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Munjong of Joseon

This article is about 5th monarch of the Joseon dynasty. For the 11th monarch of the Goryeo dynasty, see Munjong of Goryeo.

Munjong (Korean: 문종; Hanja: 文宗; 15 November 1414 – 10 June 1452), personal name Yi Hyang (이향; 李珦), was the fifth monarch of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. As the eldest son of Sejong the Great and Queen Soheon, he succeeded to the throne in 1450.

Munjong of Joseon
조선 문종
朝鮮文宗
King of Joseon
Reign8 April 1450 – 10 June 1452
EnthronementHwideokjeon Hall, Dongbyeol Palace,[1] Hanseong
PredecessorSejong
SuccessorDanjong
Regent of Joseon
Tenure1 August 1442 – 8 April 1450
MonarchSejong
Born15 November 1414
Grand Prince Chungnyeong's Mansion, Hanseong, Joseon
Died10 June 1452(1452-06-10) (aged 37)
Gangnyeongjeon Hall, Gyeongbok Palace, Hanseong, Joseon
Burial
Hyeonneung Mausoleum, Dongguneung Cluster, Guri, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea
Spouse(s)
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(m. 1427; dep. 1429)​
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(m. 1429; dep. 1436)​
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(m. 1437; died 1441)​
Issue
among others...		Danjong of Joseon
Names
Yi Hyang (이향; 李珦)
Era name and dates
Adopted the era name of the Ming dynasty:
  • Gyeongtae (Jingtai) (경태; 景泰): 1450–1452
Posthumous name
  • Joseon: King Heummyeong Insuk Gwangmun Seonghyo the Great (흠명인숙광문성효대왕; 欽明仁肅光文聖孝大王)
  • Ming dynasty: Gongsun (공순; 恭順)
Temple name
Munjong (문종; 文宗)
ClanJeonju Yi
DynastyYi
FatherSejong of Joseon
MotherQueen Soheon
ReligionKorean Confucianism (Neo-Confucianism)
Korean name
Hangul
문종
Hanja
Revised RomanizationMunjong
McCune–ReischauerMunjong
Birth name
Hangul
이향
Hanja
Revised RomanizationI Hyang
McCune–ReischauerYi Hyang
Courtesy name
Hangul
휘지
Hanja
Revised RomanizationHwiji
McCune–ReischauerHwichi

Biography

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Yi Hyang was the longest serving heir apparent during the Joseon period, holding the position for a record 29 years.

In January 1421, Sejong instructed that his eight-year-old son be educated by scholars from the Hall of Worthies, then in October the same year, he was invested as crown prince and sent to study at the Sungkyunkwan.[2] From 1442 until his own ascension to the throne in 1450, Yi Hyang served as regent and took care of state affairs during the final years of his father's reign, as Sejong developed various illnesses and disorders.[3]

Most of his achievements were during his time as crown prince. Although credit is primarily given to Jang Yeong-sil for inventing the water gauge, the Annals of the Joseon dynasty affirm that it was the prince who found measures of water levels in the ground. Yi Hyang also contributed to the development of the Korean vernacular script (today known as Hangul).[4]

Reign

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Yi Hyang ascended to the throne as King Munjong in 1450, and his reign marked the beginning of an imbalance of power at the Joseon court. Gim Bi-hwan describes the "interaction of the royal authority, administrative power, remonstrative power, and the collective authority of scholars outside the office," before Munjong as contributing to a situation that allowed the country to function constitutionally. During Munjong's reign, however, the balance collapsed, setting the stage for his brother to lead a coup d'etat in 1452 against Munjong's son.[5]

Munjong's reign also saw the demolition of Gyejodang Hall, a building within Gyeongbokgung Palace, a facility that was used by Munjong when he was crown prince to handle state affairs on behalf of his father, Sejong and to greet foreign envoys.[6]

During the reign of Munjong, books such as the Goryeosa and the Goryeosa Jeolyo were written. He was also deeply interested in military matters, and reformed the army into five sas from the previous twelve. [7]

Marriage

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Munjong was first married to Lady Gim of the (old) Andong Gim clan, between 1427 and 1429. She reportedly used witchcraft to gain his love. She also burned the shoes of Munjong's concubine, and made her drink the ashes with alcohol. When her father-in-law, King Sejong, found out about these actions, he deposed her.

The same year his first wife was ousted, Munjong remarried to Lady Bong of the Haeum Bong clan. She was deposed in 1436, when it was discovered that she had a homosexual love affair with one of her palace maids named So-ssang (소쌍).

Lastly, in 1437, Lady Gwon of the Andong Gwon clan became the third wife of Munjong, while he was still the crown prince. Originally a concubine, she gave birth to two daughters, one of whom was Princess Gyeonghye, and to Yi Hong-wi, Mujong's only surviving son, who later became King Danjong. Lady Gwon died in 1441, soon after the birth of her son, and when her husband took the throne, she was posthumously honored as "Queen Hyeondeok" (Hyeondeok Wanghu; 현덕왕후, 顯德王后).

Family

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Consort(s) and their respective issue

Ancestry

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Notes

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  1. ^ The private residence of his uncle, Grand Prince Yeongeung.
  2. ^ Jung (2006), p. 139.
  3. ^ Jung (2006), p. 141.
  4. ^ Yeon (2010), p. 13.
  5. ^ Kim (2014), p. 253-254.
  6. ^ Wu, Jinhua. "Restored crown prince's hall opened for first time in 110 years". Korea.net. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  7. ^ "문종 (文宗)". Encyclopedia of Korean Culture. Retrieved 14 August 2024.

References

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  • Kim, Bi-Hwan (2014). "A Constitutionalist Interpretation of Confucian Politics in the Early Joseon Dynasty". In Kang, Jung In (ed.). Contemporary Korean Political Thought in Search of a Post-Eurocentric Approach. London: Lexington Books. pp. 243–266.
  • Jung, Jae-Hoon (2006). "Royal Education of Princes in the Reign of King Sejong". The Review of Korean Studies. 9 (3): 133–152.
  • Yeon, Jaehoon (2010). "Was the Korean alphabet a sole invention of King Sejong?". Journal of Korean Culture. 14: 1–20.
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Munjong of Joseon
Born: 15 November 1414 Died: 10 June 1452
Regnal titles
Preceded by King of Joseon
8 April 1450 – 10 June 1452 		Succeeded by
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