Queen Jeongsun (Hangul:정순왕후 송씨, Hanja:定順王后 宋氏) (1440 – 7 July 1521), of the
Yeosan Song clan
Yeosan Song clan () is one of the oldest Korean clans. Their Bon-gwan was in Yeosan, present day Iksan, North Jeolla Province
North Jeolla Province (; ''Jeollabuk-do''), also known as Jeonbuk, is a province of South Korea. North Jeolla has a ...
, was a posthumous name bestowed to the wife and queen consort of
Yi Hong-wi, King Danjong, the 6th Joseon monarch. She was queen consort of Joseon from 1454 until her husband's abdication in 1455, after which she was honoured as Queen Dowager Uideok (의덕왕대비) until her deposition in 1457.
Life
Early life
Lady Song was born in
Jeongeup
Jeongeup (), also known as Jeongeup-si, is a city in North Jeolla Province, South Korea. The city limits include Naejang-san National Park, a popular destination particularly in autumn due to its foliage. Jeongeup is on the Honam Expressway an ...
in 1440 into the
Yeosan Song clan
Yeosan Song clan () is one of the oldest Korean clans. Their Bon-gwan was in Yeosan, present day Iksan, North Jeolla Province
North Jeolla Province (; ''Jeollabuk-do''), also known as Jeonbuk, is a province of South Korea. North Jeolla has a ...
to Song Hyeon-su and his wife, Lady Min 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 ...
. Through her mother,
Queen Jangsun
Queen Jangsun (; 22 February 1445 - 5 January 1462), of the Cheongju Han clan, personal name was Han Naeng-Yi (한냉이) and also known as Crown Princess Consort Jangsun (장순빈) during her lifetime. She was the first wife of Yejong of Joseo ...
and
Queen Gonghye
Queen Gonghye (Korean: 공혜왕후, Hanja: 恭惠王后; 8 November 1456 – 30 April 1474), of the Cheongju Han clan (Korean: 청주 한씨, Hanja: 淸州 韓氏), was the first wife of King Seongjong, 9th monarch of Joseon. She was the Que ...
are her first cousins once removed, and is distantly related to
Queen Jeonghyeon
Queen Jeonghyeon (정현왕후 윤씨) (21 July 1462 – 13 September 1530), of the Papyeong Yun clan, was a posthumous name bestowed to the wife and third queen consort of Yi Hyeol, King Seongjong and the mother of Yi Yeok, King Jungjong. She w ...
. Her cousin, Princess Gilan, eventually became the great-great-grandmother of
Queen Inheon
Queen Inheon of the Neungseong Gu clan (Hangul: 인헌왕후 구씨, Hanja: 仁獻王后 具氏; 23 May 1578 – 10 February 1626), also known as Lady Gyewoon (계운궁, 啓運宮), was the wife of Grand Internal Prince Jeongwon and the biologi ...
, the wife of
Wonjong of Joseon and mother of
King Injo of Joseon
Injo of Joseon (7 December 1595 – 17 June 1649), born Yi Jong, was the sixteenth ruler of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea. He was the grandson of King Seonjo and son of Prince Jeongwon. He was the king during the Later Jin invasion of Joseon, in ...
. When she was young, she followed her father Song Hyeon-Su and moved to
Hanseong
Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 of ...
.
Her paternal aunt, Princess Consort Daebang, was the second wife of Prince Yeongeung who was the 8th son of
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 ...
and
King 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 ...
. Her aunt was later known to have an affair with a Buddhist monk and former governor of Gunjangsa Temple at the time, Hakjo (학조, 學祖; 1431-1514), real name Kim Yeong-hyeong (김영형, 金永衡) of the (new)
Andong Kim clan
{{unreferenced, date=December 2014
The Andong Kim clan (Hangul: 안동 김씨, Hanja: 安東 金氏) refers to two Korean clans. They were prominent yangban families during Korea's Joseon Dynasty originating from Andong, North Gyeongsang provin ...
, after her husband died. She was later executed in 1507 for committing adultery.
Lady Song’s character was described as polite and modest.
Marriage
In 1454, there was a selection (Gantaek) made for the future Queen Consort of Joseon. Lady Song was later sent a letter stating that she was chosen among the girls to become the king's consort.
On 19 February 1454 (January 22; lunar calendar), she married Yi Hong-wi (temple name: Danjong), the 6th Joseon monarch who was one year younger, when she was fifteen. As the king's primary consort, she was appointed as queen consort. Danjong was too young to rule the kingdom, and all political processes were controlled by the Chief State Councillor
Hwangbo In
Hwangbo In (1387–10 November 1453) was a Joseon Dynasty politician who was Chief State Councillor from 1450 to 1453 during the era of King Munjong and King Danjong. As the King Danjong was 12 years old when the latter succeeded as King, Hwa ...
and General
Kim Jong-seo, who was Left State Councillor.
As Kim Jong-seo and his faction used the chance to extend the power of court officials against many royal family members, the tension between Kim and
Grand Prince Suyang (
King 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 ...
's son and King Danjong's uncle) greatly increased; not only Suyang himself, but his younger brother, Grand Prince Anpyeong, also sought an opportunity to take control of the kingdom.
Abdication
In 1455, Suyang forced his powerless king to abdicate, declaring himself seventh king of the Joseon dynasty (temple name:
Sejo
Sejo of Joseon (2 November 1417 – 23 September 1468), personal name Yi Yu (Korean language, Korean: 이유; Hanja: 李瑈), sometimes known as Grand Prince Suyang (Korean language, Korean: 수양대군; Hanja: 首陽大君), was the sevent ...
). As wife of the King Emeritus, the Queen received title ''wangdaebi'' (왕대비), usually translated in English as 'queen dowager', with honorary name Uideok.
The following year,
six officials of the court or ''sayuksin'' attempted to restore Hong-wi to power, but their plot was discovered and they were immediately executed. The King Emeritus was later demoted to Prince Nosan (노산군, 魯山君) and exiled to
Yeongwol County
Yeongwol County (''Yeongwol-gun'') is a county in Gangwon Province, South Korea.
It is well known as the place where King Danjong, the sixth king of Joseon Dynasty, was exiled when he was forced to abdicate by his uncle, who became Sejo of Joseon ...
. His wife also lost her status as queen dowager, was demoted to princess consort rank (titled as Princess Consort Nosan; 노산군부인), and kicked out of the palace. She had a difficult life from then on. When returning back, her parents' home was already destroyed, so she resorted to helping the palace maids with the dyeing business to survive.
At this time, Lady Song wasn't entitled to be given food rations from the royal family. It was said that the women in her neighborhood pitied her and, without getting permission from the government, made an arrangement for Lady Song to use the rations and supplies.
Perceiving that Prince Nosan would present a continuing threat to the King's rule, the King then accepted the advice of the court and ordered that Prince Nosan be disposed of. In 1457, he was put to death at his place of exile. Yeongdo-gyo (영도교, 永渡橋) in
Cheonggyecheon
Cheonggyecheon (Hangul: 청계천, ) is a modern public recreation space in downtown Seoul, South Korea. The massive urban renewal project is on the site of a stream that flowed before the rapid post-war economic development caused it to be co ...
is said to be the last place where Prince Nosan and his wife, who were going back home, meet and separated.
After hearing of her husband's death, Lady Song climbed a large rock every morning and evening, wailing toward
Yeongwol
Yeongwol County (''Yeongwol-gun'') is a county in Gangwon Province, South Korea.
It is well known as the place where King Danjong, the sixth king of Joseon Dynasty, was exiled when he was forced to abdicate by his uncle, who became Sejo of Joseon ...
, praying for the soul of his husband.
Shin Suk-ju
Shin Suk-ju ( ko, 신숙주, hanja: ; August 2, 1417 – July 23, 1475) was a Korean politician during the Joseon Dynasty. He served as Prime Minister from 1461 to 1466 and again from 1471 to 1475. He came from the Goryeong Shin clan (고령 ...
had tried to make Lady Song his slave which later prompted King Sejo to state that Lady Song was to "be a slave, but not allow her to serve as a slave".
Because she couldn't do anything or much of the matter, Lady Song was sent to live in Jeongeobwon (정업원) so that no one could commit it. Jeongeobwon was the official royal convent where concubines or wives of royals who lost their spouse or were deposed of, went out of the palace, and spent the rest of their lives in. But it also served as a place of political exile for disgraced women to live a religious and non-political life.
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, ...
also served some time here before dying in 1474.
During
King Seongjong’s and
King Yeonsangun’s reigns, when Song Geo, the younger brother of the Queen, was unable to advance to a public office position due to his father's sins, Song asked Seongjong to make an exception. In the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, there are records that Seongjong and Yeonsangun bestowed slaves, rice, and linens to the Song clan several times.
Death and Posthumous title
The Queen died on 7 July 1521 at the age of 80-81; outliving her husband by 64 years, and living through her uncle-in-law
King Sejo
Sejo of Joseon (2 November 1417 – 23 September 1468), personal name Yi Yu (Korean: 이유; Hanja: 李瑈), sometimes known as Grand Prince Suyang (Korean: 수양대군; Hanja: 首陽大君), was the seventh ruler of the Joseon dynasty of K ...
's reign to her first cousin thrice removed-in-law
King Jungjong's reign.
She is buried in Sareung where the tomb is located in Jingeon-eup,
Namyangju
Namyangju () is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. To the east is Gapyeong County, to the west is Guri City, and to the north is Pocheon City. Namyangju-si was originally a southern part of Yangju-gun, but was separated into Namyangju-gun ...
,
Gyeonggi Province
Gyeonggi-do (, ) is the most populous province in South Korea. Its name, ''Gyeonggi'', means "京 (the capital) and 畿 (the surrounding area)". Thus, ''Gyeonggi-do'' can be translated as "Seoul and the surrounding areas of Seoul". Seoul, the na ...
.
There was an attempt to honor the late king and Queen during
Jungjong's reign, but he rejected the proposal. It wasn't until the 24th year of reign of
King Sukjong, that scholars
Song Si-yeol
Song Si-yeol ( ko, 송시열, Hanja: 宋時烈; 30 December 1607 - 19 July 1689), also known by his pennames ''Uam'' (우암) and ''Ujae'' (우재) or by the honorific ''Songja'' ( ko, 송자, Hanja: 宋子), was a Korean philosopher and politic ...
and Kim Su-hang repeatedly proposed that both the deposed Queen and King's title be restored. In 1698, the demoted Prince Nosan was posthumously restored, receiving the temple name of "Danjong" and his wife given the posthumous name Queen Jeongsun.
Family
Parent
* Father − Song Hyeon-Su (1417 – 21 October 1457) (송현수, 宋玹壽)
** a) Grandfather − Song Bok-Won (1390 – 1454) (송복원)
*** b) Great-Grandfather − Song Gye-seong (송계성, 宋繼性) (1369 - 1438)
**** c) Great-Great-Grandfather − Song Hui (송희, 宋禧) (1342 - 1425)
**** c) Great-Great-Grandmother − Lady Kim of the Uiseong Kim clan (의성 김씨, 義城 金氏)
*** b) Great-Grandmother − Lady of the Sangju Kim clan (증 숙부인 상주 김씨, 贈 叔夫人 尙州 金氏)
** a) Grandmother − Lady Kim of the Suncheon Kim clan (증 정부인 순천 김씨, 贈 貞夫人 順天 金氏)
** Uncle − Song Kang-su (송강수, 宋玒壽)
** Uncle − Song Jeong-su (송정수, 宋玎壽)
*** Aunt - Lady Park (박씨, 朴氏)
**** Cousin − Song Yeong (송영, 宋瑛) (? - 1495)
** Aunt − Princess Consort Daebang (대방부부인 송씨, 帶方府夫人 宋氏) (1434 - 1507); Prince Yeongeung's second wife
*** Uncle - Yi Yeom, Prince Yeongeung (영응대군 이염, 永膺大君 李琰) (23 May 1434 - 2 February 1467)
**** Cousin − Yi Eok-cheon, Princess Gilan (길안현주 이억천, 吉安縣主 李億千) (1457 - 1519)
***** Cousin-in-law - Gu Soo-yeong (구수영, 具壽永) (1456 - 1523)
****** First cousin - Gu Sung-gyeong (구숭경, 具崇璟)
****** First cousin - Gu Hui-gyeong (구희경, 具希璟)
****** First cousin - Gu Seung-gyeong (구승경, 具承璟)
****** First cousin - Princess Consort Myeoncheon of the Neungseong Gu clan (면천군부인 구씨, 沔川郡夫人 具氏) (1480 - 1556)
****** First cousin - Gu Mun-gyeong (구문경, 具文璟) (1492 - ?)
****** First cousin - Gu Shin-gyeong (구신경, 具信璟)
****** First cousin - Gu Sun-bok (구순복, 具順福), Lady Gu of the Neungseong Gu clan (능성 구씨, 綾城 具氏)
****** First cousin - Lady Gu (구씨)
****** First cousin - Lady Gu (구씨)
****** First cousin - Lady Gu (구씨)
* Mother − Internal Princess Consort Yeoheung 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 ...
(1418 – 1498) (여흥부부인 여흥 민씨, 驪興府大夫人 驪興 閔氏)
** Grandfather − Min So-Saeng (민소생, 閔紹生)
** Grandmother − Lady Gu of the
Neungseong Gu clan
The Neungseong Gu clan () is one of the Korean clans. Their Bon-gwan is in Hwasun County, South Jeolla Province. According to the research held in 2015, the number of Neungseong Gu clan’s member was 174,161. Their founder was who exiled himsel ...
(증 정부인 능성 구씨, 贈 貞夫人 綾城具氏)
Sibling
* Younger brother − Song Geo (송거, 宋琚) (1449 - 1541)
Husband
*
King Danjong of Joseon (9 August 1441 – 7 November 1457) (조선 단종)
** Father-in-law:
King Munjong (문종, 文宗) (1414 - 1452)
** Mother-in-law:
Queen Hyeondeok of the Andong Gwon clan (현덕왕후 권씨, 顯德王后 權氏) (1418 - 1441)
** Sister-in-law:
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, ...
(경혜공주, 敬惠公主) (1437 - 1473). Husband: Jeong Jong (정종, 鄭悰) (? - 1461) of the Haeju Jeong clan (해주 정씨, 海州 鄭氏)
[His older sister, Princess Consort Chunseong of the Haeju Jeong clan (춘성부부인 정씨, 春城府夫人 海州 鄭氏), is the first wife of Prince Yeonggeung]
*** Nephew: Jeong Mi-su (정미수, 鄭眉壽) (1456 - 1512)
In Popular Culture
Drama
* Portrayed by
Shin Eun-gyeong in the 1990
KBS TV series ''Dance Toward the Broken Heavens''
* Portrayed by Park Rusia in the 1994
KBS TV series ''Han Myeong-hoe''
* Portrayed by
Kim Min-jeong in the 1998-2000
KBS TV series ''
The King and the Queen
''The King and the Queen'' () is a 1998–2000 South Korean television series starring Im Dong-jin and Chae Shi-ra, along with Han Hye-sook, Lee Jin-woo and Ahn Jae-mo. It aired on KBS1 from June 6, 1998, to March 26, 2000, on Saturdays and Sund ...
''
* Portrayed by
Jo Jung-eun
Jo Jung-eun (born March 10, 1996) is a South Korean actress. She is known for her role as young Jang-geum in 2003 TV series ''Dae Jang Geum
''Dae Jang Geum'' (; literally "The Great Jang-geum"), also known as ''Jewel in the Palace'', is a ...
in the 2011-2012
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 ''
Queen Insu
Queen Sohye (舊1437-09-08 - 舊1504-04-27), of the Cheongju Han clan, was the only wife of Crown Prince Uigyeong. She never was the consort of a reigning king. Nevertheless, she was honored as Queen Insu (인수왕후) and later as Queen Dowager ...
''
Film
* Portrayed by
Eom Aeng-ran in the 1956 film ''The Tragedy of King Danjong''
* Portrayed by Jeon Gye-hyeon in the 1963 film ''The Tragedy of King Danjong''
References
External links
Thetalkingcupboard.com − Queen Jeongsun of the Yeosan Song clan
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jeongsun
1440 births
1521 deaths
Royal consorts of the Joseon dynasty
Korean queens consort
Yeosan Song clan
People from Jeongeup