Jeongjo of Joseon (28 October 1752 – 18 August 1800), personal name Yi San ( Korean: 이산;

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, ...

: 李祘), sometimes called Jeongjo the Great ( Korean: 정조대왕;

: 正祖大王), was the 22nd monarch 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 r ...

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 ...

. After succeeding his grandfather, King Yeongjo, he made various attempts to reform and improve the nation.

Biography

Early life

He was the son of

Crown Prince Sado Crown Prince Sado (Hangul: 사도세자, Hanja: 思悼世子; 13 February 1735 – 12 July 1762), personal name Yi Seon (Hangul: 이선, Hanja: 李愃), was the second son of King Yeongjo of Joseon. His biological mother was Royal Noble ...

(who was put to death by his own father, King Yeongjo) and Lady Hyegyeong (who wrote an autobiography, '' The Memoirs of Lady Hyegyeong'' detailing her life as the ill-fated Crown Princess of Korea). His elder brother Crown Prince Uiso died in infancy. His mother Lady Hyegyeong's collection of memoirs serves as a significant source of historical information on the political happenings during the reigns of King Yeongjo (her father-in-law), King Jeongjo (her son), and King Sunjo (her grandson). In 1762, his father,

, was executed by King Yeongjo (Crown Prince Sado's father and Prince Yi San's grandfather) after long conflicts and Sado's years of mental illness. Crown Prince Sado opposed the ruling party

Noron The Noron () were a political faction of the Joseon Dynasty in Korea. They consisted of the supporters of Song Siyeol after the split of the Westerners. The Noron suffered setbacks with Kim Seok-ju's death in 1684 and Song's execution in 1689. In ...

party. He started to hate the parties of Joseon. Eight years later Yi San asked to visit Sado's living quarter but his Grandfather King Yeongjo refused. So he refused to attend Crown Prince Sado's funeral. On February 21, 1764, Yi San became the adoptive son of Crown Prince Hyojang and Princess Consort Hyosun by the order of King Yeongjo. Crown Prince Hyojang was the elder half-brother of his father, Crown Prince Sado. Crown Prince Hyojang though, had died during his childhood. King Yeongjo made Yi San a part of Hyojang's family because he was concerned that Yi San, who was Sado's son and successor, would be opposed. The Noron faction protested Yi San's legitimacy as the royal successor under the claim that Yi San was the 'Son of a prisoner' or 'Son of a madman' and thus ineligible to succeed the throne. This was a major source of vexation for King Yeongjo for an extended period. After 1762 to 1777, some members of

attempted to depose Jeongjo for his relation to

and open the path of succession for his half-brothers Prince Eunjeon, Prince Euneon and, Prince Eunshin. His grand uncle

Hong In-han Hong may refer to: Places * Høng, a town in Denmark * Hong Kong, a city and a special administrative region in China * Hong, Nigeria * Hong River in China and Vietnam * Lake Hong in China Surnames * Hong (Chinese name) * Hong (Korean name) ...

and

Jeong Hu-gyeom Jeong Hu-gyeom (정후겸; 1749–1777) was a Korean court official during the Joseon dynasty. He was the Royal Secretary, and the youngest person ever to be part of the royal court. He was the adoptive son of Princess Hwawan. Life Jeong Hu-gyeom ...

, adopted son of

Princess Hwawan Princess Hwawan (; 9 March 1738 – 10 June 1808) was a Joseon princess and the ninth daughter of King Yeongjo of Joseon. Biography Princess Hwawan was born in 1738, and she received the title ''Hwawan'' in 1743. She was the ninth daughter of Kin ...

, were amongst them. When he was the Crown Prince, King Jeongjo met

Hong Guk-yeong Hong Guk-yeong ( Korean: 홍국영, Chinese: 洪國榮, 1748 – 28 April 1781), was a noted Korean scholar and politician of Joseon dynasty who first strongly supported King Jeongjo's accession and toiled to improve the king's power, but ended up ...

Digital Korean studies (Korean site)
(홍국영, 洪國榮), a controversial politician who first strongly supported Jeongjo's accession and toiled to improve the king's power, but ended up being expelled because of his desire for power. Another helper was Kim Jong-su(김종수, 金鍾秀), in spite of being a member of

. In 1775, one year before King Yeongjo's death, King Jeongjo was appointed regent for him. However, King Yeongjo did not give him any military power.

Reign

Before Yeongjo died, he had his coronation in

Gyeonghuigung Gyeonghui Palace (in Korean: ''Gyeonghuigung'', literally ''Palace of Serene Harmony'') is a palace located in Seoul, South Korea. It was one of the "Five Grand Palaces" built by the Joseon Dynasty. History Construction began in the 1600s duri ...

on 10 March 1776. After his coronation, Jeongjo chose his spouse. The first thing that Jeongjo said to his officials was that he is the son of Jangjo who was executed by the former king. Jeongjo tried to empathize with his people. During his second year of reign, a great drought came. During the drought, Jeongjo was nervous just like the people and did a rainmaking ritual for his people.Just like his grandfather, Jeongjo used Tangpyeong method. He included that this method was great. By this, he tried to get rid of all the parties which caused his father's death. From the first day of the reign, Jeongjo spent much of his

reign A reign is the period of a person's or dynasty's occupation of the office of monarch of a nation (e.g., Saudi Arabia, Belgium, Andorra), of a people (e.g., the Franks, the Zulus) or of a spiritual community (e.g., Catholicism, Tibetan Buddhism ...

trying to clear his father's name. He also moved the court to the city of

Suwon Suwon (, ) is the capital and largest city of Gyeonggi-do, South Korea's most populous province which surrounds Seoul, the national capital. Suwon lies about south of Seoul. It is traditionally known as "The City of Filial Piety". With a popul ...

to be closer to his father's

grave A grave is a location where a dead body (typically that of a human, although sometimes that of an animal) is buried or interred after a funeral. Graves are usually located in special areas set aside for the purpose of burial, such as grav ...

. He built Hwaseong Fortress to guard the tomb. It is now a

UNESCO World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

. Jeongjo was always threatened by some of his officials who were against his reign. By help of

and some others, he was able to overcome. During his accession, he also issued a royal decree that his mother, Lady Hyegyeong, be a Dowager Queen since his father, her husband, was supposed to be the King before him. Thus, she became the Queen Dowager, the widow of

. From then on, King Jeongjo experienced many turbulent periods, but overcame them with the aid of Hong Guk-yeong, Kim Chong-su. In 1776, Hong Sang-beom, Hong Kye-neung and other some member of

unsuccessfully attempted to stage a military coup d'état and assassinate him. Jeongjo fought the rebels who were secretly in royal palace and personally arrested his assassins. Jeongjo executed Hong Sang-beom, Hong Kye-neung, other some member of

s, and put to death Prince Eunjeon, Hong In-han, and Chung Hu-kyom. Jeongjo tried to stop the wrong politics that concentrated the political power to single family by impeaching

but it failed. In 1785 he erected Changyongyeong (장용영, 壯勇營), this is the King's royal bodyguards. Before In 1782, Jeongjo selected by competitive examination some officers, who were then organized into the unit of Changyongyeong. Before this time was the Naekeunwe, royal bodyguards of Joseon dynasties created by

Taejong of Joseon Taejong of Joseon (13 June 1367 – 8 June 1422), personal name Yi Bang-won ( Korean: 이방원; Hanja: 李芳遠), was the third ruler of the Joseon dynasty of Korea and the father of King Sejong the Great. Before ascending to the throne, he ...

in 1407. But Jeongjo mistrusted the Naekeumwi, so he personally created Changyonegyeong.

Renaissance

King Jeongjo led the new renaissance 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 r ...

, but was initially stopped by continuing the policy of

Yeongjo Yeongjo of Joseon (31 October 1694 – 22 April 1776), personal name Yi Geum (Korean: 이금, Hanja: 李昑), was the 21st monarch of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. He was the second son of King Sukjong, by his concubine Royal Noble Consort Suk ...

's Tangpyeong rule. He tried to control the politics of the whole nation to advance and further national progress. He made various reforms throughout his reign, notably establishing

Kyujanggak The Kyujanggak, also known as Gyujanggak, was the royal library of the Joseon Dynasty. It was founded in 1776 by order of King Jeongjo of Joseon, at which time it was located on the grounds of Changdeokgung Palace. Today known as Kyujanggak Roy ...

(규장각), a royal library. The primary purpose of

was to improve the cultural and political stance of

Joseon 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 ...

and to recruit gifted officers to help run the nation. Jeongjo also spearheaded bold new social initiatives, including opening government positions to those who were previously barred because of their social status. He had some knowledge of humanities and philosophy, Neo-Confucianism. One of the King's gentlemen, Kim Jong-su, imprinted onto the king and in tandem became a father figure and a great teacher for him. He studied for a long time and read various books. Jeongjo had the support of the many Silhak scholars who supported Jeongjo's regal power, including Scholars Jeong Yak-yong, Pak Ji-won,

Pak Je-ga Bak Jega (; 1750–1805) was a scholar of school of Practical learning (Silhak) in the late Joseon Dynasty. He was a student of Bak Jiwon. Background Bak Jega was a famous Silhak scholar in the late Joseon Dynasty. He was a student of anot ...

and

Yu Deuk-gong Yu Deuk-gong (; 1749–1807) was a Korean scholar during the Joseon Dynasty. He is remembered today for his work in recovering the history of Balhae, which had not generally been considered part of Korean history before his time. See also *Histo ...

. His reign also saw the further growth and development of

's popular culture. Jeongjo was resolutely selected for member of

Soron Soron Shookarakshetra is a town in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. History Kasganj district was formed on 17 April 2008 by splitting Kasganj, Patiali and Sahawar Tehsils from Etah district. Sant Tulsidas was born in the district and Amir Khu ...

and Namin party, reason selection background was checks and balances, strengthening of royal authority. He was opposed to new fashions in the composition style of Korean writing and personally taught composition to some intellectuals and bureaucrats called Munchebanjong(문체반정 文體反正). In 1791, Jeongjo got report from

Chae Je-gong Chae Jegong (12 May 1720 – 22 February 1799) was a noted scholar, writer, politician of the Joseon period of Korea. He passed the regional civil examination (향시) at the age of 15, and held high government offices throughout his life, the Y ...

that the people are having difficulty selling items. Jeongjo used Shinhae Tonggong to help people to raise their sales. This also abolished the Gumnanjeonguoun, which allowed some sellers in Seoul to have exclusivity.

Death

In his final years, Jeongjo arranged for the marriage of his second son and successor

Sunjo of Joseon Sunjo of Joseon (29 July 1790 – 13 December 1834, reigned 1800–1834) was the 23rd king of the Korean Joseon Dynasty. Sunjo was the 2nd son of King Jeongjo with Royal Noble Consort Su, one of King Jeongjo's concubines. Biography He wa ...

to Lady Kim of the Andong clan, daughter of

Kim Jo-sun Kim Jo-Sun ( ko, 김조순, born June 13, 1975) is a female South Korean archer Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a bow to shoot arrows.Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 17 The word comes from the Latin ''ar ...

, but did not live to see his son's marriage. In 1800, Jeongjo died suddenly under uncertain circumstances at the age of 47, without seeing much of his life's work come to fruition under his son, Sunjo. There are many books regarding the mystery behind his death, and speculation as to the cause of his death continues even today. He is buried with his wife,

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 Gojo ...

, at the royal tomb of Geonneung (건릉, 健陵) in the city of Hwaseong. On 7 December 1899, Jeongjo was posthumously became Jeongjo Sanghwangjae.

Family

*Biological father: Yi Seon, King Jangjo of Joseon (조선 장조 이선) (13 February 1735 – 12 July 1762) **Grandfather:

King Yeongjo of Joseon Yeongjo of Joseon (31 October 1694 – 22 April 1776), personal name Yi Geum (Korean: 이금, Hanja: 李昑), was the 21st monarch of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. He was the second son of King Sukjong, by his concubine Royal Noble Consort Suk ...

(조선 영조) (31 October 1694 – 22 April 1776) **Biological grandmother: Royal Noble Consort Yeong of the Jeonui Yi clan (영빈 이씨) (15 August 1696 – 23 August 1764) **Adoptive grandmother: Queen Jeongseong of the Daegu Seo clan (정성왕후 서씨) (12 January 1693 – 3 April 1757) *Adoptive father: Yi Haeng, King Jinjong of Joseon (조선 진종 이행) (4 April 1719 – 16 December 1728) *Biological mother: Queen Heongyeong of the Pungsan Hong clan (헌경왕후 홍씨) (6 August 1735 – 13 January 1816) **Grandfather: Hong Bong-han (홍봉한) (1713 – 1778) **Grandmother: Lady Yi of the Hansan Yi clan (한산 이씨) (1713 – 1755) * Adoptive mother:

Queen Hyosun Queen Hyosun (효순왕후 조씨; 8 January 1716 – 30 December 1751), of the Pungyang Jo clan, was the crown princess of Joseon. She married Crown Prince Hyojang, who died one year after the marriage. She was never known by the title queen du ...

of the Pungyang Jo clan (효순왕후 조씨) (8 January 1716 – 30 December 1751) Consorts and their respective issue(s): # Queen Hyoui of the Cheongpung Kim clan (효의왕후 김씨) (5 January 1754 – 10 April 1821) — No issue. # Royal Noble Consort Su of the Bannam Park clan (수빈 박씨) (1 June 1770 – 6 February 1823) ## Crown Prince Yi Gong (왕세자 이공) (29 July 1790 – 13 December 1834), second son ##

Princess Sukseon Princess Sukseon ( Hangul: 숙선옹주, Hanja: 淑善翁主; 11 April 1793 – 7 June 1836) was the daughter of King Jeongjo of Joseon and Royal Noble Consort Su of the Bannam Park clan, and the only surviving sibling of Sunjo of Joseon. B ...

(숙선옹주) (1 March 1793 – 7 June 1836), second daughter # Royal Noble Consort Ui of the Changnyeong Seong clan (의빈 성씨) (6 August 1753 – 4 November 1786) ##''Miscarriage'' (8 December 1780) ##''Miscarriage'' (July 1781) ## Yi Sun, Crown Prince Munhyo (문효세자 이순) (13 October 1782 – 6 June 1786), first son ##''First daughter'' (20 March – 12 May 1784) ##''Unborn child'' (1786) # Royal Noble Consort Won of the Pungsan Hong clan (원빈 홍씨) (27 May 1766 – 7 May 1779) — No issue. # Royal Noble Consort Hwa of the Namwon Yun clan (화빈 윤씨) (11 April 1765 – 14 January 1824)She became Noble Royal Consort in 1781; it's said that she conceived, but her pregnancy was an imaginary one. — No issue.

Ancestry

In popular culture

* Portrayed by Kim Yong-gun in the 1989 MBC TV series ''500 Years of Joseon Dynasty: Pa Mun''. * Portrayed by Jung Jae-gon in the 2001 MBC TV series ''Hong Guk-yeong''. * Portrayed by Lee Seo-jin and

Park Ji-bin Park Ji-bin (; born March 14, 1995) is a South Korean actor. He began his career as a child actor, notably in ''Hello, Brother'' (2005) and ''Boys Over Flowers , is a Japanese ''shōjo'' manga series written and illustrated by Yoko K ...

in the 2007 MBC TV series ''

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''. * Portrayed by

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in the 2007

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TV series ''

Conspiracy in the Court ''Conspiracy in the Court'' (; lit. ''Seoul's Sad Song''), is a 2007 South Korean historical drama broadcast on KBS2. The mystery thriller revolves around a murder case set in Hansung, the capital of Korea during the latter years of the Joseon dyn ...

''. * Portrayed by Kim Sang-joong and Park Gun-tae in the 2007 CGV TV series ''

Eight Days, Assassination Attempts against King Jeongjo ''Eight Days, Assassination Attempts against King Jeongjo'' () is a South Korean television miniseries starring Kim Sang-joong, Park Jung-chul, Jung Ae-ri, Lee Seon-ho, and Hee Won. The series ran for 10 episodes, and was aired by CGV from Novemb ...

''. * Portrayed by Bae Soo-bin in the 2008 SBS TV series '' Painter of the Wind''. * Portrayed by Han Myeong-goo in the 2008 film ''

Portrait of a Beauty ''Portrait of a Beauty'' () is a 2008 South Korean film directed by Jeon Yun-su. Adapted from the bestselling novel ''Painter of the Wind'' () by Lee Jung-myung, the film portrays Joseon-era painter Sin Yun-bok (better known by his pen name, Hyew ...

''. * Portrayed by

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in the 2010 KBS2 TV series ''

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''. * Portrayed by Hong Jong-hyun in the 2011 SBS TV series '' Warrior Baek Dong-soo''. * Portrayed by Hyun Bin and Goo Seung-hyun in the 2014 film ''

The Fatal Encounter ''The Fatal Encounter'' (; lit. ''The King's Wrath'') is a 2014 South Korean film based on a real-life assassination attempt on King Jeongjo. Jeongjo is portrayed by Hyun Bin, in his first role in a period drama and first acting project after being ...

''. * Portrayed by

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, Kim Woo-suk, and Kim Dan-yool in the 2014 SBS TV series '' Secret Door''. * Portrayed by Go Woo-rim in the 2015 KBS2 Drama Special ''

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.'' * Portrayed by

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and Lee Hyo-je in the 2015 film '' The Throne''. *Portrayed by Lee Jun-ho and Lee Joo-won in the 2021 MBC TV series ''

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.''

References

External links

*
Official website of Hwaseong Fortress“Introduction.” A Unique Banchado: The Documentary Painting, with Commentary, of King Jeongjo's Royal Procesion to Hwaseong in 1795, by Han Young-woo and Chung Eunsun, Renaissance Books, Folkestone, 2017, pp. 1–6. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1s17p7t.7.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jeongjo Of Joseon 1752 births 1800 deaths 18th-century Korean monarchs People from Seoul Jeonju Yi clan