Biography

Birth

Annals of King Jungjong, Volume 21, 10th Year of Jungjong's Reign, February 25th, 6th Article / The Crown Prince is Born at the Beginning of the NightAt the beginning of the night, during the first drum (초고, Chogo), the Crown Prince (원자, Wonja) was born. Annals of King Jungjong, Volume 21, 10th Year of Jungjong's Reign, February 26th, 1st Article / Jeong Gwang-pil Reports on the Birth of the Crown PrinceJeong Gwang-pil, the Left State Councillor, led the officials to offer congratulations in the courtyard of Geunjeongjeon Hall. He presented a memorial, stating:

"Now that the month has completed its cycle, a noble figure has been born. This is a blessing from heaven and a great joy for the nation. Your Majesty, with your virtuous and divine appearance, you are both scholarly and martial. May your great name shine brightly for a thousand years. You have sought and obtained a son, establishing a beautiful heir without any flaws. On this auspicious day, we welcome the arrival of great fortune. We, your humble servants, are fortunate to witness this prosperous era and wish to respond with the poetry of Zhou. We earnestly pray for longevity and blessings."

Following this, an amnesty was proclaimed, and the amnesty document stated:

"The King declares: In inheriting the foundation of our ancestors, it is essential to prioritize the performance of ancestral rites. The joy of having a son is unparalleled. I, a humble descendant, have occupied the throne for ten years without the auspicious sign of a bear dream or the assurance of a successor. Concerned about the importance of succession, I have always been anxious. Now, on the 25th day of the 2nd month of this year, the Crown Prince was born to the Queen. This event not only fulfills the hopes of the people but also brings great beauty to the royal family. How can this be merely my personal joy? Let all the people share in this happiness. Ah, the plan for ten thousand generations begins now. Let us cleanse the four corners of the realm and all participate in renewal."Annals of King Jungjong, Volume 21, 10th Year of Jungjong's Reign, February 29th, 1st Article / The Queen and the Crown Prince Move to No Gong-pil's ResidenceIn the early morning, the Crown Prince (원자, Wonja) was taken to the residence of No Gong-pil, Lord of Gyo-seong (교성군, Gyo-seong Gun), to reside there temporarily. This was because the Queen (중궁, Jungung) was unwell.

Annals of King Jungjong, Volume 21, 10th Year of Jungjong's Reign, March 7th, 4th Article / The Record of the Late Queen Issued from the Palace"In the 10th year of the reign of King Jungjong, on March 7th, the record of the late queen was issued from the palace.

The queen was born in the 7th month of the year of Gyeongjin (庚辰) during the reign of Emperor Hongzhi (弘治) in a private residence. She lost her mother early and was raised in the house of Lady Park (朴氏), the wife of the deceased Grand Prince Wolsan (月山大君). In the autumn of the year of Byeongin (丙寅), when the King was restoring the dynasty, the queen had not yet been chosen. She was selected and entered the palace, where she was conferred the title of Sook-ui (淑儀). She served the King with propriety and treated her peers generously, displaying unparalleled virtue. At that time, the ministers requested the King to establish a queen, but the King replied, 'The position of the national mother is extremely important and cannot be decided hastily.' In the year of Jeongmyo (丁卯), the ministers again requested, 'The position of the queen cannot remain vacant for long; please establish one quickly.' The King replied, 'There is no one with the virtuous qualities of Sook-ui Yoon; she should be established as the queen.' Thus, in the 8th month, she was elevated to the position of queen.

The queen was naturally intelligent and wise, kind and gentle, and widely read. She served her mother-in-law with utmost devotion, consistently performing her duties from dawn till late at night. She treated the concubines with kindness and raised the children of the secondary wives as if they were her own. She managed the household with strictness and clarity and assisted the King diligently. She often said to the King, 'I have read the ancient texts, and although I may not reach the virtues of a wise wife, my wish is not to be seen as disobedient to Your Majesty's will. If I make any mistakes, please do not hesitate to correct me so that I may amend my faults.' She also said, 'The success or failure of my family depends on the virtue of the queen. How could I seek positions for my relatives? If they are virtuous, public opinion will naturally favor them; if not, public opinion will naturally discard them. Even if they are punished, whose fault would it be? I will not resent it.' During her nine years as queen, she never once requested a position for her relatives or sought to pardon anyone. The King deeply admired her, saying, 'The queen's resolve is lofty, comparable to the virtues of Lady Tai Si (太姒).' Thus, she was highly respected, and no one ever criticized her.

In the year of Shinmi (辛未), on the day of Jeongmyo (丁卯) in the 5th month, she gave birth to a daughter, who was still too young to wear a hairpin. On the day of Gyechuk (癸丑) in the 2nd month of the year of Eulhae (乙亥), she gave birth to the Crown Prince, but only a few days later, she suddenly fell seriously ill. The King was greatly alarmed and personally visited her, asking if there was anything she wished to say. At first, she replied, 'I have received great kindness and have nothing to say,' and only shed tears. The next morning, her condition worsened, and she sat up and wrote a letter to the King, saying, 'Yesterday, my mind was confused, and I could not remember clearly. Upon reflection, I recall that last summer, in a dream, someone told me to name this child Eokmyeong (億命), so I wrote it down and posted it on the wall.' The King verified this and found it to be true. How extraordinary! Despite all efforts to save her, she passed away on the 2nd day of this month in the Eastern Palace of Gyeongbokgung at the age of 25. The King was deeply grieved and lamented, saying, 'It is said that extreme joy brings sorrow. How can there be such a great national celebration and yet such an unforeseen tragedy? Although life and death are determined by heaven, how could heaven take away my virtuous queen so early?' He could not stop mourning. He then instructed the State Council, 'Having lost my virtuous queen so early, my mind is in turmoil, and I am at a loss. I cannot make decisions. Except for matters related to mourning, suspend all other reports.' Inside the palace, there was no one who did not grieve deeply."

The record of the late queen's life and deeds largely follows this account.

Reign

The young king was very ambitious, and tried to reform the government of the time that was rife with corruption, a legacy of the failed reforms during his father's reign. He rehabilitated Jo Gwang-jo and recruited Sarim scholars who turned away from politics after Third Literati Purge of 1519. His maternal uncle Yun Im exercised great power during this period. However, Injong was too often ill and died in 1545, just one year after coming to the throne. Following his death, Yun Im was executed by Yun Won-Hyung in the Fourth Purge of 1545 when King Myeongjong (son of the ambitious Queen Munjeong) succeeded the throne.

Death

Some historians believe that Injong was poisoned by the Smaller Yun faction, led by Yun Won-hyeong, to enable Injong's half-brother to ascend the throne. Others believe that Queen Munjeong had him murdered. According to unofficial chronicles, there is a tale of Munjeong finally showing love for her "adoptive" son King Injong, after decades of polite indifference (in reality behind-the-scenes hatred).

As Injong went to pay his morning respects, Munjeong's face started radiating with a smile only a mother could give to her child. Injong took it as a sign that the Queen Mother was finally acknowledging him as the king, and in particular as her own son. He ate the Tteok that his step-mother gave him, not knowing that it would be the beginning of the end. He fell ill slowly, not enough to create any suspicion, but quickly enough that historians would later pick up on the event. Three days passed before Injong mysteriously died (after only 9 months of rule).

Queen Munjeong's son became King Myeongjong, while Munjeong became Queen Regent. The chronicles also tell that Munjeong was frequently visited by spirits at night after Injong's death. So disturbed was she that she moved her residence from Gyeongbokgung to Changdeokgung.

Family

• Father: King Jungjong of Joseon (; 16 April 1488 – 29 November 1544)

　• Grandfather: King Seongjong of Joseon (; 19 August 1457 – 20 January 1494)

　• Grandmother: Queen Jeonghyeon of the Papyeong Yun clan (; 21 July 1462 – 13 September 1530)

• Mother: Queen Janggyeong of the Papyeong Yun clan (; 19 August 1491 – 26 March 1515)

　• Grandfather: Yun Yeo-pil (; 1466–1555)

　• Grandmother: Lady Park of the Suncheon Park clan (; 1466–1498)

Consort(s) and their respective issue

• Queen Inseong of the Bannam Park clan (; 7 October 1514 – 6 January 1578)

• Royal Noble Consort Suk of the Papyeong Yun clan (;? – 1595)

• Royal Noble Consort Hye of the Gyeongju Jeong clan (;? – 1595)

• Royal Consort Gwi-in of the Yeongil Jeong clan (; August 1520 – 25 March 1566)

• Consort Yang-je of the Yun clan

In popular culture

• Portrayed by Jung Tae-woo in the 2001–2002 SBS TV series Ladies in the Palace.

• Portrayed by Kim Young-jae in the 2008 KBS TV series Hometown Legends.

• Portrayed by Lim Seul-ong in the 2013 KBS2 TV series The Fugitive of Joseon.

• Portrayed by Noh Young-hak in the 2017 SBS TV series Saimdang, Memoir of Colors.

生平

李峼乃中宗嫡長子，生母為章敬王后尹氏，中宗十年二月二十五日誕生。章敬王后在他出生後不久因血崩病逝，因此他一直都由文定王后尹氏扶養。中宗十五年被冊封為王世子。

中宗三十九年十一月二十日卽位於昌慶宮明政殿，仁宗元年七月一日昇遐，在位僅九個月。因未生下子嗣，故由同父異母弟弟李峘為王世弟即位，即第十三任國王明宗。官方記載李峼因為父王去世後太悲傷而得病，但民間謠傳李峼是被繼母尹大妃毒殺。

李峼在位期間，恢復了父王時廢的賢良科，平反趙光祖等人的冤案，深得人心。

群臣上廟號仁宗，諡號獻文懿武章肅欽孝，明朝賜諡榮靖，全稱仁宗榮靖獻文懿武章肅欽孝大王。仁宗葬于今日京畿道高陽市西三陵的孝陵。

妻妾

• 中宗三十一年（1536年）五月曾定尹溉之女為良娣，數日後金安老為了讓外孫女能夠進入東宮不惜誣陷尹溉，最後如金安老所願尹氏無法成為世子的後宮。

影視作品

注釋

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