Munjong of Joseon (15 November 1414 – 10 June 1452), personal name Yi Hyang (

Korean Korean may refer to: People and culture * Koreans, ethnic group originating in the Korean Peninsula * Korean cuisine * Korean culture * Korean language **Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Chosŏn'gŭl **Korean dialects and the Jeju language ** ...

: 이향;

Hanja Hanja (Hangul: ; Hanja: , ), alternatively known as Hancha, are Chinese characters () used in the writing of Korean. Hanja was used as early as the Gojoseon period, the first ever Korean kingdom. (, ) refers to Sino-Korean vocabulary, wh ...

: 李珦), was the fifth ruler of the

Joseon dynasty Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and re ...

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...

. As the eldest son of

King Sejong the Great Sejong of Joseon (15 May 1397 – 8 April 1450), personal name Yi Do ( Korean: 이도; Hanja: 李祹), widely known as Sejong the Great ( Korean: 세종대왕; Hanja: 世宗大王), was the fourth ruler of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. Initi ...

and

Queen Soheon Queen Soheon (소헌왕후 심씨, 12 October 1395 – 19 April 1446), of the Cheongsong Sim clan, was a posthumous name bestowed to the wife and queen consort of Yi Do, King Sejong and the mother of Yi Hyang, King Munjong and Yi Yu, King Sejo ...

, he succeeded to the throne in 1450.

Biography

Yi Hyang was the longest serving

heir apparent An heir apparent, often shortened to heir, is a person who is first in an order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person; a person who is first in the order of succession but can be displaced by the b ...

during the

, holding the position for a record 29 years. In January 1421, Sejong instructed that his eight-year-old son be educated by scholars from the

Hall of Worthies The Hall of Worthies, or Jiphyeonjeon (; ), was a royal research institute set up by Sejong the Great of the Korean Joseon Dynasty in March 1420. Set up during the beginning of his reign, King Sejong staffed the Hall of Worthies with talented sc ...

, then in October the same year, he was invested as crown prince and sent to study at the

Sungkyunkwan Sungkyunkwan was the foremost educational institution in Korea during the late Goryeo and Joseon Dynasties. Today, it sits in its original location, at the south end of the Humanities and Social Sciences Campus of Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul ...

. From 1442 until his own ascension to the throne in 1450, Yi Hyang served as regent and took care of state affairs during the final years of his father's reign, as

Sejong Sejong of Joseon (15 May 1397 – 8 April 1450), personal name Yi Do (Korean: 이도; Hanja: 李祹), widely known as Sejong the Great (Korean: 세종대왕; Hanja: 世宗大王), was the fourth ruler of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. Initial ...

developed various illnesses and disorders. Most of his achievements were during his time as crown prince. Although credit is primarily given to

Jang Yeong-sil Jang Yeong-sil (; ; 1390 – after 1442) was a Korean mechanical engineer, scientist, and inventor during the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1897). Although Jang was born as a peasant, King Sejong allowed Jang to work at the royal palace. Jang's invent ...

for inventing the water gauge, the

Annals of the Joseon dynasty The ''Veritable Records of the Joseon Dynasty'' (also known as the ''Annals of the Joseon Dynasty'' or the ''True Record of the Joseon Dynasty''; ko, 조선왕조실록 and ) are the annual records of Joseon, the last royal house to rule ...

affirm that it was the prince who found measures of water levels in the ground. Yi Hyang also contributed to the development of the Korean vernacular script (today known as ''

Hangul The Korean alphabet, known as Hangul, . Hangul may also be written as following South Korea's standard Romanization. ( ) in South Korea and Chosŏn'gŭl in North Korea, is the modern official writing system for the Korean language. The let ...

'').

Reign

Yi Hyang ascended to the throne as King Munjong in 1450, and his reign marked the beginning of an imbalance of power at the Joseon court. Gim Bi-hwan describes the "interaction of the royal authority, administrative power, remonstrative power, and the collective authority of scholars outside the office," before Munjong as contributing to a situation that allowed the country to function constitutionally. During Munjong's reign, however, the balance collapsed, setting the stage for his brother to lead a ''coup d'etat'' in 1452.

Marriage

Munjong was first married to Lady Gim of the (old) Andong Gim clan, between 1427 and 1429. She reportedly used witchcraft to gain his love. She also burned the shoes of Munjong's concubine, and made her drink the ashes with alcohol. When her father-in-law, King Sejong, found out about these actions, he deposed her. The same year his first wife was ousted, Munjong remarried to Lady Bong of the Haeum Bong clan. She was deposed in 1436, when it was discovered that she had a homosexual love affair with one of her palace maids named So-ssang (소쌍). Lastly, in 1437, Lady Gwon of the Andong Gwon clan became the third wife of Munjong, while he was still the crown prince. Originally a

concubine Concubinage is an interpersonal and sexual relationship between a man and a woman in which the couple does not want, or cannot enter into a full marriage. Concubinage and marriage are often regarded as similar but mutually exclusive. Concubi ...

, she gave birth to two daughters, one of whom was

Princess Gyeonghye Princess Gyeonghye (1436 – 17 January 1474), also known before as Princess Pyeongchang before her marriage, was a Joseon princess and the eldest child of Munjong of Joseon. She served as guardian for her only younger brother, Danjong of Joseon, ...

, and to Yi Hong-wi, Mujong's only surviving son, who later became King Danjong. Lady Gwon died in 1441, soon after the birth of her son, and when her husband took the throne, she was posthumously honored as "Queen Hyeondeok" (''Hyeondeok Wanghu''; 현덕왕후, 顯德王后).

Family

*Father: King Sejong of Joseon (15 May 1397 – 8 April 1450) (조선 세종) **Grandfather: King Taejong of Joseon (13 June 1367 – 30 May 1422) (조선 태종) **Grandmother:

Queen Wongyeong Queen Wongyeong (원경왕후 민씨; 29 July 1365 – 18 August 1420) of the Yeoheung Min clan, was the primary wife of Taejong of Joseon, and the mother of Sejong the Great. She was queen consort of Joseon from 1400, and was honored as Queen J ...

of the

Yeoheung Min clan The Yeoheung Min clan () is a Korean clan that traces its origin to Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province. The 2015 Korean Census counted 167,124 members of the Yeoheung Min clan. Origin The Yeoheung Min clan's progenitor was Min Ching-do (민칭도, 閔� ...

(원경왕후 민씨) (29 July 1365 – 18 August 1420) *Mother: Queen Soheon of the Cheongsong Shim clan (소헌왕후 심씨) (12 October 1395 – 19 April 1446) **Grandfather:

Shim On Shim On (1375 – 18 January 1419) was a Korean politician. He was the Chief State Councillor of the Korean Joseon from September 1418 to December 1418 and the father of Queen Soheon and father-in-law to King Sejong. He is known for his treason c ...

(심온) (1375 – 18 January 1419) **Grandmother: Lady Ahn of the

Sunheung Ahn clan The Sunheung Ahn clan (순흥 안씨, ) is a clan connected with the town of Sunheung, South Korea, and was well known during the Goryeo Dynasty and in the early Joseon Dynasty for its "blue-blood" status. 73.5% of people with the Korean surnam ...

(순흥 안씨) (? – 1444) Consorts and their respective issue(s): # Crown Princess Hwi of the (old) Andong Gim clan (휘빈 김씨) (1410 – 1429) — No issue. # Crown Princess Sun of the Haeum Bong clan (순빈 봉씨) (1414 – 1436) — No issue. # Queen Hyeondeok of the Andong Gwon clan (현덕왕후 권씨) (17 April 1418 – 10 August 1441) ## ''First daughter'' (1432 – 1433) ##

(경혜공주) (1436 – 30 December 1473), second daughter ## Crown Prince Yi Hong-wi (왕세자 이홍위) (9 August 1441 – 7 November 1457), first son # Royal Noble Consort Suk of the

Namyang Hong clan Namyang Hong clan () is one of the Korean clans. Their Bon-gwan is in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi, Gyeonggi Province. According to the research held in 2015, the number of Namyang Hong clan members was 487,488. The Namyang Hong clan is divided into the ...

(숙빈 홍씨) (1418 – ?) ## ''Fourth daughter'' (1441 – 1444) # Royal Consort Sug-ui of the Nampyeong Mun clan (숙의 문씨) (1426 – 1508) # Royal Consort So-yong of the Munhwa Yu clan (소용 유씨)Concubine of the third senior rank (''So-yong''; 소용, 昭容). # Royal Consort So-yong of the Andong Gwon clan (소용 권씨) # Royal Consort So-yong of the Dongnae Jeong clan (소용 정씨) ## ''Second son'' # Royal Consort So-yong of the Papyeong Yun clan (소용 윤씨) # Court Lady Yang (사칙 양씨) ##

Princess Gyeongsuk Princess Gyeongsuk (Hangul: 경숙옹주, Hanja: 敬淑翁主; 1439 - 1482) was a Joseon Dynasty Princess. She was the daughter of Munjong of Joseon and Consort Sa-Chik of the Yang clan. She was born as the only illegitimate issue of King Munjong w ...

(경숙옹주) (1439 – 1482), third daughter ## ''Fifth daughter'' (1450 – 1451) # Court Lady Jang (상궁 장씨) ## ''Third son''Died in childhood.

Ancestry

In popular culture

* Portrayed by Hwang Chi-hoon in the 1983 MBC TV series ''

The King of Chudong Palace ''The King of Chudong Palace'' () is a 1983 South Korean historical television series, the first installment of the drama series ''500 Years of Joseon Dynasty'' by director Lee Byung-hoon and writer Shin Bong-seung. It aired on MBC from March 3 ...

''. * Portrayed by

Jeon Moo-song Jeon Moo-song (born September 28, 1941) is a South Korean actor. Jeon began his career on stage in the play 'Chunhyangjeon' in 1964 and has since been active in Korean theatre, film and television. In 1977, he performed as the title character ...

in the 1998 KBS TV series ''King and Queen.'' *Portrayed by Oh Eun-chan and

Lee Sang-yeob Lee Sang-yeob (born May 8, 1983) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for starring in the sitcom ''Living Among the Rich'' (2011–12), the melodrama '' The Innocent Man'' (2012), the period drama ''Jang Ok-jung, Living by Love'' (2013), an ...

in the 2008 KBS TV series ''

The Great King, Sejong ''The Great King, Sejong'' () is a 2008 South Korean historical television series depicting the life of the fourth monarch of Joseon, Sejong the Great (played by Kim Sang-kyung). Considered one of the greatest kings in Korean history, Sejong c ...

.'' *Portrayed by

Park Jung-chul Park Jung-chul (born Park Chul on November 5, 1976) is a South Korean actor. Park made his acting debut in 1997 through a talent search by the KBS network, and has since starred in the romantic comedy film ''Oh! Happy Day'' (2003) and television ...

in the 2008 film ''

The Divine Weapon ''The Divine Weapon'' () is a 2008 South Korean film. Plot During the reign of King Sejong the Great, Joseon Korea faces increasing hostility from Ming China. Ming China, without restraint, mounts unrelenting demands against the Korean crown, ...

.'' *Portrayed by

Jung Dong-hwan Jung Dong-hwan (born August 5, 1949) is a South Korean actor. Jung began his career in theater, then was most active in Korean cinema in the 1980s, with leading roles in ''Late Autumn'' (1982), ''Jung-kwang's Nonsense'' (1986), and ''A Top Knot ...

in the 2011

KBS2 The Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) () is the national broadcaster of South Korea. Founded in February 1927, it is one of the leading South Korean television and radio broadcasters. KBS operates seven radio networks, ten television channels, a ...

TV series ''

The Princess' Man ''The Princess' Man'' () is a 2011 South Korean television series, starring Park Si-hoo, Moon Chae-won, Kim Yeong-cheol, Song Jong-ho, Hong Soo-hyun and Lee Soon-jae. It's a period drama about the forbidden romance between the daughter of Gra ...

''. * Portrayed by

Sunwoo Jae-duk Sunwoo Jae-duk (born July 23, 1962) is a South Korean actor. Filmography Television series Film Variety show Awards and nominations References External links Sunwoo Jae-duk Fan Cafeat Daum * * * * http://www.sghett ...

in the 2011

JTBC JTBC (shortened from ''Joongang Tongyang Broadcasting Company'' (; stylized as jtbc) is a South Korean nationwide pay television network. Its primary shareholder is JoongAng Holdings, with a 25% stake. It was launched on 1 December 2011. JTBC ...

TV series ''

Insu, the Queen Mother ''Insu, the Queen Mother'' () is a 2011 South Korean historical television series, starring Chae Shi-ra, Hahm Eun-jung, Kim Young-ho, Kim Mi-sook, Baek Sung-hyun and Jeon Hye-bin. Focusing on the fierce power struggle among three women in the ro ...

''. * Portrayed by Kim Tae-woo in 2013 film ''

The Face Reader ''The Face Reader'' (; lit. "Physiognomy") is a 2013 South Korean film starring Song Kang-ho as the son of a disgraced noble family who goes around Joseon and a ''gwansang'' expert. He is able to assess the personality, mental state and habits of ...

''. * Portrayed by Han Jeong-woo and

Choi Seung-hoon Choi Seung-hoon ( ko, 최승훈, born 1 May 2008), is a South Korean actor. Filmography Television series Web series Film Television shows Awards and nominations References External links * * * 2008 births Liv ...

in the 2016

KBS1 The Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) () is the national broadcaster of South Korea. Founded in February 1927, it is one of the leading South Korean television and radio broadcasters. KBS operates seven radio networks, ten television channels, a ...

TV series ''

''.

Notes

References

* * *

External links

* http://navercast.naver.com/contents.nhn?rid=77&contents_id=57444 {{s-end 1414 births 1452 deaths 15th-century Korean monarchs People from Seoul