| Cheoljong of Joseon 철종 哲宗 |
|
|---|---|
| Reign | 1849-1863 (14 Years) |
| Spouse | Kim Mun-geun, Queen Cheonin Park Gwi-in, concubine Jo Gwi-in, concubine Lee Gwi-in, concubine Bang Suk-ui, concubine Beom Suk-ui, concubine Palace Lady Lee, concubine Palace Lady Kim, concubine Palace Lady Park, concubine |
| Issue | |
| a son two daughters Princess Yeonghye, Marquise Park Yeong-hyo |
|
| Father | Jeongye, Prince of the Great Court |
| Mother | Yeom Yongseong |
| Born | 1831 |
| Died | 1863 (aged 31–32) |
| Cheoljong of Joseon | |
|---|---|
| Hangul | 철종 |
| Hanja | 哲宗 |
| Revised Romanization | Cheoljong |
| McCune–Reischauer | Ch'ŏljong |
King Cheoljong (1831 - 1863 r. 1849-1863) was the 25th king of the Korean Joseon Dynasty.
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At the beginning of the 19th century, the Andong Kim clan, who had provided the Joseon state with several queens, had seized power almost everywhere in Korea. The social stagnation that resulted was a breeding ground for unrest. Corruption and embezzlement from the treasury and its inevitable exploitation were taken to extreme levels, and reached staggering proportions. Rebellion after another was accompanied by natural disasters. Indeed it was one of the most gloomy periods in the country’s history.[1]
The only aim of the Andong Kim clan was the preservation of the influence. Their fierce campaign truly to dominate the royal house had led to a situation in which almost all of the representatives of the royal family fled from Seoul. When the royal family produced intelligent and appropriate candidates for the accession, they were either accused of treason and executed or sent into exile, so when Heonjong died, leaving no son, no acceptable candidate could be found to succeed to the throne.[1]
After a long search, the future Cheoljong was found on Ganghwa Island where his family had fled to hide from oppression.
When the envoys (dispatched in order to seek for the future king) arrived on Ganghwa Island, they found the remaining clan of the Yi's barely surviving in wretched poverty.[2] In 1849, at the age of 18, Yi Byeon/Seong[3](the future Cheoljong), the 3rd son of Prince Jeon-gye (great-grandson of King Yeongjo), was proclaimed King, amidst obvious degradation and poverty. Though from the start of the Joseon Dynasty Korean kings had given top priority to the education of their sons, Cheoljong could not even read a single word on the notice delivering congratulations to him on his elevation to the royal throne.[1]
For the Andong Kims, Cheoljong was an excellent choice. His illiteracy made him manipulatable and vulnerable to their control. Proof of it is that even though Cheoljong ruled the country for 13 years, until his very last days he had not yet learned on how to move with dignity or on how to wear royal clothes, so that in even the most luxurious of robes he still looked like a fisherman.[1]
As part of the Andong Kim's manipulation of Cheoljong, in 1851, the clan married Cheoljong to Kim Mun-geun (a member of the clan)'s daughter (known posthumously as Queen Cheonin).[1]
He died at the age of 32 in January 1864 (by suspected foul play by the Andong Kim clan, the same clan that had made him king), without a male heir.
The King's name in Hanja is 李昪. In Korean, it is Yi Byeon. However, in most Chinese materials, his name is often misrecognized as 李昇, which is pronounced as Yi Seong. This is a very serious yet very popular error, as the character 昪 is a very rare word. 昇, however, is a very common one. Therefore, we need to take care when searching.
| Ancestors of Cheoljong of Joseon | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Preceded by Heonjong |
Rulers of Korea (Joseon Dynasty) 1849–1863 |
Succeeded by Gojong |