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Sukjong of Joseon

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Sukjong
숙종
肅宗
King of Joseon
Reign22 September 1674 – 12 July 1720
PredecessorHyeonjong
SuccessorGyeongjong
Crown Prince of Joseon dynasty
Reign1667 – 22 September 1674
SuccessorCrown Prince Yi Yun
Born7 October 1661
Hoesangjeon Hall, Gyeonghuigung, Hanseong, Joseon
Died12 July 1720(1720-07-12) (aged 58)
Yungbokjeon Hall, Gyeonghuigung, Hanseong, Joseon
Burial
Myeongneung Mausoleum, Seooneung Cluster, Goyang, South Korea
Spouse(s)
​
​
(m. 1670; died 1680)​
​
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(m. 1681; dep. 1688)​
​
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(m. 1694; died 1701)​
​
(m. 1702)​
Issue
among others...
Names
Yi Sun (이순; 李焞)
Posthumous name
  • Joseon: King Huisun Jangmun Heonmu Gyeongmyeong Wonhyo the Great (희순장문헌무경명원효대왕; 僖順章文憲武敬明元孝大王)
  • Qing dynasty: Huisun (희순; 僖順)
Temple name
Sukjong (숙종; 肅宗)
ClanJeonju Yi
DynastyYi
FatherHyeonjong of Joseon
MotherQueen Myeongseong
ReligionKorean Confucianism (Neo-Confucianism)
Korean name
Hangul
숙종
Hanja
肅宗
Revised RomanizationSukjong
McCune–ReischauerSukchong
Art name
Hangul
양성헌
Hanja
養性軒
Revised RomanizationYangseongheon
McCune–ReischauerYangsŏnghŏn
Birth name
Hangul
이순
Hanja
李焞
Revised RomanizationI Sun
McCune–ReischauerI Sun
Monarchs of Korea
Joseon monarchs
Taejo 1392–1398
Jeongjong 1398–1400
Taejong 1400–1418
Sejong 1418–1450
Munjong 1450–1452
Danjong 1452–1455
Sejo 1455–1468
Yejong 1468–1469
Seongjong 1469–1494
Yeonsangun 1494–1506
Jungjong 1506–1544
Injong 1544–1545
Myeongjong 1545–1567
Seonjo 1567–1608
Gwanghaegun 1608–1623
Injo 1623–1649
Hyojong 1649–1659
Hyeonjong 1659–1674
Sukjong 1674–1720
Gyeongjong 1720–1724
Yeongjo 1724–1776
Jeongjo 1776–1800
Sunjo 1800–1834
Heonjong 1834–1849
Cheoljong 1849–1864
Gojong 1864–1897

Sukjong (Korean: 숙종; Hanja: 肅宗; 7 October 1661 – 12 July 1720), personal name Yi Sun (이순; 李焞), was the 19th monarch of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. A skilled legislator, he caused multiple changes in political power throughout his reign, by switching among the Namin (Southerners), Seoin (Westerners), Soron and Noron political factions.

Biography

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Heavily damaged portrait of Sukjong of Joseon, damaged in a fire.

King Sukjong was born on October 7, 1661, to King Hyeonjong and Queen Myeongseong at Gyeonghuigung. His given name was Yi Sun. He became the Crown Prince Myeongbo in 1667 at age 6, and in 1674, at age 13, 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 the 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 (Korean: 환국; Hanja: 換局), literally change/switching 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.

Factional Fighting

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In the early years of Sukjong's reign, the Southern faction and Western faction clashed over the Royal Funeral Dispute, a seemingly minor issue regarding the mourning period for Queen Insun. The Southern faction claimed that the mourning period should last one year while the 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, the Western faction viewed the royal family as the first of the yangban class rather than a separate class for which different rules applied. The two factions were also in conflict over the issue of fighting the Qing Dynasty, which was considered barbaric country (as opposed to Ming Dynasty) that threatened Joseon's national security. The Southern faction, led by Heo Jeok and Yun Hyu, supported war against Qing while Western factions wanted to focus first on improving domestic conditions.

Sukjong at first sided with the Southern faction, but in 1680, Heo Jeok was accused of treason by Western faction, which led to the execution of Heo Jeok and Yun Hyu and purging of the Southern faction. This incident is called Gyeongsin Hwanguk [ko]. Once in power, the Western faction split into the Noron (Old Learning) faction, led by Song Si-yeol, and the Soron (New Learning) faction, led by Yun Jeung. After nine years in power, the Noron collapsed when Sukjong deposed Queen Min (posthumously called Queen Inhyeon), who was supported by the Western faction, and named Consort Hui of the 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 of Joseon, she was the only person recorded in Annals for her beautiful features.[1] The Western faction angered Sukjong when it opposed the naming of Consort Jang's son as crown prince. The Southern faction, who supported Consort Jang and her son, regained power and drove out Western faction, executing Song Si-yeol in revenge. This is called Gisa Hwanguk (기사환국).

Five years later in 1694, as the Southern faction planned another purge of the Western faction, accusing them of conspiracy to reinstate the deposed Queen, Sukjong began to regret deposing Queen Min and favored Consort Suk of the Choe clan, an ally of the Queen and the Noron faction. Angry with the Southern faction's attempt to purge Westerners, Sukjong abruptly turned around to purge Southerners and brought the Western faction back to power. The Southern faction would never recover from this blow, also called Gapsul Hwanguk (갑술환국). Sukjong demoted Queen Jang to her previous title (Jang Hui-bin) and reinstated Queen Min. Consort Jang was eventually executed by poison for cursing the Queen. The Soron faction supported Crown Prince Yi Yun, Consort Jang's son, while the Noron faction supported Consort Choe's son, Prince Yeoning (Yi Geum), later to become Yeongjo of Joseon. The late Queen Inhyeon and the newly installed Queen Kim (posthumously known as Queen Inwon) were both childless.

In 1718, Sukjong allowed the crown prince, soon to be Gyeongjong of Joseon, to rule as regent. Sukjong died in 1720 supposedly after telling Yi Yi-myoung to name Prince Yeoning as Gyeongjong's heir - in absence of a historiographer or recorder. This would lead to yet another purge in which four Noron leaders were executed in 1721, followed by another purge with the executions of eight Noron members in 1722.

Sukjong's accomplishments include tax reform (大同法), the creation of a new monetary system and currency (Korean mun), and the liberalization of civil service rules promoting the middle class and children of concubines into higher-ranking regional government positions.

In 1712, Sukjong's government worked with the Qing Dynasty in China to define national borders between the two countries at the Yalu and Tumen Rivers.[2] The Japanese government recognized Ulleung Island as Joseon's territory in 1696 (the South Korean government insists that Liancourt Rocks was also recognized,[3] while the Japanese government disagrees).[4]

Sukjong's reign also saw agricultural development in remote provinces and increased cultural activity including publishing. He died after reigning for 46 years in 1720 at age 60. He was buried in Myeongneung (명릉) in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, inside the Five Western Royal Graves (서오릉, 西五陵; Seooneung).

Family

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Consort(s) and their respective issue

Ancestry

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "The History of Korean Beauty Part 3: Joseon Dynasty". Asia Society. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  2. ^ Kim, Seonmin (June 2007). "Ginseng and Border Trespassing Between Qing China and Chosǒn Korea". Johns Hopkins University Press. 28 (1). Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  3. ^ Q&A on Dokdo(Q05), Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Republic of Korea
  4. ^ Historically, Takeshima belongs to Japan Archived 2014-05-05 at the Wayback Machine, Shimane Prefectural Government
  5. ^ "Lady Jang (Janghuibin) (1961)". Korean Movie Database. Retrieved 26 January 2013.
  6. ^ "Femme Fatale, Jang Hee-bin (Yohwa, Jang Hee-bin) (1968)". Korean Movie Database. Retrieved 26 January 2013.
  7. ^ a b c '죽지 않는' 장희빈 벌써 9명, 김태희가 뒤 이을까. OhmyNews (in Korean). 22 September 2012. Retrieved 26 January 2013.
  8. ^ Kim, Jessica (9 June 2010). "Interview: Dong Yi director says Ji Jin-hee "mischievous"". 10Asia. Retrieved 26 January 2013.
  9. ^ Do, Je-hae (17 June 2013). "New face of Korean drama". The Korea Times. Retrieved 12 November 2014.

Further reading

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  • Kim, Jinwung. A History of Korea: From "Land of the Morning Calm" to States in Conflict (2002)
  • Liu, Lihong. "Ethnography and Empire through an Envoy's Eye: The Manchu Official Akedun's (1685–1756) Diplomatic Journeys to Chosǒn Korea." Journal of early modern history 20.1 (2016): 111–139.
Sukjong of Joseon
Born: 7 October 1661 Died: 12 July 1720
Regnal titles
Preceded by King of Joseon
1674–1720
with Gyeongjong (1718–1720) 		Succeeded by
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