Sukjong of Joseon
| Yi Sun | |
|---|---|
| King of Joseon | |
 |
|
| Reign | 1674–1720 |
| Predecessor | Hyeonjong of Joseon |
| Successor | Gyeongjong of Joseon |
| Born | 7 October 1661 Gyeonghui Palace, Kingdom of Joseon |
| Died | 12 July 1720 Gyeonghui Palace, Kingdom of Joseon |
| Burial | Myeongreung, Goyang |
| Spouse |
Queen Ingyeong Queen Inhyeon Queen Inwon Jang Hee-Bin Choi Suk-Bin Park Myeong-Bin |
| Issue |
Gyeongjong of Joseon Yeongjo of Joseon |
| House | House of Yi |
| Father | Hyeonjong of Joseon |
| Mother | Queen Myeongseong |
| Sukjong of Joseon | |
| Hangul | 숙종 |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 肅宗 |
| Revised Romanization | Sukjong |
| McCune–Reischauer | Sukchong |
| Birth name | |
| Hangul | 이순 |
| Hanja | 李焞 |
| Revised Romanization | I Sun |
| McCune–Reischauer | Yi Sun |
Sukjong of Joseon (7 October 1661 – 12 July 1720) was the 19th king of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea from 1674 to 1720. A skilled politician, he caused multiple changes of political alliance throughout his reign, switching among the Southerner, Westerner, Soron, and Noron political factions.
King Sukjong was born on 7 October 1661 to King Hyeonjong and Queen Myeongseong at Gyeonghui Palace. His given name was Yi Sun. He became the Crown Prince Myeongbo in 1667 at age 6, and in 1674, at age 13, he became the 19th ruler of the Joseon Dynasty.
King Sukjong was a brilliant politician, but his reign was marked by some of the most intense factional fights in the Joseon dynasty. Sukjong frequently replaced faction in power with another one to strengthen the royal authority. With each change of government, which was called hwanguk (Hangul: 환국; Hanja: 換局), literally turn of the state, the losing faction was completely driven out of politics with executions and exiles. Nevertheless, the chaotic changes of government did not affect the general populace significantly, and his reign is considered one of more prosperous times.
In the early years of Sukjong's reign, the Southern faction and Western faction clashed over the Royal Funeral Dispute, a seemingly minor issue regarding the mourning period for Queen Insun. The Southern faction claimed that the mourning period should last one year while the Western faction argued for a nine-month mourning period. A one-year mourning period meant that Hyojong of Joseon was considered the eldest son while 9-month period would suggest that Hyojong was considered not the eldest son, following the rules that governed the yangban class. In other words, the Western faction viewed the royal family as the first of the yangban class rather than a separate class for which different rules applied. The two factions were also in conflict over the issue of fighting the Qing Dynasty, which was considered barbaric country (as opposed to Ming Dynasty) that threatened Joseon's national security. The Southern faction, led by Heo Jeok and Yun Hyu, supported war against Qing while Western factions wanted to focus first on improving domestic conditions.
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