Jungjong of Joseon

Jungjong of Joseon (16 April 1488 – 29 November 1544, r. 1506–1544), born Yi Yeok or Lee Yeok, ruled during the 16th century in what is now Korea. He succeeded his half-brother, Yeonsangun, because of the latter's tyrannical misrule, which culminated in a coup placing Jungjong on the throne.

Jungjong of Joseon
King of Joseon
Reign1506–1544
PredecessorYeonsangun of Joseon
SuccessorInjong of Joseon
Born16 April 1488
Died29 November 1544 (1544-11-30) (aged 56)
ConsortQueen Dangyeong
Queen Janggyeong
Queen Munjeong
IssueInjong of Joseon
Myeongjong of Joseon
Posthumous name
King Gonghee Hwimun Somu Heumin Seonghyo the Great
공희휘문소무흠인성효대왕
恭僖徽文昭武欽仁誠孝大王
Temple name
Jungjong (중종, 中宗)
HouseJeonju Yi
FatherSeongjong of Joseon
MotherQueen Jeonghyeon
Jungjong of Joseon
Hangul
중종
Hanja
中宗
Revised RomanizationJungjong
McCune–ReischauerChungjong
Birth name
Hangul
이역
Hanja
李懌
Revised RomanizationI Yeok
McCune–ReischauerYi Yŏk

Biography

Jo Gwang-jo's reforms
See also: Jungjong coup

On the day Yeonsangun was deposed, soldiers belonging to the coup leaders surrounded the house of his half-brother Grand Prince Jinseong. He was about to kill himself, thinking that Yeonsangun was finally going to kill him; but, dissuaded by his wife later known as Queen Dangyeong, Grand Prince Jinseong found himself becoming the eleventh king of Joseon Dynasty, or King Jungjong. Jungjong worked hard to wipe out the remnants of the Yeonsangun era by reopening the Seonggyungwan, royal university, and Office of Censors, which criticizes inappropriate actions of the king. However, during the early days of his reign, Jungjong could not exert regal authority freely because those who put him on the throne exercised immense power. When the three main leaders of coup died of old age and natural causes eight years later, Jungjong began to assert his authority and carried out a large-scale reformation of the government with help of Jo Gwang-jo and other Sarim scholars.

Jo Gwang-jo strengthened local autonomy by establishing a self-governing system called Hyang'yak, promoted Confucian writings by translating them into Korean hangul and distributing them widely, pursued a land reform that would distribute land more equally between the rich and poor, and introduced a supplementary system for recruiting talents to the government. He also believed that any talented people, including slaves, should be appointed as officials regardless of social status. As Inspector General, he enforced the laws strictly so that no official dared to receive a bribe or exploit the local populace during this time according to Annals of the Joseon Dynasty.[1]

However, the reforms faced much opposition from conservative nobles who led the coup in 1506 that placed Jungjong in power. After four years of reformist agenda, Jungjong abruptly abandoned Jo Gwang-jo's programs because he either lost confidence in Jo's programs or feared that Jo was becoming too powerful. While Jungjong and Jo Gwang-jo shared the reformist agenda, Jungjong was also chiefly interested in solidifying royal authority whereas the latter was more concerned with neo-Confucian ideology, according to which those who rule must be a virtuous example to the rest. Finally in November 1519, when conservative officials slandered Jo Gwang-jo to be disloyal by writing "Jo will become the king" (주초위왕, 走肖爲王) with honey on leaves so that caterpillars left behind the same phrase as if in supernatural manifestation, Jungjong executed Jo Gwang-jo on charge of factionalism and exiled many of his followers, abruptly abandoning his reforms. This incident is known as the Third Literati Purge of 1519 or Gimyo massacre of scholars.

Rule of in-laws

After Jo Gwang-jo's fall, King Jungjong never had the chance to rule on his own. His reign was marked by tumultuous struggle among various conservative factions, each of them backed by one of the King's queens or concubines. In 1524 the conservative factions collided with each other, one faction deposing the corrupt official Kim Anro. Kim Anro's followers took their revenge in 1527 by intriguing against Consort Park, one of the King's concubines, which led to her execution along with her son Prince Bokseong. Kim Anro came back to power and took revenge on his enemies until he was removed from government and then executed by the new queen's brothers, Yun Wonro and Yun Wonhyeong. However, Yun Im, ally of Kim Anro, was able to keep his nephew as crown prince since the new queen, Queen Munjeong, did not have a son until later. Injong would later be declared the crown prince. His uncle Yun Im competed for power with the Queen Munjeong 's brothers, Yun Won-hyeong and Yun Won-ro. Many officials and scholars gathered around the two centers of power and each group developed into separate political factions. Yun Im's faction became known as ‘Greater Yun’ and the Yun brothers' faction as ‘Lesser Yun’. Their conflict led to the Fourth Literati Purge of 1545 after Jungjong's death.

As the dynasty weakened as a consequence of the continual internal conflict, foreign powers driven away by earlier monarchs returned with much greater effect. Wokou pirates and privateers often plundered southern coastal regions, while the Jurchens attacked the northern frontier numerous times, bleeding the army dry.

Assessment

Jungjong was a good and able administrator especially during the reform period led by Jo Gwang-jo. However, historians judge that he was a fundamentally weak king due to circumstances of his ascension to throne, too easily swayed by both Jo Gwang-jo and conservative ministers who placed him on the throne. Sometimes he was seen as a tragic figure who never wanted to be a king but was forced to become one and depose his loving queen under the pressure of the coup leaders, who killed her father during the coup. More recently, some historians have suggested that Jungjong was not actually manipulated by his ministers and in-laws, but rather used them to get rid of one another to strengthen regal authority albeit not so successfully. In either case, his reign was marred by much confusion, violence, corruption, and court intrigues. He has been especially criticized for allowing the Third Literati Purge of 1519 and executing Jo Gwang-jo and others on framed charges.

In the early days of reform, Jungjong encouraged the publishing of many books; but publications declined dramatically after the literati purge in 1519. He also tried to improve self-government of local areas and succeeded in reforming the civil service examination. In the latter days of his reign, he realized the importance of defense and encouraged military service.

Family
  • Father: King Seongjong of Joseon (20 August 1457 – 20 January 1494) (조선 성종)
  • Mother: Queen Jeonghyeon of the Papyeong Yun clan (21 July 1462 – 13 September 1530) (정현왕후 윤씨)[2]
    • Grandfather: Yun Ho (1424 – 9 April 1496) (윤호)
    • Grandmother: Lady Jeon of the Damyang Jeon clan (담양 전씨)
  • Consorts and their Respective Issue(s):
  1. Queen Dangyeong of the Geochang Shin clan (7 February 1487 – 27 December 1557) (단경왕후 신씨)
  2. Queen Janggyeon of the Papyeong Yun clan (10 August 1491 – 16 March 1515) (장경왕후 윤씨)
    1. Princess Hyohye (13 June 1511 – 6 May 1531) (효혜공주)
    2. Crown Prince Yi Ho (10 March 1515 – 7 August 1545) (왕세자 이호)
  3. Queen Munjeong of the Papyeong Yun clan (2 December 1501 – 5 May 1565) (문정왕후 윤씨)
    1. Princess Uihye (1521–1564) (의혜공주)
    2. Princess Hyosun (1522–1538) (효순공주)
    3. Princess Gyeonghyeon (1530–1584) (경현공주)
    4. Yi Hwan, Grand Prince Gyeongwon (3 July 1534 – 3 August 1567) (이환 경원대군)
    5. Princess Insun (1542–1545) (인순공주)
  4. Royal Noble Consort Gyeong of the Miryang Park clan (1492–1533) (경빈 박씨)[3]
    1. Yi Mi, Prince Bokseong (28 September 1509 – 18 June 1533) (이미 복성군)
    2. Princess Hyesun (12 February 1512–1583) (혜순옹주)
    3. Princess Hyejeong (27 October 1514–1580) (혜정공주)
  5. Royal Noble Consort Hee of the Namyang Hong clan (1494–1581) (희빈 홍씨)[4]
    1. Yi Yeong, Prince Geumwon (9 June 1513 – 7 April 1562) (이영 금원군)
    2. Yi Wan, Prince Bongseong (1528 – September 1547) (이완 봉성군)
  6. Royal Noble Consort Chang of the Ansan Ahn clan (1499–1549) (창빈 안씨)
    1. Yi Geo, Prince Yeongyang (24 April 1521 – 27 July 1561) (이거 영양군)
    2. Princess Jeongsin (5 October 1526 – 16 April 1552) (정신옹주)
    3. Yi Cho, Grand Prince Deokheung (2 April 1530 – 14 June 1559) (이초 덕흥대원군). To become the father (1552) of Seonjo of Joseon.[5]
  7. Royal Consort Gwi-in of the Cheongju Han clan (1500 – March 1571) (귀인 한씨)
    1. Unnamed son
  8. Royal Consort Suk-ui of the Naju Na clan (1489 – 5 October 1514) (숙의 나씨)
  9. Royal Consort Suk-ui of the Kim clan (? – 1562) (숙의 김씨)
    1. Princess Sukjeong (1525–1564) (숙정옹주)
  10. Royal Consort Suk-ui of the Namyang Hong (숙의 홍씨)
    1. Yi Hee, Prince Haean (15 June 1511 – 4 August 1573) (이희 해안군)
  11. Royal Consort Suk-ui of the Gyeongju Lee clan (? – 1524) (숙의 이씨)
    1. Yi Gi, Prince Deokyang (September 1524 – 22 June 1581) (이기 덕양군)
  12. Royal Consort Suk-won of the Lee clan (? – 1520) (숙원 이씨)
    1. Princess Jeongsun (1517–1581) (정순옹주)
    2. Princess Hyojeong (1520 – February 1544) (효정옹주)
  13. Royal Consort Suk-won of the Kim clan (숙원 김씨)

His full posthumous name
  • King Jungjong Gonghee Hwimun Somu Heumin Seonghyo the Great of Korea
  • 중종공희휘문소무흠인성효대왕
  • 中宗恭僖徽文昭武欽仁誠孝大王

Modern depiction
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See also
  • Seolleung and Jeongneung tombs

References
  1. Annals of Joseon Dynasty, October, 1520
  2. More popularly known as "Dowager Queen Jasun" (자순대비)
  3. Biological daughter of Park Soo-rim; adopted daughter of Park Won-jong, one of the minority officials who helped Jungjong rise to the throne.
  4. daughter of Hong Gyeong-ju, one of the minority officials who helped Jungjong rise on the throne.
  5. See Heungseon Daewongun for another example of a Daewongun.
  • 중종 (in Korean). Doosan Encyclopedia.
Jungjong of Joseon
Born: 1488 Died: 1544
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Yeonsangun		 King of Joseon
1506–1544		 Succeeded by
Injong
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