During 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 r ...

royal titles and styles (forms of address) had been extensive and complex. The general title of the king was ''wang'' (왕, 王) until Gojong of Korea crowned himself ''hwangje'' (황제, 皇帝), or emperor, a title that was only allowed for

Chinese emperors ''Huangdi'' (), translated into English as Emperor, was the superlative title held by monarchs of China who ruled various imperial regimes in Chinese history. In traditional Chinese political theory, the emperor was considered the Son of Heave ...

. Official titles came with official forms of address, depending on who the addressee was and by whom he or she was addressed.

Royal family

Naming

Rulers in Korea (following Chinese customs) had several names, changing with their titles. Sons were given children's names, and when they were appointed crown prince, they were given an adult name and the crown prince name. When they became king, they were addressed as such, personal names were not used. After the death of a king, he was given several names. One is the

temple name Temple names are posthumous titles accorded to monarchs of the Sinosphere for the purpose of ancestor worship. The practice of honoring monarchs with temple names began during the Shang dynasty in China and had since been adopted by other dyna ...

(묘호, 廟號; ''myoho''), which he was given when his spirit tablet was placed at Jongmyo Shrine. This is the name by which historians usually refer to Joseon kings. The ''myoho'' could end in either ''jo'' (조, 祖, "progenitor") or ''jong'' (종, 宗, "ancestor"). The preceding syllable was an adjective suitable for the king. The other name was the

posthumous name A posthumous name is an honorary name given mostly to the notable dead in East Asian culture. It is predominantly practiced in East Asian countries such as China, Korea, Vietnam, Japan, and Thailand. Reflecting on the person's accomplishments ...

(시호, 諡號, siho). This is a longer name, made up of adjectives characteristic of the king's rule. For example,

Gyeongjong of Joseon Gyeongjong of Joseon (20 November 1688 – 11 October 1724; reigned 1720–1724) was the 20th king of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. He was the son of King Sukjong and his concubine, Royal Noble Consort Hui of the Indong Jang clan. Biography In ...

's posthumous name was King Deokmun Ikmu Sunin Seonhyo the Great (덕문익무순인선효대왕, 德文翼武純仁宣孝大王), while his temple name was Gyeongjong (경종, 景宗).

Titles and styles

Forms of address were combined with names, titles or both, for example: * ''Jusang jeonha'' 주상 전하 (His Majesty the King) *''Jungjeon mama'' 중전 마마 (Her Royal Highness the Queen) * ''Seja jeoha'' 세자 저하 ( His Royal Highness the Crown Prince) *''Daegun daegam'' 대군 대감 (His Excellency the Grand Prince) * ''Gongju agassi'' n childhood공주 아가씨 (Her Young Highness the Princess) then ''Gongju mama'' 공주 마마 n adulthood(Her Royal Highness the Princess)

Consorts and concubines

Consorts and concubines of the king in the

harem Harem ( Persian: حرمسرا ''haramsarā'', ar, حَرِيمٌ ''ḥarīm'', "a sacred inviolable place; harem; female members of the family") refers to domestic spaces that are reserved for the women of the house in a Muslim family. A har ...

(''hugung'', 후궁/ 後宮) had a certain rank, according to which their titles and forms of address were formulated. Titles came with the form of address of ''mama'' (마마 / 媽媽). Ranks in order after the Queen Consort:

Royal court

Officials

References

{{List of titles and honours of the Countries Crown Joseon dynasty Royal titles