough cause to order execution of many Sarim officials and mutilation of Kim Jong-jik's remains. This is called First Literati Purge of 1498(무오사화 戊午士禍).
In 1504, Im Sa-hong revealed to Yeonsangun details of his mother's death and showed blood-stained piece of clothing, which was allegedly blood vomited by her after drinking poison. On March 20, 1504, he beat to their death two of his father's concubines, for their responsibility for his mother's death. His grandmother, Grand Queen Insu, died when she was pushed by Yeonsagun after one of altercations. He executed many government officials who supported the execution of his mother, now posthumously known as Queen Jeheon, and ordered the grave of Han Myeong-hoi to be opened and the head cut off the corpse. This is known as the Second Literati Purge of 1504(갑자사화 甲子士禍).
Suppression of speech and learning
He also closed Seonggyeongwan, the royal university, and converted it to his pleasure grounds, for which young girls and horses were gathered from the whole Korean Peninsula. He bulldozered a large residential area and evicted many residents to build hunting ground. He also forced people to involuntary labor to build another pleasure ground. Many commoners mocked and insulted the king with posters written in hangulHangul
Hangul,Pronounced or ; Korean: 한글 Hangeul/Han'gŭl or 조선글 Chosŏn'gŭl/Joseongeul the Korean alphabet, is the native alphabet of the Korean language. It is a separate script from Hanja, the logographic Chinese characters which are also sometimes used to write Korean...
. This provoked the anger of Yeonsangun, and he banned the use of hangul.
When ministers protested his actions, he abolished the Office of Censors (whose function was to criticize inappropriate actions or policies of the king) and Hongmoongwan (library and research center that advised the king with Confucian teachings). He ordered his ministers to wear a sign that read: "Mouth is a door that brings in disaster, tongue is a sword that cuts off a head. A body will be in peace as long as its mouth is closed and its tongue is deep within." (口是禍之門 舌是斬身刀 閉口深藏舌 安身處處牢) . When the chief ennuch Kim Cheo-sun, who served three kings, entreated Yeonsangun to change his ways, the latter killed him by shooting arrow and cutting his limbs himself and punished his relatives down to the 7th degree relatives. When Yeonsangun asked the royal secretaries whether such punishment was appropriate, they didn't dare to say otherwise. He also exiled a minister of rites for spilling drink given poured by the king.
Many people were afraid of his despotic rule and their voices were quelled, in stark contrast to the liberal era of his father.
Dethronement
In 1506, the 12th year of King Yeonsan-gun, a group of officials - notably Park Won-jong, Seong Hui-an, Yoo Soon-jeong and Hong Gyeong-ju - plotted against the despotic ruler. They launched their coup on the 2nd of September, 1506, deposing the king and replacing him with his half-brother, Grand Prince JinseongJungjong of Joseon
Jungjong of Joseon , born Yi Yeok, ruled during the 16th century in what is now Korea. He succeeded his half-brother, Yeonsangun, because of the latter's tyranical misrule, which culminated in a coup placing Jungjong on the throne.-Jo Gwang-jo's reforms:On the day Yeonsangun was deposed, soldiers...
. The king was demoted to prince, and sent into exile, where he died the same year. Consort Jang Nok-su was regarded as the 'femme fatale' that encouraged Yeonsangun's misrule and was beheaded. Yeonsangun's young sons were killed as well.
Family
- Father: King SeongjongSeongjong of JoseonSeongjong of Joseon was the ninth king of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea. He succeeded King Yejong in 1469 and ruled until 1494.-Reign:...
(성종) - Mother: Queen Jeheon of the Haman Yun clan (제헌왕후 윤씨)
- Consorts:
- Princess Consort Munseong of the Shin clan (거창군부인 신씨, 1472-1537)
- Deposed Royal Noble Consort of the Jo clan (폐빈 조씨)
- Jeon Suk-yong (숙용 전씨)
- Kim Suk-won (숙원 김씨)
- Lee Suk-ui (숙의 이씨)
- Suk-yong Jang Nok-su (숙용 장녹수, ?-1506)
- Woo Suk-yong (숙용 우씨)
- Issue:
- Deposed Prince Successor (폐세자), 1st Son of Princess Consort Munseong of the Shin clan.
- Grand Prince Changnyeong (창녕대군), 2nd Son of Princess Consort Munseong of the Shin clan.
- Prince Yangpyeong (양평군), 1st Son of Lee Suk-ui.
- Prince Yi Don-soo (왕자 이돈수), 2nd Son of Lee Suk-ui.
- Princess Donsu (돈수옹주), Only Daughter of Princess Consort Munseong of the Shin clan.
- A Daughter of Lee Suk-ui.
- A Daughter of Suk-yong Jang Nok-su.
His eulogistic posthumous name
- King Heoncheon Hongdo Gyungmun Wimu the Great of Korea
- 헌천홍도경문위무대왕
- 憲天弘道經文緯武大王
Portrayal in media
- In the series "Jang Nok-su", which portrays both him and his favorite concubine, the titular Jang Nok-su. Jang Nok-su is widely known as one of the most notorious femme fatale in Korean history. She was beheaded after Yeonsangun was deposed.
- In the series "Woman of the World" (where the main characters are his half-brother's 3rd wife and her 2nd sister-in-law), the coup against Prince Yeonsan is one of the first scenes shown in the first episode. He is portrayed as slightly erratic and insane, trembling and sometimes falling down the ground
- In Dae Jang GeumDae Jang GeumDae Jang Geum is a 2003 epic South Korean television series directed by Lee Byung Hoon and produced by MBC. Starring Lee Young Ae, it tells the tale of an orphaned kitchen cook who went on to become the king's first female physician...
, he was portrayed as the worst king that Korea had ever had. The first episode was shown with government officials in the reign of King SeongjongSeongjong of JoseonSeongjong of Joseon was the ninth king of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea. He succeeded King Yejong in 1469 and ruled until 1494.-Reign:...
poisoning the Deposed Queen Lady YunDeposed Queen Lady YunDeposed Queen Lady Yun or Waste Queen Lady Yun , 11th generation descendant of General Yun Kwan , was Joseon Dynasty's King Seongjong of Joseon's second wife...
, while he was the first born but not yet the Crown Prince. After discovering the incident during his reign, he ordered an investigation leading to the Second Literati Purge. He was deposed when a civil rebellion occurred. His half-brother, Grand Prince Jinseong, the future King JungjongJungjong of JoseonJungjong of Joseon , born Yi Yeok, ruled during the 16th century in what is now Korea. He succeeded his half-brother, Yeonsangun, because of the latter's tyranical misrule, which culminated in a coup placing Jungjong on the throne.-Jo Gwang-jo's reforms:On the day Yeonsangun was deposed, soldiers...
, succeeded him, through the coup. - He was the subject of the hit 2005 movie The King and the ClownThe King and the ClownThe King and the Clown is a 2005 South Korean film, adapted from the 2000 Korean play titled Yi about Yeonsangun of Joseon, a Joseon dynasty king who falls in love with a court clown who mocks him. The movie is based on a small passage from the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty that briefly mentions...
, which gives a different depiction of Yeonsangun (as a king emotionally and perhaps sexually fascinated by an effeminate male court jester) and the story of deposed Queen Yun (who was portrayed differently as being set up by the Dowager Queen Insu and her husband's 2 jealous concubines). - Most recently, he was portrayed in the last episodes of 2008 television series The King and IThe King and I (TV series)The King and I is a South Korean historical drama series that aired on SBS in 2007-2008. It began airing on August 27, 2007, and was moderately successful, having its ratings peak at 20%...
.
See also
- List of Korea-related topics
- Rulers of Korea
- 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...
- 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...