of Korea. He succeeded
in 1469 and ruled until 1494.
Biography
Seongjong was the 9th King of the Joseon period of Korea. He was born the second son of Crown Prince Uigyeong and Subin Han-ssi 수빈한씨 and was then named Prince Jalsan (잘산군). When he accessed to the throne, his father (1438-1457) was elevated to the status of King Deokjong and his mother (1437-1504) to Queen Insu.
Seongjong was the grandson of Sejo, the 7th King, and the nephew of Yejong, the 8th King. He succeeded King Yejong in 1469 when the weak king died and his son was too young to succeed him. In the same move, Jalsan's older brother Grand Prince Wolsan (1454-1487) was recused as having a too weak complexion.
Since Seongjong was only 12 when he was crowned, his grandmother Queen Jeonghee ruled the nation in his name, along with his mother Queen Insu. In 1476, at the age of 19, he began to govern the country in his own name.
His reign was marked by the prosperity and growth of the national economy, based on the laws laid down by kings Taejong, Sejong, and Sejo. He himself was a gifted ruler. In 1474, the code of law, first ordered by King Sejo, was completed and put into effect. Seongjong also ordered revisions and improvements to the code.
Besides the law, he also encouraged Confucian scholars; He greatly expanded Hongmungwan, the royal library and advisory council to the king at the same time, and strengthened so-called Three Offices (Hongmungwan, Office of Inspector General, Office of Censors) as check and balance on the Royal Court. For the first time since King Sejong, he brought many liberal Confucian scholars to his court, whose political views went against those of the conservative officials (members of the nobility) who had helped kings Taejong and Sejo to power. In this way he made his rule more effective by appointing able administrators regardless of their political views. His policy resulted in many positive innovations, increasing his number of supporters. The king himself was an artist and scholar, and liked to argue about the finer points of politics with more liberal scholars. He encouraged scholars to publish numerous books about geography and social etiquette, for example, as well as areas of knowledge that benefited the common people.
It was under Seongjong's reign that the Widow Remarriage Ban (1477) was enacted, which strengthened pre-existing social stigma against women who remarried by barring their sons from public office. In 1489, Seongjong condemned a woman of the royal clan, Yi Guji, when it was discovered that she had cohabited with her slave after being widowed.
He also sent several military campaigns against the Jurchens on the northern border in 1491, like many of his predecessors. The campaign, led by Gen. Heo Jong, was successful, and the defeated Jurchens led by Udige (兀狄哈) retreated to the north of Amrok River. King Seongjong was succeeded by his son, Yeonsangun (1476-1494-1506) and thereafter by another of his sons Jungjong (1488-1506-1544).
Family
• Father: Deokjong of Joseon (1438 – 2 September 1457)
• Grandfather: King Sejo of Joseon (2 November 1417 – 23 September 1468)
• Grandmother: Queen Jeonghui of the Papyeong Yun clan (8 December 1418 – 6 May 1483)
• Mother: Queen Sohye of the Cheongju Han clan (7 October 1437 – 11 May 1504)
• Grandfather: Han Hwak (1400 – 11 September 1456)
• Grandmother: Lady Hong of the Namyang Hong clan
• Consorts and their Respective Issue:
• Queen Gonghye of the Cheongju Han clan (8 November 1456 – 30 April 1474)
• Queen Jeheon of the Haman Yun clan (15 July 1455 – 29 August 1482)
• # Prince Yi Hyo-Shin (1475)
• # Yi Yung, Crown Prince Yeonsan (23 November 1476 – 20 November 1506)
• # Unnamed son
• Queen Jeonghyeon of the Papyeong Yun clan (21 July 1462 – 13 September 1530)
• # Princess Sunsuk (1478 – 14 July 1488)
• # Princess Shinsuk (1481 – 13 February 1486)
• # Yi Yeok, Grand Prince Jinseong (16 April 1488 – 29 November 1544)
• # Unnamed princess
• # Unnamed princess
• Royal Noble Consort Myeong of the Andong Kim clan
• # Princess Hwisuk
• # Princess Gyeongsuk (1483 – ?)
• # Yi Jong, Prince Musan (1490 – 1525)
• # Princess Hwijeong
• Royal Consort Gwi-in of the Chogye Jeong clan (? – 1504)
• # Yi Hang, Prince Anyang (1480 – 1505)
• # Yi Bong, Prince Bongan (1482 – 1505)
• # Princess Jeonghye (1490 – 6 August 1507)
• Royal Consort Gwi-in of the Yeongwol Eom clan (? - 1504)
• # Princess Gongshin (1481 – 1549)
• Royal Consort Gwi-in of the Andong Kwon clan (1471 – 1500)
• # Yi Byeon, Prince Jeonseong (1490 – 1505)
• Royal Consort Gwi-in of the Uiryeong Nam clan
• Royal Consort So-ui of the Lee clan
• Royal Consort Suk-ui of the Namyang Hong clan (1457 – 1510)
• # Princess Hyesuk (1478 – ?)
• # Yi Su, Prince Wanwon (1480 – 1509)
• # Yi Nyeom, Prince Hoesan (1481 – 1512)
• # Yi Don, Prince Gyeonseong (1482 – 1507)
• # Princess Jeongsun (1486 - ?)
• # Yi Hwoe, Prince Ikyang (1 July 1488 - 21 January 1552)
• # Yi Chim, Prince Gyeongmyeong (1489 - 1526) (이침 경명군)
• # Yi In, Prince Uncheon (1490 – 1524)
• # Yi Hui, Prince Yangwon (1492 – 1551)
• # Princess Jeongsuk (1493 – 8 February 1573)
• Royal Consort Suk-ui of the Jinju Ha clan
• # Yi Sun, the Prince Gyeseong (1478 – 1504)
• Royal Consort Suk-ui of the Jeong clan
• Royal Consort Suk-yong of the Cheongseong Sim clan (1465 - 1515)
• # Princess Gyeongsun (1482 – ?)
• # Princess Sukhye (1486 – 1525)
• # Yi Gwan, Prince Yiseong (1489 – 1552)
• # Yi Jeon, Prince Yeongan (1490 – 11 June 1538)
• Royal Consort Suk-yong of the Kwon clan
• # Princess Gyeonghwi (1489 - 1525)
• # Unnamed prince
• Royal Consort Suk-Won of the Yun clan (? - 1533)
His full posthumous name
• King Seongjong Gangjeong Inmun Heonmu Heumseong Gonghyo the Great of Korea
•
• Portrayed by Yun Sun-hong in the 1985 film Eoudong.
• Portrayed by Yoon Yang-ha in the 1988 film Diary of King Yeonsan.
• Portrayed by Hyun Suk in the 1995 KBS TV series Jang Nok Soo.
• Portrayed by Lee Jin-woo in the 1998-2000 KBS TV series King and Queen.
• Portrayed by Go Joo-won and Yoo Seung-ho in the 2007-2008 SBS TV series The King and I.
• Portrayed by Baek Sung-hyun and Choi Won-hong in the 2011-2012 JTBC TV series Insu, The Queen Mother.
• Portrayed by Choi Moo-sung in the 2017 MBC TV series The Rebel.
• Portrayed by Kim Jeong-hak in the 2017 KBS2 TV series Queen for Seven Days.
Seongjong of Joseon (August 19, 1457 – January 19, 1495) was the ninth king of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea. He succeeded King Yejong in 1469 and ruled until 1494.