Heungseon Daewongun (흥선대원군, 興宣大院君, 21 December 1820 – 22 February 1898; ), also known as the Daewongun (대원군, 大院君), Guktaegong (국태공, 國太公, "The Great Archduke") or formally Internal King Heungseon Heonui (흥선헌의대원왕, 興宣獻懿大院王) and also known to contemporary western diplomats as Prince Gung, was the title of Yi Ha-eung, the

regent A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...

of Joseon during the minority of

Emperor Gojong Gojong (; 8 September 1852 – 21 January 1919) was the monarch of Korea from 1864 to 1907. He reigned as the last King of Joseon from 1864 to 1897, and as the first Emperor of Korea from 1897 until his forced abdication in 1907. He is known ...

in the 1860s and until his death a key political figure of late Joseon

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 ...

. ''Daewongun'' literally translates as "prince of the great court", a title customarily granted to the father of the reigning monarch when that father did not reign himself (usually because his son had been adopted as heir of a relative who did reign). While there had been three other Daewonguns during the Joseon dynasty, there was no one as dominant as Yi Ha-eung in the history of the Joseon dynasty that the term Daewongun usually refers specifically to him. Grand Internal Prince Heungseon had to solve the difficult problems of a new world historical trend and reconstruction of the impoverished nation at once. The Daewongun is remembered for the wide-ranging reforms he attempted during his regency, as well as for his "vigorous enforcement of the seclusion policy, persecution of

Christians Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words '' Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ ...

, and the killing or driving off of foreigners who landed on Korean soil".Conroy, Hilary. The Japanese Seizure of Korea, 1868–1910: A Study of Realism and Idealism in International Relations. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1960.

Biography

Early life

The Daewongun was born Yi Ha-eung in 1820. He was the fourth son of Yi Chae-jung, a member of the royal family who in 1816 was given the name Yi Gu and the title Prince Namyeon. The Daewongun was a 9th generation descendant of King Injo through Grand Prince Inpyeong.Choe Ching Young. The Rule of the Taewŏn’gun, 1864–1873: Restoration in Yi Korea. Cambridge, Mass.: East Asian Research Center, Harvard University, 1972. The Daewongun was well-schooled in

Confucianism Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China. Variously described as tradition, a philosophy, a religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, a way of governing, or a ...

and the

Chinese classics Chinese classic texts or canonical texts () or simply dianji (典籍) refers to the Chinese texts which originated before the imperial unification by the Qin dynasty in 221 BC, particularly the "Four Books and Five Classics" of the Neo-Confuci ...

. He reputedly excelled in calligraphy and

painting Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ai ...

. His early government career consisted of minor posts that were mostly honorary and ceremonial. For most of his early life, his connection to the royal house seemed of little help to him. He was poor and humiliated by the rich in-laws of the royal house. Since the

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 ...

had a lot of authority and influence over the country, he was barred from obtaining high positions in politics even though he was a member of the royal family, the

Jeonju Yi clan The Jeonju Yi clan () is a Korean clan with the surname Yi. Their Bon-gwan is in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province. The clan includes the former House of Yi which ruled the Joseon dynasty and the Korean Empire. Their founder was Yi Han (). His de ...

. Instead, he drew orchids and sold them to Korean nobilities to earn money.

Rise to power

The Daewongun came to power when his second son,

Yi Myeong-bok Gojong (; 8 September 1852 – 21 January 1919) was the monarch of Korea from 1864 to 1907. He reigned as the last King of Joseon from 1864 to 1897, and as the first Emperor of Korea from 1897 until his forced abdication in 1907. He is known ...

, was chosen to become king. In January 1864, King Cheoljong died without an heir. The selection of the next king was in the hands of three dowagers:

Queen Sinjeong Queen Sinjeong (Hangul: 신정왕후, Hanja: 神貞王后; 21 January 1809 – 4 June 1890), also known as Queen Dowager Hyoyu (효유왕대비), of the Pungyang Jo clan, was the only wife of Crown Prince Hyomyeong and mother of Heonjong of Jose ...

, mother of King Heonjong;

Queen Myeongheon Queen Hyojeong (6 March 1831 – 2 January 1904; 효정왕후 홍씨) of the Namyang Hong clan, was the second wife and queen consort of King Heonjong of Joseon, the 24th monarch of the Joseon Dynasty. After his death in 1849, she was known as ...

, King Heonjong's wife; and

Queen Cheorin Queen Cheorin (27 April 1837 – 12 June 1878), of the Andong Kim clan, was queen consort of Joseon by marriage to King Cheoljong. She was known as Queen Dowager Myeongsun (명순대비) after the death of her husband and during King Gojong� ...

, Cheoljong's wife. The " designation right" resided with Dowager

, as she was the oldest of the dowagers. In an apocryphal story, Queen Cheorin sent a minister to fetch the son of Yi Ha-eung, eleven-year-old Yi Myeong-bok, who was flying a kite in a palace garden. The son was brought to the palace in a sedan chair, where Queen Sinjeong rushed forward and called him her son, thus producing the new Joseon king, King Gojong, adopted son of

Crown Prince Hyomyeong Crown Prince Hyomyeong (18 September 1809 – 25 June 1830), born Yi Yeong, and posthumously honored as King Munjo, was a member of the Joseon Dynasty. Life and death The prince was the eldest son of King Sunjo, husband of Queen Sinjeong and ...

.Cumings, Bruce. Korea’s Place in the Sun: A Modern History. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2005. This story may or may not have been true. These facts, however, are known to be correct. On 16 January 1864, Yi Myeong-bok was appointed the Prince of Ikseong by Dowager Queen Sinjeong. The next day, his father was granted the title Daewongun, equivalent to the title of "

" in Korean, the difference being that the title was only given to the biological father of the young king. On January 21st, Yi Myeong-bok was enthroned as King Gojong, and Dowager Queen Sinjeong began her regency. Yi was apparently chosen because "he was the only suitable surviving male member of the Yi clan and closest by blood to the royal house". Since Gojong was so young, Queen Sinjeong invited the Daewongun to assist his son in ruling the country. She virtually renounced her right to be regent, and though she remained the titular regent, the Daewongun acted as the ''

de facto ''De facto'' ( ; , "in fact") describes practices that exist in reality, whether or not they are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms. It is commonly used to refer to what happens in practice, in contrast with ''de jure'' ("by la ...

'' ruler of the country, exercising the powers of the regency in the name of the Queen. Once Gojong became king, there still remained the question of the king's marriage. Gojong's mother Yeoheung decided upon a daughter of the Min clan, Lady Min. The Daewongun remarked that Min "was a woman of great determination and poise" and was slightly disturbed by her. However, he allowed her to marry his son, and unknowingly created his greatest political rival.

Reforms

Portrait of Yi Haeung (National Museum of Korea)

During his regency, the Daewongun attempted several reforms. His main goal was to "crush the old ruling faction that had virtually usurped the sovereign power of the kings earlier in the century".Kim, C.I. Eugene and Han-Kyo Kim. Korea and the Politics of Imperialism: 1876–1910. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1967. When he took power in 1864, the Daewongun was determined to reform the government and strengthen central control. He led an anti-corruption campaign, disciplined the royal clans, and taxed the aristocracy, the

yangban The ''yangban'' () were part of the traditional ruling class or gentry of dynastic Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. The ''yangban'' were mainly composed of highly educated civil servants and military officers—landed or unlanded aristocrats ...

. Cumings notes that this was not a revolution but a restoration, as the Daewongun was attempting to return to the days of

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 ...

in the fifteenth century. One of the Daewongun's effective acts as regent was the reconstruction of

Gyeongbok Palace Gyeongbokgung (), also known as Gyeongbokgung Palace or Gyeongbok Palace, was the main royal palace of the Joseon dynasty. Built in 1395, it is located in northern Seoul, South Korea. The largest of the '' Five Grand Palaces'' built by the Joseo ...

. The palace had been built during the reign of the first Joseon king. Much of the building was destroyed in a fire in 1533 and the rest was destroyed during the Japanese invasion of 1592. The rebuilding took seven years and five months. It was perhaps the most costly project during the Joseon dynasty. He also weakened the power of the

and increased the authority of the ruling family. This act stripped almost all of the

's power. The Daewongun's reforms were not very successful, as some scholars say he was "too high-handed and tactless". Furthermore, his policies did not have a long-lasting effect. Once Gojong came of age in 1874, he forced the Daewongun into semi-retirement and undid many of his reforms.

Foreign policy

The Daewongun's foreign policy was rather simple, as Cumings describes it: "no treaties, no trade, no Catholics, no West, and no Japan". He maintained an

isolationist Isolationism is a political philosophy advocating a national foreign policy that opposes involvement in the political affairs, and especially the wars, of other countries. Thus, isolationism fundamentally advocates neutrality and opposes entan ...

policy. The Isolation Policy was a policy made to isolate Joseon from all foreign forces except for China which he believed to be the strongest. He tried to refuse Russia's quest to open Joseon's ports to them by using France, but France refused to help – causing the 1866 '' Byeong-in Persecution''. He was involved in the

General Sherman incident The ''General Sherman'' incident ( ko, 제너럴셔먼호 사건) was the destruction of the American merchant ship '' SS General Sherman'' in the Taedong River during an unsuccessful and illegal attempt by the ship's crew to open up trade with ...

as well. The Isolation Policy became more entrenched in 1868 when German merchant Ernst Oppert attempted to take hostage the bones of the Daewongun's father in order to force him to open Korea to trade; and even further so after the 1871 American attack of Gwanghwado. The Isolation Policy provided immediate benefits of fortifying Korean patriotism as well as protecting Korean Confucianism. The Heungseon Daewongun was able to protect Joseon from cultural imperialism and

westernization Westernization (or Westernisation), also Europeanisation or occidentalization (from the ''Occident''), is a process whereby societies come under or adopt Western culture in areas such as industry, technology, science, education, politics, econo ...

and thus protect Korea's heritage from it. However, because he refused to engage in international relations entirely, there was a limited choice of market and slim opportunity for an

industrial revolution The Industrial Revolution was the transition to new manufacturing processes in Great Britain, continental Europe, and the United States, that occurred during the period from around 1760 to about 1820–1840. This transition included going f ...

to occur in Korea. Indeed, the Daewongun wanted to avoid engagement with the West – which would have been inevitable if Western countries were allowed to trade freely – as it would erode government influence. The Joseon Dynasty had a strict social hierarchy: the wealth of the yangban nobility rested on the backs of

sangmin The ''sangmin'' () were the common people of Joseon-era Korea. Etymology A more polite but less accurate name for the ''sangmin'' is "''yangmin''" (). History The ''sangmin'' consisted of peasants, heavy laborers, fishermen, some craftsmen an ...

farm labourers and tenants; the Daewongun wanted to prevent the collapse of this hierarchy; despite his fame for his fairness and support of civilization, the emancipation of the sangmin would mean the destruction of the yangban, his own social class. The international relations of Joseon worsened as the Daewongun adopted increasingly desperate and harsher measures in order to repel Westernization. The Daewongun made the choice of protecting the world he knew by trying to shut out foreigners, at the cost of delaying development and modernization, and to keep Korea a hermit kingdom. Many Koreans state that had he chosen to engage with foreign countries as his daughter-in-law

Queen Min Empress Myeongseong or Empress Myungsung (명성황후 민씨; 17 November 1851 – 8 October 1895In lunar calendar, the Empress was born on 25 September 1851 and died on 20 August 1895), informally known as Empress Min, was the official wife ...

advocated, the

Japanese rule of Korea Between 1910 and 1945, Korea was ruled as a part of the Empire of Japan. Joseon Korea had come into the Japanese sphere of influence with the Japan–Korea Treaty of 1876; a complex coalition of the Meiji government, military, and business offici ...

could have been avoided. However, others state that the ten years of the Isolation Policy was too small a part of the Joseon Dynasty to derive such a statement from.

Retirement

In 1874, King Gojong came of age. His wife,

, influenced his decision to "assume the full measure of royal responsibility", an action that forced the Daewongun into semi-retirement.

Return to power

The Daewongun enjoyed a brief return to power during the

Imo Incident The Imo Incident, also sometimes known as the Imo Mutiny, Soldier's riot or Jingo-gunran in Japanese, was a violent uprising and riot in Seoul beginning on July 23, 1882, by soldiers of the Joseon Army who were later joined by disaffected member ...

in 1882. On the second day of the mutiny, a group of rioters were received by the Daewongun, "who reportedly exhorted them to bring down the Min regime and expel the Japanese". King Gojong asked his father, the Daewongun to come to the palace. The Daewongun's appearance, escorted by 200 mutineers, "put an immediate end to the wild melee." Gojong gave the Daewongun "all the small and large matters of the government" and thus the Daewongun resumed his rule. Both Japanese and

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...

forces headed towards Korea to put down the rebellion, and Ma Chien-chung, a Chinese diplomat in Korea, decided that it was time to remove the Daewongun. The Chinese had three reasons they wanted to remove the Daewongun: First, he attempted to overthrow the pro-Chinese Min faction. Second, "he created a situation which invited the Japanese troops to Korea, thus precipitating the danger of a military conflict between Japan on the one hand and Korea and China on the other." And third, "the Taewongun aewonguninspired disturbance threatened the foundation of a lawfully constituted government in a dependent nation". Ma arrested the Daewongun on the charge of disrespect to the emperor for "usurping the power which the emperor had invested in the king of Korea". However, as he was the father of the king, he was dealt with leniently. One hundred Chinese soldiers escorted the Daewongun to a waiting Chinese warship, and from there to

Tianjin Tianjin (; ; Mandarin: ), alternately romanized as Tientsin (), is a municipality and a coastal metropolis in Northern China on the shore of the Bohai Sea. It is one of the nine national central cities in Mainland China, with a total popu ...

Return to Korea

In the fall of 1885, the Chinese returned the Daewongun to Korea, "despite strong objections from the queen and her followers". After the return, he was unhappy when

Empress Myeongseong Empress Myeongseong or Empress Myungsung (명성황후 민씨; 17 November 1851 – 8 October 1895In lunar calendar, the Empress was born on 25 September 1851 and died on 20 August 1895), informally known as Empress Min, was the official wife ...

signed Russia–Korea Treaty of 1884. Daewongun tried to return power again by aiding his grandson Yi Jun-yong, cousin of King Gojong, in an attempt to overthrow King Gojong.

Gabo Reform

In 1894, the Japanese were strengthening their hold over Korea. They needed someone amenable to them to be a leader in Korea during the

Gabo Reform The Gabo Reform, also known as the Kabo Reform, describes a series of sweeping reforms suggested to the government of Korea, beginning in 1894 and ending in 1896 during the reign of Gojong of Korea in response to the Donghak Peasant Revolution. ...

. They approached the Daewongun as a potential leader. When he agreed, on 23 July Japanese soldiers liberated him from the house arrest Gojong had placed him under. In exchange for his help, the Daewongun asked for a promise that if the reforms succeeded, "Japan will not demand a single piece of Korean territory". The soldiers took him to the palace, where they approached the king. The Daewongun reproached King Gojong and announced that he would be taking over. The Japanese became nervous after placing the Daewongun in charge, as he seemed interested "only in grasping power and purging his opponents and did not see the need for a reform policy". By September 1894, the Japanese decided that the Daewongun was not to be trusted. By early October, it became clear that "the plan to use the Taewongun aewongunas a vehicle for the reform program had misfired". A Japanese statesman,

Inoue Kaoru Marquess Inoue Kaoru (井上馨, January 16, 1836 – September 1, 1915) was a Japanese politician and a prominent member of the Meiji oligarchy during the Meiji period of the Empire of Japan. As one of the senior statesmen ('' Genrō'') in J ...

, was sent to Korea as the new resident minister, where he told the Daewongun, "You always stand in the way," and forced the Daewongun to promise that he would "abstain from interference in political affairs".

Involvement in Queen Min's Death

In 1895, Japanese officials in Korea were plotting the removal of Gojong's wife,

Miura Gorō Viscount was a lieutenant general in the early Imperial Japanese Army. Biography Miura was born in Hagi in Chōshū Domain (modern Yamaguchi Prefecture), to a ''samurai'' family with the name of Andō, but was adopted by the Miura that was ...

, Inoue Kaoru's successor as Japanese advisor to the Korean government, and Sugimura Fukashi, a secretary of the Japanese legation, planned the attempt. The two decided to involve the Daewongun in the plot, and after making inquiries, learned that he was "indignant enough to plan a coup" and would cooperate with them. On 8 October 1895, early in the morning, Japanese policemen escorted the Daewongun to the palace. His involvement from that point on is unclear, but on that morning, Japanese agents assassinated Empress Myeongseong.

Death

The Daewongun died in 1898, just a little over a year after the formation of the Korean Empire.

Family

*Father: Yi Gu, Prince Namyeon (22 August 1788 – 19 March 1836) (이구 남연군) **Grandfather: Yi Byeong-won (6 April 1752 – 11 November 1822) (이병원) ***Adoptive Grandfather: Yi Jin, Prince Eunsin (11 January 1755 – 29 March 1771) (이진 은신군) **Grandmother: Lady Jeong of the Yeonil Jeong clan (연일 정씨) ***Adoptive Grandmother: Lady Hong 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 ...

(1755 – 29 March 1821) (남양 홍씨) *Mother: Princess Consort 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� ...

(26 June 1788 – 1831) (군부인 여흥민씨) **Grandfather: Min Gyeong-hyeok (1746–1815) (민경혁) **Grandmother: Lady Han of the

Cheongju Han clan The Cheongju Han clan (Hangul: 청주 한씨, Hanja: 淸州韓氏) is a Korean noble family. It is also called the House of Han or the Han clan of Cheongju. It is considered one of the most prominent clans since the Gojoseon period. In the ...

(청주 한씨) *Consorts and their Respective Issue(s): # Grand Internal Princess Consort Sunmok of the Yeoheung Min clan (3 February 1818 – 8 January 1898) (순목대원비 민씨) ##Lady Yi (이씨) (1838 – 1869) ## Yi Jae-myeon, Prince Imperial Heungchin (22 August 1845 – 9 September 1912) (이재면 흥친왕) ##

Emperor Gojong of Korea Gojong (; 8 September 1852 – 21 January 1919) was the monarch of Korea from 1864 to 1907. He reigned as the last King of Joseon from 1864 to 1897, and as the first Emperor of Korea from 1897 until his forced abdication in 1907. He is known ...

(8 September 1852 – 21 January 1919) (대한제국 고종) ##Lady Yi (이씨) (1861 – 1899) #Gye Seong-wol (계성월) ## Yi Jae-seon, Prince Waneun (1 August 1842 – 27 October 1881) (이재선 완은군) ##Lady Yi (이씨) (1855 – 1869)Died at the age of 13-14 #Kisaeng Chuseon (? – 1885) (기녀 추선) #Lady Seo (? – 7 January 1914) (서씨) #

Jin Chae-seon Jin Chae-seon (born 1842 or 1847) was a Korean pansori singer, widely regarded as the first female master of a male dominated genre, although she was probably not the first woman to perform pansori, as gisaeng courtesans might have performed it ...

(1842 – ?) (진채선)

In popular culture

* Portrayed by

Yoo Dong-geun Yoo Dong-geun (born June 18, 1956) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his leading roles in the historical television dramas ''Tears of the Dragon'', '' Empress Myseongseong'', and '' Yeon Gaesomun''. He was also an adjunct professo ...

in the 2001–2002

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 ''

''. * Portrayed by Chun Ho-jin in the 2009 film ''

The Sword with No Name ''The Sword with No Name'' (; ) is a 2009 South Korean film based on a fictionalized account of Empress Myeongseong. The film sold 1,671,387 tickets nationwide. Plot Mu-myeong is a bounty hunter during the Joseon Dynasty who lives day-to-day by ca ...

''. * Portrayed by

Lee Beom-soo Lee Beom-soo (born January 3, 1970) is a South Korean actor. He is well known for his role in ''Singles'', ''Giant'', '' On Air'', ''Surgeon Bong Dal-hee, ''as well as in'' History of a Salaryman.'' Lee enrolled in the Department of Theater at ...

in the 2012 MBC TV series, '' Dr. Jin''. * Portrayed by

Kim Nam-gil Kim Nam-gil () is a South Korean actor, producer, director, singer and philanthropist. He is best known from leading roles in disaster blockbuster '' Pandora'' (2016); crime thriller '' Memoir of a Murderer '' (2017); adventure film '' The Pira ...

in the 2015 film '' The Sound of a Flower''. * Portrayed by Choi Jong-won in the 2018

tvN TVN may refer to: * TVN (Australian TV channel), a former horse racing channel * Televisión Nacional de Chile, a public broadcaster * TVN (Indonesia), a former television station; predecessor of Rajawali Televisi * TVN (Norway), or TVNorge, a comm ...

and

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fi ...

TV series '' Mr. Sunshine''. * Portrayed by

Ji Sung Ji Sung (born Kwak Tae-geun on 27 February 1977) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his roles in the television dramas '' All In'' (2003), '' Save the Last Dance for Me'' (2004), ''New Heart'' (2007), ''Protect the Boss'' (2011), ' ...

in the 2018 film '' Fengshui''. * Portrayed by

Jun Kwang-ryul Jun Kwang-ryul () is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his roles in the television series '' Hur Jun'', ''Jumong'' and '' King of Baking, Kim Takgu''. Filmography Television series *''Jinxed at First'' (2022) *'' Kingmaker: The Chan ...

in the 2020

TV Chosun TV Chosun ( ko, TV조선; Hanja: 株式會社朝鮮放送; ''Jusikhoesa Joseon Bangsong''; literally "Company Korea Broadcasting"), stylised as TV CHOSUN, is a South Korean pay television network and broadcasting company, owned by the ''Chosun ...

TV series '' Kingmaker: The Change of Destiny''.

Notes

:1.In chronological order:

Seonjo Seonjo of Joseon (26 November 1552 – 16 March 1608) was the fourteenth king of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea from 1567 to 1608. He was known for encouraging Confucianism and renovating state affairs at the beginning of his reign. However, politi ...

's Father (''Deokheung Daewongun''), his son (''Jeongwon Daewongun''; Injo's Father), and Cheoljong's Father (''Jeongye Daewongun''). Gojong's Father is the fourth and last :2.He is an illegitimate son.

References

Lee, Moon-Su. Korea Donghak Academy Journal Vol.11 No.-(2002). Heungseundaewongun's Political reformation and its Limitation during Late Chosen Dynasty. p. 1–29. Republic of Korea: Hanguk Donghak Academy, 2002.

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Heungseon Daewongun 1820 births 1898 deaths 19th-century Korean people Ha-eung Regents of Korea Isolationism Jeonju Yi clan