Cheoljong of Joseon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cheoljong of Joseon朝鮮哲宗 조선 철종 |
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Portrait of King Cheoljong (Treasure #1492)
Painted in 1861, this is the only surviving royal portrait depicting King Cheoljong's physical appearance, as well as Joseon Era royal military attire; partly damaged during the Second Fire of Yongdusan, Busan during the early hours of 26 December 1954 |
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| King of Joseon | |
| Reign | 1849–1864 |
| Predecessor | Heonjong of Joseon |
| Successor | Gojong of Joseon |
| Born | 25 July 1831 Hyanggyo-dong Neighborhood, Gyeonghaeng-bang District, Hanseong, Kingdom of Joseon |
| Died | 16 January 1864 (aged 32) Daejojeon Hall, Changdeokgung Palace, Kingdom of Joseon |
| Burial | Yereung Royal Tomb, Seosamneung Cluster, Goyang, Gyeonggi Province |
| Spouse | Queen Cheorin |
| Issue | Yi Yung-jun Princess Yeonghye 4 unnamed sons and 5 unnamed daughters |
| Father | Grand Internal Prince Jeongye |
| Mother | Grand Internal Princess Consort Yongseong |
Cheoljong of Joseon (25 July 1831 – 16 January 1864) was the 25th king of the Joseon Dynasty. He was a second cousin once removed to the heirless Heonjong of Joseon, as well as a great-great-grandson of Yeongjo of Joseon. He ascended the throne at the age of 19.
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Biography
Early life
Born on Ganghwa Island, he was the 3rd and youngest son of Yi Gwang, Prince Jeongye (who died on December 14, 1841), and his 1st concubine, Lady Yeom of the Yongdam Yeom clan. His name was originally Yi Won-beom (이원범), but was changed to Yi Byeon (이변) (or Yi Seong) upon ascending the throne.
In 1841, during the reign of Heonjong, members of the Noron faction (Min Jin-yong, Yi Won-deok, Park Sun-su and others) conspired to enthrone Yi Won-gyeong, Cheoljong's oldest half-brother and Yi Gwang's only legitimate child. The conspiracy was exposed and Yi Won-gyeong was executed. The family, guilty by association, was again exiled to Ganghwa Island.
Background
By the beginning of the 19th century, the powerful Andong Kim clan, who had provided several Queens for The Kingdom of Joseon, had largely consolidated its grip on power. Against the backdrop of factional power struggles, the public was bled by staggering levels of corruption and embezzlement from the treasury. Rebellions erupted as the country was also plagued by natural disasters.
Rather than addressing the economic crisis, the Andong Kim clan turned its focus to dominating the throne, forcing almost all members of the Royal Family to flee from the capital. They accused candidates to the throne of treason or forced them into exile if not execution. When King Heonjong died, there were no suitable candidates for accession.
Reign
As a distant relative of the recently deceased King as well as a descendant of King Yeongjo Cheoljong was selected for adoption by the Senior Grand Royal Queen Dowager Sunwon (King Sunjo's widow). By Queen's order Cheoljong was found on Ganghwa Island where his family had been in exile since the Catholic Persecution of 1801. He ascended to the throne in 1849 at the age of 19.
When the envoys dispatched to seek the future King arrived on Ganghwa Island, they found the exiled remnants of the Royal Clan barely surviving. In the midst of their wretched poverty and degradation, 19-year-old Yi Won-beom was proclaimed King. Cheoljong could not read a single word on the notice delivering congratulations to him on his elevation to the throne, standing in marked contrast to the tradition of Kings giving top priority to the education of their sons, a defining feature of the Joseon Dynasty since its founding.
For the Andong Kims, Cheoljong was an ideal choice. His illiteracy made him a puppet vulnerable to their control. Although Cheoljong ruled the country for 13 years, he never acquired the bearing or dignity of his office. It was purported that even while wearing the most luxurious raiment, he looked like a native of a fishing village.
As part of the Andong Kim's manipulation of Cheoljong, in 1851, the clan married Cheoljong to Kim Mun-geun's daughter, known posthumously as Queen Cheorin.
Death
According to Ilseongnok ("Diary of Self-examination"), since Cheoljong ascended to the throne, he had a weak digestive system, causing a series of chronic disease throughout his life; Cheoljong also had symptoms of asthma and caught cold quite easily. In order to tone up the body, he took a large amount of herbal medicine for years; on the other hand, some other common treatments by the time, such as acupuncture and moxibustion, rarely appear in the documents.
Cheoljong died at the age of 32 on January 16, 1864, without any surviving male heirs. The cause of his death is ambiguous, as there was no clear official record about it. Some suggested that the death of cause of Cheoljong could be liver disease or tuberculosis; according to existing documents, however, it's still hard to give a certain conclusion to date. Once again, it became necessary to search far back in the Jeonju Yi clan lineage to find a candidate for accession.
Titles
- Nickname: Woodcutter Prince of Ganghwa Island (강화도령)
Royal titles
- 27 – 28 July 1849: Prince Deokwan (덕완군; 德完君)
- 28 July 1849 – 16 January 1864: The King of Joseon (조선 국왕; 朝鮮國王)
Posthumous title
- Joseon Dynasty
- full formal title: King Cheoljong Huiryun Jeonggeuk Sudeok Sunseong Munhyeon Museong Heon'in Yeonghyo the Great of Joseon (철종희륜정극수덕순성문현무성헌인영효대왕; 哲宗熙倫正極粹德純聖文顯武成獻仁英孝大王)
- short informal title: King Cheoljong the Great (철종대왕; 哲宗大王)
- Qing Dynasty-conferred: King Zhōngjìng (忠敬王; 충경왕; King Chunggyeong)
- Korean Empire
- full formal title: Emperor Cheoljong Huiryun Jeonggeuk Sudeok Sunseong Heummyeong Gwangdo Don'won Changhwa Munhyeon Museong Heon'in Yeonghyo Jang of the Korean Empire (철종희륜정극수덕순성흠명광도돈원창화문현무성헌인영효장황제; 哲宗熙倫正極粹德純聖欽明光道敦元彰化文顯武成獻仁英孝章皇帝)
- short informal title: Emperor Cheoljong Jang (철종장황제; 哲宗章皇帝)
Popular culture
- Portrayed by Kim Jung-hyun in the 2020 television series Mr. Queen.
- Portrayed by Jung Wook in the 2020 television series Kingmaker: The Change of Destiny.
See also
In Spanish: Cheoljong de Joseon para niños
- List of Rulers of Korea
- Joseon Dynasty
- History of Korea
- Jeongye Daewongun
Images for kids
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Cheoljong's residence during his exile in Ganghwa Island. It was a cottage and was rebuilt as a palace, Yongheunggung (용흥궁), in 1853.
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The 9th edition of Encyclopædia Britannica included a map of Joseon, and some data were from the investigation result of Russian frigate Pallada and French frigate Virginie in 1850s.
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Yereung, the royal tomb of King Cheoljong and Queen Cheorin.
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Park Yung-hyo (1861-1939), the son-in-law of Cheoljong.
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