Naemyŏngbu (), was a category of rank in the royal court of

Joseon Joseon ( ; ; also romanized as ''Chosun''), officially Great Joseon (), was a dynastic kingdom of Korea that existed for 505 years. It was founded by Taejo of Joseon in July 1392 and replaced by the Korean Empire in October 1897. The kingdom w ...

that referred to concubines and female officials living within the palaces. It was separate from the ''Oemyŏngbu'' () category, which consisted of royal women living outside the palace.

Definition

Although regulations concerning court ladies were introduced under King Taejo, detailed definitions of ranks, titles, and duties were outlined in the State Code of Joseon, promulgated under King Seongjong, where the term ''naemyŏngbu'' appears. ''Naemyŏngbu'' comprised women serving at court and living in the palaces, but excluded the Queen Consort and the Queens Dowager who were beyond rank and oversaw the court ladies. By contrast, '' kungnyŏ'' refers to all women at court below the senior 1st rank. Within the ''Naemyŏngbu'', the ''naegwan'' () were

concubines Concubinage is an interpersonal and sexual relationship between two people in which the couple does not want to, or cannot, enter into a full marriage. Concubinage and marriage are often regarded as similar, but mutually exclusive. During the e ...

from the senior 1st rank to junior 4th rank, and they did not play any role in the household chores of the palace. Ladies from the senior 5th rank to junior 9th rank were called ''kunggwan'' (), or alternatively ''yŏgwan'' () and ''nain'' (). They were responsible for various palace chores depending on their position and might work in the royal chambers, kitchen, or laundry.

Recruitment

''Naegwan''

Queens and Crown Princesses

The legal spouse of a King or Crown Prince during the

period was selected through a specific procedure that differed from matchmaking practices common outside the royal family. The government issued a ban on marriages in noble households throughout the country, indicating that unmarried daughters of the aristocracy between the ages of 13 and 17 were potential candidates. Depending on the age of the crown prince, girls as young as 9 were sometimes considered, which occurred in the selections of

Lady Hyegyeong ''Lady'' is a term for a woman who behaves in a polite way. Once used to describe only women of a high social class or status, the female counterpart of lord, now it may refer to any adult woman, as gentleman can be used for men. "Lady" is al ...

and

Queen Sinjeong Queen Sinjeong (; 9 January 1809 – 23 May 1890), of the Pungyang Jo clan, was the only wife of Crown Prince Hyomyeong and mother of Heonjong of Joseon. She was never formally a Queen but was known as Queen Dowager Jo () during the reign of her ...

. A temporary department called the Office of the Royal Wedding () was installed to manage all relevant tasks. On announcement of the marriage ban, aristocratic families were required to submit details of their unmarried daughters' birth dates and times, as well as the family's genealogical records up to three generations. Candidates were required to be beautiful in appearance and virtuous in character. Those who were not considered physically attractive were disqualified, regardless of their family lineage or virtue. Five to six candidates were selected based on this, which was whittled down to two or three candidates in the second stage, with the bride-to-be selected in the third round. This third presentation was conducted in the presence of the King and Queen Dowager, who consulted the three state councillors before making the final decision. After selection, gifts of silk and jewellery were sent to the bride's family, and the bride moved to a detached palace where she was instructed in palace etiquette. The wife of a King was then formally invested as Queen, after which she moved into the palace to undergo a consummation ceremony. The next day, she was greeted by all palace staff, after which she went to greet the Queen Dowager(s). An invested Queen of Joseon would then receive formal recognition from the

Emperor of China Throughout Chinese history, "Emperor" () was the superlative title held by the monarchs of imperial China's various dynasties. In traditional Chinese political theory, the emperor was the " Son of Heaven", an autocrat with the divine mandat ...

acknowledging her legitimacy. Despite the benefits of one's daughter being selected as the primary wife of the King or Crown Prince, aristocratic families were often reticent to marry their daughters into the royal family and quickly arranged marriages for their young daughters when a selection was anticipated. One lady of the Gwon clan even feigned insanity during the presentation to avoid being chosen as Crown Princess.

The Royal Queenship

In the Joseon Dynasty, the rank between Queens was determined by the position of the reigning King and was divided into three distinct positions i.e The Royal Grand Queen Dowager (Taewangtaebi Mama) was either the reigning King's Grandmother or on the other hand, the Eldest Dowager of two Widow Queens present in the Palace. The Royal Queen Dowager (Wangtaebi Mama) was either the King's mother in most cases or the Immediate Royal Widow of the previous King The Queen Consort (Wangbi Mama or Jungjeon) was the incumbent Principal Consort of the Reigning King by official amendment. Each of these positions could only be occupied by one individual with the exception of one time in which the Queens Insu and Inhye both served as Royal Queens Dowager during the reign of King Seongjong(r. 1469–1494) and as Grand Queens Dowager during the reign of King Yeonsan(r. 1494–1506) which was the first and last time it happened in the Joseon Dynasty and Queen Insu apparently outranked Inhye, her counterpart even though her Husband never reigned as King. As such with the absence of a Queen in the Naemyŏngbu, the most senior Dowager Present who was also considered the most able served as a nominal head of the institution and oversaw all the Court Ladies and Palace servants until a Queen was chosen or returned to the Palace. However, even if the Queen headed the harem and the Inner Court, the presence of the elderly widows implied that as they could not be subject to the Queen because of their Senior rank. Instead they supervised her activities and ensured that she was governing the ladies of the Palace efficiently. In fact, it was chiefly the influence of the Dowager Queen that challenged a Queen Consort's hegemony as they were able to have the latter Deposed if her behaviour was deemed inappropriate or even elevated to the position of a Dowager Queen or the Queen Consortship, however, she could not appoint a Dowager Queen or Depose her.

Royal concubines

If the Queen Consort did not produce a male heir, similar formal procedures as those used to select the Queen were followed to recruit royal concubines. Women thus selected entered the palace with the junior 2nd rank at the minimum, and they would be granted a special title if they had a son who became

Crown Prince A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title, crown princess, is held by a woman who is heir apparent or is married to the heir apparent. ''Crown prince ...

. Royal concubines were sometimes selected from women up to the age of 20.

''Kunggwan''

Court ladies of the senior 5th to junior 9th ranks were recruited through various processes depending on the role. They were originally selected from among female servants who worked for public offices or the daughters of

gisaeng ''Kisaeng'' (), also called ''ginyeo'' (), were enslaved women from outcast or enslaved families who were trained to be courtesans, providing artistic entertainment and conversation to men of upper class. First emerging in Goryeo dynasty. were ...

, but gradually daughters of respectable families came to be recruited. To avoid their daughters being taken into the palace, many such families married off their daughters very young, leading to a revision to the

State Code Several sets of codes and abbreviations are used to represent the political divisions of the United States for postal addresses, data processing, general abbreviations, and other purposes. Table This table includes abbreviations for three inde ...

that girls born to good families would not be recruited. However,

Lee Bae-yong Lee Bae-Yong (born January 1, 1947) was the 13th president of Ewha Womans University, in central Seoul, South Korea. In 1969, Lee graduated from Ewha Womans University Department of History, and in 1971, received her master's degree in history fro ...

suggests that this rule probably only applied to court ladies of the lower ranks, whereas those working closely with the King or Queen potentially continued to be recruited from good families. Girls were recruited between ages 4 to 10, and successful candidates were bound to live their entire lives in the palace. The young girls were trained in their duties and taught to write in Korean vernacular script, as well as some

Chinese characters Chinese characters are logographs used Written Chinese, to write the Chinese languages and others from regions historically influenced by Chinese culture. Of the four independently invented writing systems accepted by scholars, they represe ...

. They began formally working around ages 11 to 12, with a coming-of-age ceremony held when they turned 18. A woman only became eligible to hold the rank of ''sanggung'' (senior 5th) after 35 years of service. Both the head ''sanggung'' as well as the ''sanggung'' who personally attended the King or Queen could hold tremendous influence and power, but they typically lost it if a new monarch or consort was installed.

Ranks

At the Top was the Royal Grand Queen Dowager ("taewangtaebi") or in some instances a Royal Queen Dowager ("wangtaebi") The Queen Consort (''jungjeon''; 중전) came second or third in rank depending on the type of Dowager that was present and was immediately followed by 4 categories of high-ranked royal consorts, with 2 levels each: senior (''jeong'', 정) and junior (''jong'', 종). For the rank of ''Bin'', the King or Queen would attach a prefix in association with the character/personality of the Royal Consort, such as ''Huibin'' (''Hui'' = Radiant), ''Sukbin'' (''Suk'' = Clarity/Purity), ''Uibin'' (''Ui'' = Appropriate/Fitting), and so forth. However, they are all equal as they hold the same "''Bin''" rank. Senior 5th ''sanggung'' () and ''sangui'' () were the court ladies who served directly under the royal family members, or the head manager of their assigned department. Depending on their role and department, there would be internal ranking within the ''sanggung''. For example, a ''sanggung'' who served the Queen has higher authority and ranking than a ''sanggung'' who serves a prince, princess, and/or concubine. A court lady could also become a ''sanggung'' if the King showed favor. They would be called "favored ''sanggung''" or "special court lady" ("''seungeun sanggung''") and would be considered the highest rank of the senior 5th. However, since they are still in the 5th rank, a favored ''sanggung'' would not be considered a member of the Royal Family or part of the ''naegwan''. On some occasions a favored ''sanggung'' was promoted to the rank of ''Sugwon''. Officially admitted royal consorts would start from the rank of ''Sugui''. Non-officially admitted royal consorts would start from the rank of ''Sugwon''. The most notable case is Royal Noble Consort Hui of the Indong Jang clan.

Notable ''Naemyŏngbu''

Queens

The

Cheongju Han clan The Cheongju Han clan () is a Korean clan well known for their many female members including six queens. The Cheongju Han clan was one of the most prominent clans during the Goryeo period and Joseon period, currently, the Cheongju Han is kno ...

produced 16 Queens, the largest number in Korean history. Queen Sohye, wife of

Crown Prince Uigyeong Crown Prince Uigyeong (; 12 October 1438 – 29 September 1457), personal name Yi Jang () and formerly called as Prince Dowon () was a Crown prince of the Korean Joseon Dynasty. He was the oldest son of Sejo of Joseon and Queen Jeonghui, also th ...

, and a member of the clan, wrote '' Naehun'', a

Confucian Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China, and is variously described as a tradition, philosophy, religion, theory of government, or way of life. Founded by Confucius ...

morality guidebook for women. *

Queen Wongyeong Queen Wongyeong (; 6 August 1365 – 27 August 1420) of the Yeoheung Min clan, was the primary wife of King Taejong of Joseon, and the mother of Sejong the Great. She was queen consort of Joseon from 1400, and was honored as Consort Jeong () un ...

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 progenitor of the Yeoheung Min clan was long thought to be Min C ...

(1365–1420) — wife of King Taejong *

Queen Soheon Queen Soheon (; 20 October 1395 – 28 April 1446), of the Cheongsong Sim clan, was a posthumous name bestowed to the wife and queen consort of Sejong the Great, Yi Do (King Sejong) and the mother of Munjong of Joseon, Yi Hyang (King Munjong) and ...

of the Cheongsong Shim clan (1395–1446) — wife of

King Sejong Sejong (; 15 May 1397 – 8 April 1450), commonly known as Sejong the Great (), was the fourth monarch of the Joseon, Joseon dynasty of Korea. He is regarded as the greatest ruler in Korean history, and is remembered as the inventor of Hangu ...

Queen Jeonghui Queen Jeonghui (; 8 December 1418 – 6 May 1483), of the Papyeong Yun clan, was a posthumous name bestowed on the wife and queen of Yi Yu, King Sejo. She was Queen of Joseon from 1455 until her husband's death in 1468, after which she was hono ...

of the Papyeong Yun clan (1418–1483) — wife of

King Sejo Sejo (; 7 November 1417 – 23 September 1468), personal name Yi Yu (), sometimes known as Grand Prince Suyang (), was the seventh monarch of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. He was the second son of Sejong the Great and the uncle of King Danj ...

* Queen Sohye of the

(1437–1504) — popularly known as Queen Insu; wife of

Deposed Queen Yun Deposed Queen Yun of the Haman Yun clan (15 July 1455 – 29 August 1482) was the second wife of Yi Hyeol, King Seongjong and the mother of Yi Yung, Prince Yeonsan. She was Queen of Joseon from 1476 until her deposition in 1479. She was an 1 ...

of the Haman Yun clan (1445–1482) — the most infamous queen in Joseon's history; second wife of King Seongjong and mother of Prince Yeonsan *

Queen Munjeong Queen Munjeong (; 12 December 1501 – 15 May 1565), of the Papyeong Yun clan, was a posthumous name bestowed to the third wife and queen consort of Jungjong of Joseon, Yi Yeok, King Jungjong. She was queen consort of Joseon from 1517 until he ...

of the Papyeong Yun clan (1501–1565) — third wife of King Jungjong *

Queen Inhyeon Queen Inhyeon (; 23 April 1667 – 14 August 1701), of the Yeoheung Min clan, was the second wife of King Sukjong, the 19th Joseon monarch. She was queen of Joseon from 1681 until her deposition in 1688, and from her reinstatement in 1694 ...

of the

(1667–1701) — one of the best known consorts in Korean history; second wife of King Sukjong * Queen Inwon of the Gyeongju Kim clan (1687–1757) — fourth wife of King Sukjong *

Queen Jeongseong Queen Jeongseong (; 2 January 1693 – 23 March 1757), of the Daegu Seo clan, was the first wife of King Yeongjo of Joseon and the adoptive mother of Crown Prince Sado. Biography It's said the queen was born on 12 January 1693 in Gahoebang () ...

of the Daegu Seo clan (1692–1757) — first wife of

King Yeongjo Yeongjo (; 31 October 1694 – 22 April 1776), personal name Yi Geum (), 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 of the Haeju Choe clan. Before asc ...

Queen Jeongsun Queen Jeongsun (; 2 December 1745 – 11 February 1805), of the Gyeongju Kim clan, was a posthumous name bestowed to the wife and second queen consort of Yi Geum, King Yeongjo, the 21st Joseon monarch. She was queen consort of Joseon from 1759 ...

of the Gyeongju Kim clan (1745–1805) — second wife of

Queen Sunwon Queen Sunwon (; 8 June 1789 – 21 September 1857), of the Andong Kim clan was the queen consort and wife of Sunjo of Joseon. She was known as Queen Dowager Myeonggyeong () after her husband's death in 1834. She served as regent between 1834 and ...

of the (new) Andong Kim clan (1789–1857) — wife of King Sunjo *

of the

Pungyang Jo clan The Pungyang Cho clan () is a Korean clan that traces its origin to Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province. According to the 2015 Korean census, the clan has 124,262 members. Origin Cho Maeng (), who was originally known by the name of Pa-u (), was born ...

(1809–1890) — wife of

Crown Prince Hyomyeong Crown Prince Hyomyeong (18 September 1809 – 25 June 1830), personal name 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 Sin ...

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 () after the death of her husband and during King Gojong's reign. Whe ...

of the (new) Andong Kim clan (1837–1878) — wife of King Cheoljong *

Empress Myeongseong Empress Myeongseong (; 17 November 1851 – 8 October 1895) was the official wife of Gojong, the 26th king of Joseon and the first emperor of the Korean Empire. During her lifetime, she was known by the name Queen Min (). After the founding o ...

of the

(1851–1895) — one of the best known consorts in Korean history, wife of

Emperor Gojong Gojong (; 8 September 1852 – 21 January 1919), personal name Yi Myeongbok (), later Yi Hui (), also known as the Gwangmu Emperor (), was the penultimate List of monarchs of Korea, Korean monarch. He ruled Korea for 43 years, from 1864 to 19 ...

Empress Sunjeong 36-year-old Empress Sunjeonghyo in 1930 Empress Sunjeonghyo (; 7 September 1894 – 3 February 1966), was the second wife of Sunjong of Korea, and was also the only Empress consort of Korea. Biography Early life Sunjeonghyo was born Yun J ...

of the Haepyeong Yun clan (1894–1966) — second wife of

Emperor Sunjong Sunjong (; 25 March 1874 – 24 April 1926), personal name Yi Cheok (), also known as the Yunghui Emperor (), was the last Korean monarch. He ruled from 1907 to 1910 as the second and last emperor of the Korean Empire. Sunjong was elevated to ...

Crown Princesses

* Crown Princess Hwi of the (old) Andong Kim clan — first wife of King Munjong * Crown Princess Sun of the Haeum Bong clan (1414 – ?) — second wife of King Munjong * Crown Princess Gwon of the Andong Gwon clan (1418–1441) — posthumously Queen Hyeondeok; third wife of King Munjong * Crown Princess Han of the

(1445–1662) — posthumously Queen Jangsun; first wife of King Yejong * Consort Yang-je of the Changwon Hwang clan — selected wife of Crown Prince Sunhoe * Crown Princess Gonghoe of the

Musong Yun clan The Musong Yun clan () is a Korean clan belonging to the greater Yoon (Korean surname), Yoon surname. The clan's historic Bon-gwan was in Kyonghung County, North Hamgyong Province. According to research conducted in 2015, the number of Musong Yun ...

(1553–1592) — wife of Crown Prince Sunhoe * Deposed Crown Princess Park of the Miryang Park clan (1598–1623) — wife of

Deposed Crown Prince Yi Ji Yi Ji (; 31 December 1598 – 22 July 1623), or firstly named Yi Su () and sometimes spelled as Yi Jil (), was a Korean Crown Prince as the second son (formally as first son) of Gwanghaegun of Joseon and Deposed Queen Yu of the Munhwa Yu clan. ...

* Crown Princess Minhoe of the Geumcheon Gang clan (1611–1646) — wife of

Crown Prince Sohyeon Crown Prince Sohyeon (, 5 February 1612 – 21 May 1645) was the first son of King Injo of Joseon Dynasty. Sohyeon was a hostage in the Manchu court at Shenyang, by the terms of the peace treaty concluded after War in 1636. He moved to Be ...

* Crown Princess Shim of the Cheongsong Shim clan (1686–1718) — posthumously Queen Danui; first wife of King Gyeongjong * Crown Princess Hyeon of the

(1716–1751) — posthunously Queen Hyosun; wife of

Crown Prince Hyojang Crown Prince Hyojang (; April 4, 1719 – December 16, 1728), personal name Yi Haeng (), was the first son of Yeongjo of Joseon, King Yeongjo of Joseon and his concubine, Royal Noble Consort Jeongbin Yi, Royal Noble Consort Jeong of the Hamyang Y ...

* Crown Princess Hye of the Pungsan Hong clan (1735–1816) — popularly known as Lady Hyegyeong, posthumously Queen Heongyeong; wife of

Crown Prince Sado Crown Prince Sado (; 13 February 1735 – 12 July 1762), personal name Yi Seon (), was the second son of King Yeongjo of Joseon. His biological mother was Royal Noble Consort Yeong of the Jeonui Yi clan. Due to the prior death of Sado's ...

Notable consorts

* Royal Noble Consort Hui of the Indong Jang clan (1659–1701) — a key figure in the factional struggles during King Sukjong's reign, executed by poisoning for plotting the murder of

* Royal Noble Consort Suk of the Haeju Choe clan (1670–1718) — supporter of

during her deposition and mother of

Royal Noble Consort Yeong Royal Noble Consort Yeong of the Jeonui Yi clan (; 15 August 1696 – 23 August 1764), alternatively known as Lady Seonhui (), was a concubine of King Yeongjo of Joseon and the mother of Crown Prince Sado. She is most well known for advising Ye ...

of the Jeonui Yi clan (1696–1764) — mother of the infamous

* Royal Noble Consort Ui of the Changnyeong Seong clan (1753–1786) — the only woman

King Jeongjo Jeongjo (; 28 October 1752 – 18 August 1800), personal name Yi San (), sometimes called Jeongjo the Great (), was the 22nd monarch of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. He was the second son of Crown Prince Sado and Lady Hyegyŏng, and succeeded ...

loved among his consorts

Notes

References

* * * {{authority control Royal consorts of Joseon Korean ladies-in-waiting Royal consorts of Korea Royal titles Women's social titles Gendered occupations Obsolete occupations History of women in South Korea

Definition

Recruitment

''Naegwan''

Queens and Crown Princesses

The Royal Queenship

Royal concubines

''Kunggwan''

Ranks

Notable ''Naemyŏngbu''

Queens

Crown Princesses

Notable consorts

See also

Notes

References