Empress Sunjeong

Empress Sunjeong (19 September 1894 – 3 February 1966) was the consort of Emperor Yunghui, the last emperor of the Joseon Dynasty and Korea.

Empress Sunjeong
Empress consort of Korea
Tenure20 July 1907 – 29 August 1910
PredecessorEmpress Myeongseong
Empress consort of Korea
Pretender29 August 1910 – 24 April 1926
SuccessorCrown Princess Euimin
Born(1894-09-19)19 September 1894
Hanyang (Seoul), Joseon Dynasty (now South Korea)
Died3 February 1966(1966-02-03) (aged 71)
Nakseon Hall, Changdeok Palace, Seoul
Burial
Yureung
SpouseSunjong of Korea
Posthumous name
헌의자인순정효황후 獻懿慈仁純貞孝皇后
HouseHaepyeong Yun
FatherYun Taek-yeong
MotherLady Kyeong-heung of the Gigye Yu clan
ReligionBuddhism
Empress Sunjeong
Hangul
순정효황후
Hanja
純貞孝皇后
Revised RomanizationSunjeong Hyo Hwang-hu
McCune–ReischauerSunjŏng Hyo Hwang-hu
Empress Sunjeong-hyo in 1930.

Biography

Early life

Empress Sunjeong was born Lady Yun of Haepyeong, or Yun Jeong-sun, in Seoul and her father was Marquis Yun Taek-yeong, the Lord of Haepyeong. Yun Bo-seon, 2nd president of the Republic of Korea, was her ninth cousin three times removed.

Empress Sunjeong married Crown Prince Cheok after his first wife (known posthumously as Empress Sunmyeong) died. On 20 July 1907, she became Empress of Korea when her husband ascended the throne after the forced abdication of his father, Emperor Gwangmu. The Empress was demoted by the Japanese government by the Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty of 1910 and thereafter officially known as Her Majesty Queen Yi of Korea (this title, however, was ignored in Korea).

Empress Sunjeong became a widow 24 April 1926, when Emperor Yunghui died without issue at the Changdeok Palace in Seoul. Emperor Yunghui had been rendered infertile (and was also said to be mentally disabled) by poisoning in the Coffee Poisoning Plot.

Korean War

During the Korean War, Empress Sunjeong stayed in Changdeok Palace as long as she could in the face of advancing forces from North Korea. During the war, the soldiers of North Korea invaded the palace but she reproved them and drove them all out. She then escaped secretly to the Unhyeon Palace when the war situation became too serious. As the war progressed she moved to Busan with other Imperial family members, including Princess Hui (wife of Prince Wanheung). According to The World is One, Princess Yi Bangja's autobiography, Empress Sunjeong went to Busan on foot.

After the Korean War
Queen Yun Returning to the Palace.

After the war, the new government of President Rhee Syng-man, jealous of the popularity of the Imperial House, prevented Empress Sunjeong from entering the Changdeok Palace. She was kept imprisoned in Suin Hall, a narrow and unsuitable cottage in Jeongneung, Seoul. After a change in government in 1961 she returned to Nakseon Hall, Changdeok Palace with her dutiful ladies-in-waiting Park Chang-bok (d.1981), Kim Myung-gil (d.1983) and Sung Ok-yeom (d.2001), and five other staff.

Empress Sunjeong became a Buddhist in her later years. She died childless on 3 February 1966, aged 72, at Nakseon Hall, Changdeok Palace, Seoul from a heart attack. She was given a state funeral and a private Buddhist funeral. She is buried beside her husband, Emperor Yunghui at the Yureung.

She is known posthumously as Empress Sunjeong of Korea (officially, (純貞孝皇后; 순정효황후; Sunjeonghyo Hwanghu; Empress Sunjeong-hyo).

Family
  • Father
    • Yun Taek-yeong (윤택영, 尹澤榮) (1876 - 24 October 1935)
  • Mother
    • Lady Kyeong-heung of the Gigye Yu clan (경흥부부인 기계 유씨, 慶興府夫人 杞溪 兪氏) (1866 - 1936)
  • Brothers
    • Older brother: Yun Hong-seop (윤홍섭, 尹弘燮)
      • Sister-in-law: Han Yoo-sang (한유상)
      • Sister-in-law: Lee Yong-suk (이용숙)
    • Younger brother: Yun Eui-seop (윤의섭, 尹毅燮) (8 March 1914 - 25 February 1966); succeeded his father in becoming Marquis
      • Sister-in-law: Kim Hyeon-jeong (김현정) (1917 - 1957)
  • Sister
    • Younger sister: Yun Hui-seop (윤희섭, 尹喜燮) (6 November 1905 - ?)
      • Brother-in-law: Yu Eok-gyeom (유억겸, 兪億兼) (23 October 1895 - 8 November 1947) (본관: 기계 유씨, 杞溪 兪氏)
  • Husband
    • Emperor Sunjong (25 March 1874 – 24 April 1926)
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See also

References
    Regnal titles
    Preceded by
    Empress Sunmyeong    		 Empress consort of Korea
    20 July 1907 – 29 August 1910    		 Title dissolved
    Korea annexed by Japan
    Titles in pretence
    Loss of title
    Dynasty deposed
    		 — TITULAR —
    Empress consort of Korea
    29 August 1910 – 24 April 1926    		 Succeeded by
    Ri Masako
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