Royal Noble Consort Won of the Pungsan Hong clan (
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 ...
: 원빈 풍산 홍씨,
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 ...
: 元嬪 豊山 洪氏; 27 May 1766 – 7 May 1779) was a concubine of
King Jeongjo of Joseon
Jeongjo of Joseon (28 October 1752 – 18 August 1800), personal name Yi San (Korean: 이산; Hanja: 李祘), sometimes called Jeongjo the Great (Korean: 정조대왕; Hanja: 正祖大王), was the 22nd monarch of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. ...
.
Biography
Early life
Lady Hong was born into the Pungsan Hong clan, on May 27, 1766. She was the second child and only daughter of Hong Nak-chun and his wife, Lady Yi of the Ubong Yi clan. Through her father, Lady Hong is an 11th-degree great-niece of
Lady Hyegyeong
Lady Hyegyeong of the Pungsan Hong clan (혜경궁 풍산 홍씨, 惠慶宮 豊山 洪氏; 6 August 1735 – 13 January 1816), also known as Queen Heongyeong (헌경왕후, 獻敬王后), was a Korean writer and Crown Princess during the Jose ...
(mother of
King Jeongjo
Jeongjo of Joseon (28 October 1752 – 18 August 1800), personal name Yi San (Korean language, Korean: 이산; Hanja: 李祘), sometimes called Jeongjo the Great (Korean language, Korean: 정조대왕; Hanja: 正祖大王), was the 22nd monarc ...
), as well as the 5th great-granddaughter of
Hong Joo-won and
Princess Jeongmyeong
Princess Jeongmyeong (27 June 1603 – 8 September 1685) was a Joseon Royal Princess as the tenth daughter of King Seonjo, from Queen Inmok. During her older half-brother's reign, she suffered hardships, and her title was revoked, but later it wa ...
.
Palace Life
Lady Hong was chosen as a concubine to
Jeongjo of Joseon
Jeongjo of Joseon (28 October 1752 – 18 August 1800), personal name Yi San (Korean: 이산; Hanja: 李祘), sometimes called Jeongjo the Great (Korean: 정조대왕; Hanja: 正祖大王), was the 22nd monarch of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. ...
when she was 12 years old, in June 1778. She entered the palace as Royal Noble Consort Won (원빈, 元嬪), alternatively known as Lady Sukchang (숙창궁, 淑昌宮). As a royal consort, it was said that she was treated like a formal consort in
Chinese court, receiving morning greetings from the ministers and the physicians, and had posthumous titles conferred to her upon her death. Her older brother,
Hong Guk-yeong, was a chief royal secretary who hoped to enhance his power through her marriage with Jeongjo.
However, she soon experienced a
phantom pregnancy
False pregnancy (or pseudocyesis, from the Greek "false" and "pregnancy") is the appearance of clinical or subclinical signs and symptoms associated with pregnancy although the individual is not physically carrying a baby. The mistaken impressi ...
. Fearing a scandal, she attempted to cover it up, but failed. Out of grief, she died on May 7, 1779.
Legacy
Jeongjo himself composed a eulogy for her. She was then posthumously honoured as Insuk (인숙; 仁淑) and Lady Hyohwi (효휘궁; 孝徽宮). Her tomb was first located on the present grounds of
Korea University
Korea University (KU, ) is a private research university in Seoul, South Korea, established in 1905. The university is included as one of the SKY universities, a popular acronym referring to Korea's three most prestigious universities.
The ...
, ''Inmyeongwon'' (인명원; 仁明園), but was later moved to ''Seosamreung'' (서삼릉), Wondang-dong,
Goyang-si
Goyang (''Goyang-si''; ) is a city in Gyeonggi Province in the north of South Korea. It is part of the Seoul Capital Area, making Goyang one of Seoul's satellite cities. It is one of the largest cities in the Seoul Capital Area, with a populatio ...
,
Gyeonggi-do
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 ...
,
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
. In the present, the former site of Inmyeongwon remains on the grounds of Korea University, so it is called 'Aegungun'
After her death, her older brother, Hong Guk-yeong was enraged over the fact that she died unforgiven by
Queen Hyoui
Queen Hyoui (Hangul: 효의왕후, Hanja: 孝懿王后; 5 January 1754 – 10 April 1821), of the Cheongpung Kim clan (Hangul: 청풍김씨, Hanja: 淸風金氏), was the wife and queen consort of King Jeongjo of Joseon. In 1899, Emperor Gojong ...
and her remark that he would have no influence over the next heir. He was ultimately exiled for trying to poison Queen Hyoui out of anger over his sister's death and to prevent his bargain from being exposed, for Queen Hyoui discovered it and threatened to tell King Jeongjo. He aborted the attempt after discovering that the King was taking her place at the food ceremony and tearfully confessed.
Currently, the Central Research Institute for Korean Studies reports that the handwritten book “Eojeinsukwonbinhaengjang”(어제인숙원빈행장, 御製仁淑元嬪行狀). It is said that it is unusual for the king to write a concubine's coat of arms or eulogy. According to the “Eojeinsukwonbinhaengjang” (어제인숙원빈행장), Lady Hyegyeong showed special affection to Consort Won. This is the direct opposite of the story that Lady Hyegyeong herself wrote in Hanjungnok (한중록, 閑中錄/恨中錄), written after King Jeongjo’s death. In the ''Annals of Sunjo'', there is a section emphasizing that there is an allegation that she and Won-Bin shared a close relationship in supporting one another, but it is said to be not true. The classic novel “The Diary of Lady Sukchang” (숙창궁입궐일기), which seems to have been written by a person from the family line of Hong Guk-yeong, depicts Won-Bin's entrance into the palace, but
Lady Hyegyeong
Lady Hyegyeong of the Pungsan Hong clan (혜경궁 풍산 홍씨, 惠慶宮 豊山 洪氏; 6 August 1735 – 13 January 1816), also known as Queen Heongyeong (헌경왕후, 獻敬王后), was a Korean writer and Crown Princess during the Jose ...
gives the impression that she was on the supportive side of
Queen Hyoui
Queen Hyoui (Hangul: 효의왕후, Hanja: 孝懿王后; 5 January 1754 – 10 April 1821), of the Cheongpung Kim clan (Hangul: 청풍김씨, Hanja: 淸風金氏), was the wife and queen consort of King Jeongjo of Joseon. In 1899, Emperor Gojong ...
.
Family
* Uncle: Hong Nak-sun (홍낙순, 洪樂純) (1723 – ?)
** Aunt: Lady Kim of the Gyeongju Kim clan (경주 김씨)
*** Cousin: Hong Bok-yeong (홍복영, 洪福榮)
* Father: Hong Nak-chun (홍낙춘, 洪樂春)
** 1) Grandfather: Hong Chang-han (홍창한, 洪昌漢) (1698 – ?)
*** 2) Great-grandfather: Hong Yang-bo (홍양보, 洪良輔)
**** 3) Great-great-grandfather: Hong Jong-hae (홍중해, 洪重楷)
***** 4) Great-great-great-grandfather: Hong Man-hyeong (홍만형, 洪萬衡) (1633 – 1670)
****** 5) Great-great-great-great-grandfather:
Hong Ju-won
Hong Ju-won (Hangul: 홍주원, Hanja: 洪柱元; 1606 – 3 November 1672), formally called Lord Yeongan (), of the Pungsan Hong clan (풍산홍씨, 豊山洪氏), was a Joseon nobleman and the husband of Princess Jeongmyeong, only daughter of ...
(홍주원, 洪柱元) (1606 – 3 November 1672)
****** 5) Great-great-great-great-grandmother:
Princess Jeongmyeong
Princess Jeongmyeong (27 June 1603 – 8 September 1685) was a Joseon Royal Princess as the tenth daughter of King Seonjo, from Queen Inmok. During her older half-brother's reign, she suffered hardships, and her title was revoked, but later it wa ...
(정명공주) (27 June 1603 – 8 September 1685)
***** 4) Great-great-great-grandmother: 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 ...
(여흥 민씨)
** 1) Grandmother: Lady Yu (유씨, 兪氏)
* Uncle: Hong Nak-bin (홍낙빈, 洪樂彬) (1732 – ?)
** Cousin: Hong Ik-yeong (홍익영, 洪益榮)
* Mother: Lady Yi of the Ubong Yi clan (우봉 이씨, 牛峰 李氏)
* Sibling(s)
** Older brother: Hong Guk-yeong (홍국영, 洪國榮) (1748 – 28 April 1781)
*** Sister-in-law: Lady Yi of the Deoksu Yi clan (덕수 이씨, 德水 李氏)
* Husband:
Yi San, King Jeongjo (조선 정조) (28 October 1752 – 18 August 1800)
* Children
** Adoptive son: Yi Dam, Prince Seonggye (상계군 이담) (21 January 1769 – 20 November 1786)
*** Adoptive daughter-in-law: Princess Consort Pyeongsan of the
Pyeongsan Shin clan
The Pyeongsan Sin clan or Pyeongsan Shin clan () is one of the great aristocratic houses which originated from Korea. The clan was key in the foundation of the Goryeo dynasty and gained its power during this time. However, it became less promi ...
(평산군부인 평산 신씨, 平山郡夫人 平山 申氏) (13 June 1770 – 17 March 1801)
**** Adoptive grandson: Yi Hui, Prince Ikpyeong (익평군 이희) (16 October 1824 – 18 September 1863)
In popular culture
*Portrayed by Lee Ae-jung in the 2001
MBC TV series ''Hong Guk-yeong''.
*Portrayed by
Ji Sung-won
Hwang Geum-hee (born August 20, 1977) is a South Korean actress. Previously known by her stage name Ji Sung-won, Hwang began using her real name professionally in August 2013. Her most notable work is the critically acclaimed horror film
...
in the 2007
MBC TV series ''
Lee San, Wind of the Palace
''Yi San'' (), also known as ''Lee San, Wind of the Palace'', is a 2007 South Korean historical drama, starring Lee Seo-jin and Han Ji-min. It aired on MBC from September 17, 2007 to June 16, 2008 on Mondays and Tuesdays at 21:55. The serie ...
''.
*Portrayed by Park Seo-kyung in the 2021
MBC TV series ''
The Red Sleeve
''The Red Sleeve'' () is a South Korean television series starring Lee Jun-ho, Lee Se-young, and Kang Hoon. It aired from November 12, 2021, to January 1, 2022, on MBC's newly established Fridays and Saturdays at 22:00 ( KST) time slot.
Syn ...
.''
References
External links
Royal Consort Wonon
Doosan Encyclopedia
''Doosan Encyclopedia'' is a Korean language encyclopedia published by Doosan Donga (두산동아). The encyclopedia is based on the ''Dong-A Color Encyclopedia'' (동아원색세계대백과사전), which comprises 30 volumes and began to be p ...
.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hong, Won-bin
1766 births
1779 deaths
Royal consorts of the Joseon dynasty
18th-century Korean women
18th-century Korean people