| King Sukjong | |
|---|---|
| King of Joseon | |
| Reign | 1674- 1720 |
| Predecessor | King Hyeonjong |
| Successor | King Gyeongjo |
| Spouse | Queen Ingyeong Queen Inhyeon Queen Inwon Queen Bu Ok of Jiang Clan Royal Noble Consort Suk, concubine Royal Noble Consort Myeong Royal Noble Consort Yeong, concubine Kim Gwi-in, concubine Yu So-ui, concubine Choi So-ui, concubine |
| Issue | |
| King Gyeongjong of Joseon Prince Seongsu Prince Yeongsu King Yeongjo of Joseon unnamed son Prince Yeonryeong unknown son unnamed daughter unnamed daughter |
|
| House | House of Yi |
| Father | King Hyeonjong of Joseon |
| Mother | Queen Myeongsong of the Cheongpung Kim clan |
| Born | 15 August 1661 Changdeok Palace, Korea |
| Died | 1720 Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, Korea |
| Burial | Myeongreung, Goyang |
| Sukjong of Joseon | |
|---|---|
| Hangul | 숙종 |
| Hanja | 肅宗 |
| Revised Romanization | Sukjong |
| McCune–Reischauer | Sukchong |
| Birth name | |
| Hangul | 이순 |
| Hanja | 李焞 |
| Revised Romanization | I Sun |
| McCune–Reischauer | I Sun |
Sukjong (15 August 1661–1720) was the 19th king of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea from 1674 to 1720.
Contents |
King Sukjong was born on 15 August 1661 to King Hyeonjong and Queen Myeongseong at Changdeok Palace. His given name was Yi Sun. He became the Crown Prince in 1667 at age 6, and in 1674, at age 14, he became the 19th ruler of the Joseon Dynasty.
King Sukjong was a brilliant politician, but his reign was marked by some of the most intense factional fights in Joseon dynasty. Sukjong frequently replaced faction in power with another one to strengthen the royal authority. With each change of government, which was called hwanguk (환국 換局), literally turn of the state, the losing faction was completely driven out of politics with executions and exiles. Nevertheless, the chaotic changes of government did not affect the general populace significantly, and his reign is considered one of more prosperous times.
In the early years of Sukjong's reign, the Southern faction and Western faction clashed over Royal Funeral Dispute, a seemingly minor issue regarding mourning period for Queen Insun. The Southern faction claimed that mourning period should last one year while Western faction argued for a nine-month mourning period. A one-year mourning period meant that Hyojong of Joseon was considered the eldest son while 9-month period would suggest that Hyojong was considered not the eldest son, following the rules that governed the yangban class. In other words, Western faction viewed the royal family as the first of yangban class rather than a separate class for which different rules applied. The two factions were also in conflict over issue of fighting Qing Dynasty, which was considered barbarian country (as opposed to Ming Dynasty) that threatened Joseon's national security. Southern faction, led by Huh Jeok and Yoon Hyu, supported war against Qing while Western faction wanted to focus first on improving domestic conditions.
Sukjong at first sided with the Souther faction, but in 1680, Huh Jeok was accused of treason by Western faction, which led to execution of Huh Jeok and Yoon Hyu and purge of Southern faction. This incident is called Kyungshin hwanguk (경신환국). Now in power, Western faction split into Noron (Old Learning) faction, led by Song Siyeol, and Soron (New Learning) faction, led by Yoon Jeung. After nine years in power, Noron collapsed when Sukjong deposed Queen Inhyeon, who was supported by Western faction, and named Consort Hui of Jang clan (also called Consort Jang or Jang Hui-bin) as the new queen. She is widely thought to be one of the most beautiful women in Joseon Dynasty, and her beauty was mentioned in the Annals. Western faction angered Sukjong when it opposed the naming of Consort Jang's son as crown prince. Southern faction, who supported Consort Jang and her son, regained power and drove out Western faction, executing Song Siyeol in revenge. This is called Gisa hwangguk (기사환국).
Five years later in 1694, Southern faction was planning another purge of Western faction, accusing them of conspiracy to reinstate deposed Queen Inhyeon, when Sukjong began to regret deposing Queen Inhyeon and favor Consort Suk of Choi clan (Consort Choi), an ally of Queen Inhyeon and Noron faction. Angry with Southern faction's attempt to purge Westerners, Sukjong abruptly turned around to purge Southerners and brought the Western faction back in power. The Southern faction would never recover from this blow, also called Gapsul hwanguk (갑술환국). Sukjong demoted Queen Jang to Consort Jang and reinstated Queen Inhyeon. Consort Jang was eventually executed (with poison) for cursing Queen Inhyeon after the latter died. Soron faction supported the crown prince, Consort Jang's son, while Noron faction supported Consort Choi's son, Yeonying-gun (later to become Yeongjo of Joseon). Late Queen Inhyeon and newly installed Queen Inwon were childless.
In 1718, Sukjong let the crown prince, soon to be Gyeongjong of Joseon, rule the country as a regent. He died in 1720 supposedly after telling Yi Yi-myoung to name Yeonying-gun as Kyungjong's heir, but in absence of histriographer or recorder. This will would lead to yet another purge which led to execution of four Noron leaders in 1721, followed by another purge with executions of eight Noron people in 1722.
Sukjong reformed tax system and allowed the middle class and children of concubines to advance to higher government positions in provinces. In 1712, Sukjong's government worked with the Qing Dynasty in China to define the national borders between the two countries at the Yalu and Tumen Rivers. The Japanese government recognized Ulleung Island and Liancourt Rocks as Joseon's territory in 1696.
Sukjong's reign also saw agricultural development of far provinces and increased cultural activities including publications. He died after 46 years of reign in 1720 at age 60. He was buried in Myeongreung (명릉) in Gyeonggi province, Goyang City inside Western Five Royal Graves (西五陵 서오릉 seooreung).
Very little is known about her. She was the daughter of Park Hyo-geon (Hangul: 박효건, Hanja: 朴孝建), a yangban of the Milyang Park clan (Hangul: 밀양 박씨, Hanja: 密陽 朴氏), and entered the royal court as a gungnyeo. In 1698, on the fourth day of the eleventh month of the twenty-fourth year of the reign of King Sukjong, she was made a royal concubine with the rank of Suk-won. In 1699, on the twenty-third day of the tenth month in the twenty-fifth year of King Sukjong's reign, she was elevated to the rank of Suk-ui after giving birth to a son (Prince Yeonryeong), and in 1702, on the eighteenth day of the tenth month in the twenty-eighth year of King Sukjong's reign, she was elevated to the rank of Myeong-bin. She died in 1703, on the fifteenth day of the seventh month in the twenty-ninth year of King Sukjong's reign.
| Ancestors of Sukjong of Joseon | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Preceded by Hyeonjong |
Rulers of Korea (Joseon Dynasty) 1674–1720 |
Succeeded by Gyeongjong |