Early life

Hyejong was born to King Taejo and his second wife, Janghwa of the "Oh" clan. She was the daughter of the Magistrate of Naju, O Ta-ryŏn. Taejo met and married her while serving in Naju as a general of Taebong under Gung Ye.

In 921, Hyejong was proclaimed Crown Prince and Royal Successor with support from General Bak Sul-Hui. Almost immediately after being named Crown Prince, Hyejong followed his father Taejo into battle against Later Baekje and played a major role in numerous victories. In 943, Hyejong rose to the throne upon his father's death.

Reign

Hyejong's reign was marked with conspiracy and power struggles among Taejo's sons. The first of these conspiracies was led by Princes Wang Yo and Wang So, sons of Taejo and his third consort, Queen Sinmyeongsunseong of the Chungju Yu clan, which possessed considerable political influence. Upon realizing the conspiracy by the two princes, warned Hyejong of the conspiracy, but plotted to put his grandson, one of Hyejong's younger half-brothers, on the throne when Hyejong did nothing to stop the conspiracy of the two princes.

Death

Hyejong died in 945, during the second year of his reign from mercury poisoning in his bath water. He had eczema, which caused red itchy patches on his skin and difficulty breathing. Although he had a son who was named crown prince, he was succeeded by his third brother Wang Yo, who claimed the throne by force with the backing of their fourth brother Wang So and subsequently crowned as Jeongjong.

Family

• Father: Taejo of Goryeo

　• Grandfather: Wang Ryung, King Wimu the Great

　• Grandmother: Queen Wisuk of the Han clan

• Mother: Queen Janghwa of the Naju Oh clan

　• Grandfather: Oh Da-ryeon, Prince Daryeon

　• Grandmother: Lady Yeon Deok-gyo

• Consorts and their Respective Issue(s):

• Queen Uihwa of the Jincheon Im clan

• #Prince Heunghwa, 1st son

• #Lady Gyeonghwa, 1st daughter

• #Princess Jeongheon, 2nd daughter

• Lady Hugwangjuwon of the Gangneung Wang clan – No issue.

• Lady Cheongjuwon of the Cheongju Kim clan – No issue.

• Palace Lady Aeiju, of the Yeon clan

• #Wang Je, 2nd son

• #Lady Myeonghye, 3rd daughter

In popular culture

• Portrayed by Ahn Jung-hoon and Seo Hyun-suk in the 2000–2002 KBS1 TV series Taejo Wang Geon.

• Portrayed by No Young-gook in the 2002–2003 KBS1 TV series The Dawn of the Empire.

• Portrayed by Kim San-ho in the 2016 SBS TV series Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo.

生平

惠宗是太祖王建的长子，母为庄和王后吴氏。后梁乾化二年壬申（912年），出生于泰封国的罗州（今全罗南道罗州市）。太祖四年（921年），王武被立为正胤（即太子）。十四年（931年）七月，太祖亲征一牟山城，遣王武巡视北方边境。

太祖十九年（936年），后百济前国王甄萱的女婿朴英规请求内附高丽，不久，甄萱请求征讨篡位的逆子甄神剑。太祖从之，先派正胤王武、将军朴述熙率领步骑一万趋天安府。王武因作战奋勇先登，功劳列为第一。

太祖二十六年（943年）五月，太祖病重，召大臣、王规、等人辅佐太子王武。不久太祖薨，王武奉遗命即位，是为惠宗。

944年派广评侍郎韩玄圭、礼宾卿金廉出使后晋，通告自己嗣位，并庆贺击败契丹。翌年，后晋派光禄卿范匡政、副太子洗马张季凝前来高丽，册封惠宗为持节、玄菟州都督、上柱国、充太义军使、高丽国王。同年，大匡王规诬告王弟王尧、王昭，惠宗不听其言，反而对二人恩遇愈厚。王规又派其党羽穿墙进入国王寝宫，阴谋叛乱，惠宗事先得到司天供奉崔知梦的报告，悄悄搬离了寝宫。王规阴谋失败，惠宗并未问责。但自此之后惠宗变得非常多疑，常常用甲士来自卫，喜怒无常，赏罚不明，导致将士们的嗟怨。九月，惠宗病危，群臣无法入内见面。戊申日，惠宗薨，群臣奉王弟王尧继位。

惠宗死后，諡号义恭，庙号惠宗，葬于开京的东麓，陵号。穆宗五年，加諡明孝。显宗五年，加宣显；十八年，加高平。高宗四十年，加景宪。因此惠宗的諡号全称为仁德明孝宣显高平景宪义恭大王。

家庭

兄弟

• 高丽定宗王尧

• 高丽光宗王昭

• 高丽戴宗王旭

• 高丽安宗王郁

妻妾

子女

影视形象

• （幼年：서현석） - 2000年~2002年, 《太祖王建》, KBS1

• - 2002年~2003年, 《帝国的早晨》, KBS1

• 金山浩 - 2016年, 《月之恋人－步步惊心：丽》, SBS