King Cheoljong of Joseon
| Yi Byeon | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| King of Joseon | |
| Reign | 1849–1864 |
| Predecessor | Heonjong of Joseon |
| Successor | Gojong of Joseon |
| Born | 25 July 1831 Hanseong, Kingdom of Joseon |
| Died |
16 January 1864 (aged 32) Changdeok Palace, Kingdom of Joseon |
| Spouse | Queen Cheonin |
| Father | Grand Internal Prince Jeongye |
| Mother | Grand Internal Princess Consort Yongseong |
| Cheoljong of Joseon | |
| Hangul | |
|---|---|
| Hanja | |
| Revised Romanization | Cheoljong |
| McCune–Reischauer | Ch'ŏljong |
Cheoljong of Joseon (25 July 1831 – 16 January 1864) was the 25th king of the Korean Joseon Dynasty. He was a distant relative of King Yeongjo.
At the beginning of the 19th century, the Andong Kim clan, who had provided the Joseon state with several queens, had seized power almost everywhere in Korea. The social stagnation that resulted was a breeding ground for unrest. Corruption and embezzlement from the treasury and its inevitable exploitation were taken to extreme levels, and reached staggering proportions. One rebellion after another was accompanied by natural disasters. Indeed, it was one of the most gloomy periods in the country’s history.
The only aim of the Andong Kim clan was the preservation of their influence. Their fierce campaign truly to dominate the royal house had led to a situation in which almost all of the representatives of the royal family fled from Seoul. When the royal family produced intelligent and appropriate candidates for the accession, they were either accused of treason and executed or sent into exile, so when Heonjong died, leaving no son, no acceptable candidate could be found to succeed to the throne.
Cheoljong ascended to the throne in 1849 at the age of 19 after King Heonjong died without an heir. As a distant relative of King Yeongjo, the 21st king of Joseon, Cheoljong was selected for adoption by the Dowager Queen at the time and to allow him to ascend to the throne. The future Cheoljong was found on Ganghwa Island where his family had fled to hide from oppression.
When the envoys (dispatched in order to seek for the future king) arrived on Ganghwa Island, they found the remaining clan of the Yi's barely surviving in wretched poverty. In 1849, at the age of 18, Yi Byeon/Seong (the future Cheoljong), the 3rd son of Prince Jeon-gye (great-grandson of King Yeongjo), was proclaimed King, amidst obvious degradation and poverty. Though from the start of the Joseon Dynasty Korean kings had given top priority to the education of their sons, Cheoljong could not even read a single word on the notice delivering congratulations to him on his elevation to the royal throne.
For the Andong Kims, Cheoljong was an excellent choice. His illiteracy made him manipulable and vulnerable to their control. Proof of this was that even though Cheoljong ruled the country for 13 years, until his very last days he had not yet learned how to move with dignity or how to wear royal clothes, so that in even the most luxurious of robes he still looked like a fisherman.
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Wikipedia