Posthumous name
King Seonjo Sogyung Jeongryun Ripgeuk Seongdeok Hongryeol Jiseong Daeeui Gyeokcheon Heeun Gyungmyung Sinryeok Honggong Yungeop Hyeonmun Euimu Seongye Dalhyo the Great of Korea 선조소경정륜립극성덕홍렬지성대의격천희운경명신력홍공융업현문의무성예달효대왕 宣祖昭敬正倫立極盛德洪烈至誠大義格天熙運景命神曆弘功隆業顯文毅武聖睿達孝大王
Temple name
Seonjo

House

Jeonju Yi

Father

Yi Cho, Grand Prince Deokheung

Mother

Grand Princess Consort Hadong

Religion

Confucianism

Posthumous name
King Seonjo Sogyung Jeongryun Ripgeuk Seongdeok Hongryeol Jiseong Daeeui Gyeokcheon Heeun Gyungmyung Sinryeok Honggong Yungeop Hyeonmun Euimu Seongye Dalhyo the Great of Korea 선조소경정륜립극성덕홍렬지성대의격천희운경명신력홍공융업현문의무성예달효대왕 宣祖昭敬正倫立極盛德洪烈至誠大義格天熙運景命神曆弘功隆業顯文毅武聖睿達孝大王
Temple name
Seonjo

Birth name
Seonjo of Joseon
Hangul	선조
Hanja
Revised Romanization	Seonjo
McCune–Reischauer	Sŏn-jo
Hangul	이연
Hanja	李昖
Revised Romanization	I Yeon
McCune–Reischauer	Yi Yŏn

Seonjo of Joseon (26 November 1552 – 16 March 1608) ruled Korea from 1567 to 1608. He was the fourteenth king of the Joseon Dynasty. He is known for encouraging Confucianism and renovating state affairs at the beginning of his reign, although political chaos and his incompetent leadership during the Japanese invasions of Korea marred his later years.

King Seonjo was born Yi Yeon in 1552 in Hanseong (today, Seoul), capital of Korea, as the third son of Prince Deokheung (덕흥군), himself son of King Jungjong and RNC Changbin Ahn-ssi (창빈 안씨, 1499–1549). He was given the title of Prince Haseong. When King Myeongjong died young without an heir, Prince Haseong was the next in the line of succession. Then, by decision of the royal court, he was crowned king in 1567 at the age of 16. As a result, his father was promoted to the status of Daewongun (대원군, 'Great Prince of the Court)

King Seonjo focused on the improvement of the lives of the common people, as well as rebuilding the nation after the political corruption during the chaotic reign of Yeonsangun and King Jungjong. He encouraged Sarim scholars, who had been persecuted by entrenched aristocrats in four different purges between 1498 and 1545 during reign of Yeosangun and Jungjong. Seonjo continued the political reforms of King Myeongjong, and put many famous Confucian scholars, including Yi Hwang, Yi I, Jeong Cheol, and Yu Seong-ryong, in office.

Seonjo also reformed the civil service examination system, particularly the civil official qualification exam. The previous exam was mainly concerned with literature, not with politics or history. The king himself ordered the system to be reformed by increasing the importance of these other subjects. He also restored the reputations of executed scholars such as Jo Gwang-jo, who died in Third Literati Purge of 1519, and denounced the accomplishments of corrupt aristocrats, notably Nam Gon, who instigated the purge under Jungjong and contributed greatly to the corruption of the era. These acts earned the king the respect of the general populace, and the country enjoyed a brief era of peace.

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Wikipedia