From warriors, bookworms, and ladies men, to tyrants, usurpers, and cowards. In this guide to the kings of Joseon find out about the 27 kings.
Which kings lived up to expectations? Who were a disaster? Which king was the most powerful king? Who was a puppet king?
Which king had the most legitimate right to the throne? Which kings were usurpers?
related posts:
Comprehensive list of kings and related historical dramas
Guide to the Kings of Joseon
THE EARLY JOSEON PERIOD
Let’s begin with a quick look at the three periods of the Joseon dynasty. It was a rocky start with nine kings in just over 100 years! And THREE of them abdicated!
King Taejo (r.1392 -1398) King Jeongjong (r. 1398-1400) King Taejong (r.1400-1418); King Sejong (r.1418-1450); King Munjong (r.1450-1452); King Danjong (r.1452-1455); King Sejo (r.1455-1468); King Yejong (r.1468-69); King Seongjong (r.1469-1494)
King Taejo (r.1392 -1398) , the first king, moved the capital to Hanyang (Seoul) and built Gyeongbok palace. The early Joseon kings were tough warriors who had helped found the new Joseon dynasty. King Taejong (r.1400-1418), in particular, was a force to be reckoned with. He notoriously killed Jeong Do-jeon (the first prime minister) after a disagreement over how much authority the king should have!
Then the period became more stable and entered a golden age under the 32-year reign of King Sejong (r.1418-1450). But after him there was instability again in the monarchy with sickness and young weak rulers opening the way for a coup d’état.
Read more about the early kings from TAEJO to SEONGJONG
See the tomb of Sejong the Great
Guide to the Kings of Joseon
THE MID-JOSEON PERIOD
Yeonsangun (r.1494-1506); King Jungjong (r.1506-1544), King Injong (r. 1544-1545); King Myeongjong (r.1545-1567); King Seonjo (r.1567-1608); Gwanghaegun (r.1608-1623); King Injo (r.1623-1649)
The mid-Joseon period lasted just over 150 years. But there were only 7 kings. And two of them were deposed and demoted to Prince status!
First came the troubled and tyrannical Yeonsangun (r.1494-1506) who brought violence and cruelty. And finally, the weak and indecisive King Injo (r.1623-1649) whose lack of diplomatic skills left him struggling with the Qing Dynasty and the Manchu wars.
Read more about the mid period kings from YEONSANGUN to INJO
See the modest tomb of Yeonsangun
Find something to watch in the comprehensive list of kings and related historical dramas
Guide to the Kings of Joseon
THE LATE JOSEON PERIOD
King Hyojong (r.1649-1659), King Hyeonjong (r.1659-1674), King Sukjong (r.1674-1720), King Gyeongjong (r.1720-1724), King Yeongjo (r.1724-1776), King Jeongjo (r.1776-1800), King Sunjo (r.1800-1834), King Heonjong (r.1834-1849), King Cheoljong (r.1849-1863), King Gojong (then Emperor) (r.1863-1907), Emperor Sunjong (r.1907-1910)
There were 11 kings (two became emperors) in the late Joseon period.
In the late 17th century, the country was trying to recover after the Manchu invasions. Stability came with the long and successful reigns of King Sukjong (r.1674-1720), King Yeongjo (r.1724-1776), and King Jeongjo (r.1776-1800) when the country entered a golden age. (There are lots of dramas featuring these kings!) But in the 19th century corruption became rife. Consequently, there was more poverty and peasant revolts.
Meanwhile, the influence of the West was pouring in to East Asia bringing new technology and religion. But many scholars in Joseon wanted to preserve traditional Confucian values and class structure. So they turned away from outsiders. As a result, the country became known as the ‘hermit Country‘.
By the end of the 19th century the Japanese government had more and more power in Korea. Empress Myeongseong was murdered by Japanese agents in 1895 and then in 1910 Korea became a colony of Japan.
Read more about the late period from HYOJONG to SUNJONG
The five royal palaces of Seoul
The Memoirs of Lady Hyegyeong – wife of Prince Sado who died in the rice chest.
Comprehensive list of kings and related historical dramas
see more from dramasrok about life in Korea on Facebook Pinterest and Instagram
Guide to the Kings of Joseon
What were the qualifications to become king?
The Mandate of Heaven
The most important thing for a king was to have the mandate of heaven.
Strictly speaking, the eldest son of the king and queen (not concubine) had the mandate of heaven and right to become the next king.
The poster boy for legitimacy was King Sukjong (r.1674-1720).
This is because he was SO legitimate that there were no struggles, scandals, or objections for him to take the throne. He ticked all the boxes. Oldest son of the King? Check. Son of the queen? (not lowly concubine) Check. Became Crown Prince as a child with no problem? Check.
But his case is noteworthy because it is rare. Some kings didn’t have male heirs, there was sibling rivalry over who should be crown prince, and sometimes the throne was usurped by power-hungry relatives.
Sons of concubines
Several kings were also the sons of concubines. And this gave them a complex as it challenged their legitimacy and mandate of heaven. Unfortunately, even as princes they couldn’t avoid their inferior status as they had different titles from children of the queen.
The queen’s son was addressed as ‘Dae-gun’ (big prince) whilst sons of concubines were just called ‘Gun’ (prince). Rude.
King Seonjo (r.1567-1608) was the first Joseon king whose mother was a concubine and not the queen. And he had a complex about this.
King Yeongjo (r.1724-1776) was the longest ruling King of the Joseon period and generally had a successful reign. But according to records, even he had a complex about being the son of a concubine and so worked on being a sage king.
Proving the Mandate of Heaven
Once on the throne, the king still wasn’t safe.
Enemies of the king might challenge his legitimacy. And any misfortunes that the country suffered could be ‘proof’ that the king did not have the mandate. Even the weather played a part. Thunder and lightening proved the heavens were angry.
King Taejo (r.1392 -1398), as the first king, really had to prove he was worthy – as he had just overthrown the previous king of the Goryeo Dynasty! In the English translation of the Annals of King Taejo, we can see how the scribes showcase his credentials to be king!
Usurpers who had not been in direct line to the throne were also on shaky ground.
King Danjong (r.1452-1455) was 12 years old when he came to the throne. So his uncle Grand Prince Suyang (King Sejo (r.1455-1468) usurped the throne in a coup and then had him killed!
But King Sejo (r.1455-1468) was always looking over his shoulder, afraid of losing his position. So after his coup in 1455, he began to limit military and weapon production (to stop a coup against himself!) Thus he undid the good work that King Sejong (r.1418-1450) had been doing building national defence. Read more about the early Joseon kings
Yeonsangun (r.1494-1506) was also deposed but for very different reasons. And in the drama Jewel in the Palace we find King Jungjong (r.1506-1544) agonising over his right to the throne after his half-brother Yeonsangun is deposed.
Then there were rumours of foul play
There was talk that King Myeongjong (r.1545-1567) (or at least his mother Queen Munjeong ) had poisoned his half-brother poor old King Injong (r.1544-1545) who didn’t even make it to one year on the throne before he mysteriously died.
And King Yeongjo’s name crops up again as there were whispers of his involvement in the death of his half-brother (King Gyeongjong (r.1720-1724) son of Jang Hee-bin) so he could take the throne.
Temple Names
The Joseon kings were all given temple names posthumously. And each title has the ending of Jo or Jong.There are seven kings with the title ending in JO: Taejo, Sejo, Seonjo, Injo, Yongjo, Jeongjo, Sunjo. The rest have the title JONG, except two. There was specific criteria for choosing temple names. Yeonsangun (r.1494-1506) and Gwanghaegun (r.1608-1623) were not honoured with temple names at all. They lost their mandate off heaven when they were deposed.
Find out why the Kings have the title JO, JONG, or GUN
Guide to the Kings of Joseon
Which kings lived up to expectations?
warriors, bookworms, and ladies men
Some kings ruled for a long time bringing a sense of stability to the country and others didn’t last long at all. The longest ruling monarch was King Yeongjo (r.1724-1776) who ruled for 52 years. King Injong (r. 1544-1545) didn’t even last one year.
The earlier kings who helped form Joseon were more warrior types who preferred the outdoors and hunting to studying books indoors. But the kings were expected to understand Confucianism to help them make decisions. So they had regular lectures (as did the crown prince) from specially chosen Confucian scholars.
King Sejong (r.1418-1450) and King Jeongjo (r.1776-1800) are considered to be the most academic of all the kings and they spent a lot of time studying. Although King Sejong (r.1418-1450) was a bookworm, he also had a reputation for being a ladies’ man…
Sejong the Great is the most celebrated king. His legacy is Hangul which waas developed during his reign. He also championed science and technology too. The film Forbidden Dream is about Sejong and famous scientist Jang Yeong-sil.
Which kings were a disaster?
tyrants, usurpers, and cowards
Yeonsangun (r.1494-1506) has been described as the worst tyrant in Joseon history.
We can often tell how successful a king’s reign was by looking at their grave. Sejong the Great and his queens are buried in huge sprawling grounds complete with a museum dedicated to the work of King Sejong. But on the other hand, Yeonsangun is buried in a small and modest site in the north of Seoul. Because Yeonsangun is known as a tyrant king.
He was not into academia at all but was very interested in ladies and infamously converted Sungkyunkwan (the national university) into a brothel for his personal entertainment! 😮 (I wonder what the Confucian scholars had to say about that?!)
But during the reign of Gwanghaewgun’s successor, King Injo (r.1623-1649), relations with the Manchus soured leading to the Manchu invasions which left Joseon devastated after the wars.
The king also often had to be diplomatic when dealing with the different factions in his own government. King Yeongjo and his successor and grandson King Jeongjo (see the MBC drama Yi San) managed to keep a ‘policy of impartiality’ in politics giving equal treatment to all who wanted to enter politics regardless of their faction. This created more stability in politics.
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Who was the most powerful king?
The power of the king varied depending on the personality of the king himself and the strength of the political factions at the time.
Throughout the period there were power struggles between the king and the government.
King Taejong (the third king r.1400-1418) was very ambitious and power-hungry and he created the State Council of Joseon (의정부), declaring that all decisions passed by the State Council could only come into effect with the approval of the king.
But Monarchic authoritarianism was rejected in the Joseon dynasty and power of administration allocated to the prime minister.
Who was a puppet king?
But later, other kings struggled against the powerful political factions that had developed in their governments over time.
King Jungjong (r.1506-1544) (played by Im Ho in Jewel in the Palace) came to power after a coup to depose the tyrant Yeonsangun. But he struggled with the strong Hungu political faction since they had helped him become king.
And some kings were mere puppets while other family members – queen mothers, queens, in-laws – were really in control!
For most of the 19th century the Andong Kim clan of the Norin faction controlled the government. And all the kings at this time had to marry queens from the Andong clan!
King Heonjong (r. 1834-1849) was only 7 years old when he came to the throne. But he never actually ruled himself.
His grandmother Queen Sunwon (also known as Queen Dowager Myeonggyeong) ruled as regent until he died young without an heir.
She was a member of the powerful Andong clan and Sedo politics continued. (where real power was held by the King’s in-laws)
Meanwhile, the Opium War (1840-42) was the beginning of the destruction of the Qing dynasty which would also affect Joseon.
King Cheoljong (r.1849-1863) was a member of the Yi family, but he wasn’t in direct line for the throne – in fact he was illiterate and living in Ganghwa Island in poverty when he was chosen to be king!
So he was the perfect candidate as he could easily be controlled by the Andong Clan. He was king in name only and died without an heir. An original portrait of King Cheoljong remains.
Who kept the records and how did they do it?
Funny notes from diaries of the Sagwan scribes
The history of Joseon was recorded by over 80 scholars called sagwan. They worked full time in the Office of Annals Compilation (춘추관 chunchukwon) keeping detailed records of everything that went on from daily life to state affairs.
sagwan accompanied the king everywhere. And made notes of everything.
There is a record in the annals of an embarrassed King Taejong falling off his horse while hunting and trying to persuade the sagwan NOT to include the incident in the annals. But still, they did.
The king was not allowed to read the records otherwise the sagwan could not write objectively – fearing punishment if they wrote something uncomplimentary!
Read more about the Annals in the review of the drama Rookie Historian Goo Hye Ryeong (MBC/ Netflix 2019) , a light comedy drama about a female sagwan.
The first English translation of the Annals of King Taejo: Book Review
Comprehensive list of kings and related historical dramas
Which kings mingled with the common people?
Some of the kings mingled incognito outside the palace with the commoners to find out what the people really thought about life under his reign. (King Yeongjo (r.1724-1776) was very keen on this.)
But if a commoner wanted to speak to the king, there was a system called sang-on and kyok-jang which involved disgruntled citizens blocking the royal procession to appeal to the king when he was out somewhere. (there are 2,671 cases of this in the Joseon Annals)
In theory anyone could call the attention of the king with the shinmungo (drum of appeal) People could profess their innocence of a crime or complain about something. But this system faded out in the 16th century as it became too difficult for ordinary citizens to actually get to the bell. Commoners then resorted to riots as there was no other way to be heard.
Often in sageuk dramas we can see scholars gathering at the palace gates to call out to the king urging him to change his decision about something. In Horse Doctor (MBC 2013) groups of scholars gather at the gates several times to complain to the king about the common horse vet becoming a ‘real’ doctor and in the palace too!
WHAT HAPPENED WHEN THE KING DIED?
After a king died, the country came to a stop to mourn. High officials had to keep things running in government during this time until the crown prince was made king in a solemn ceremony.
During the ceremony tribute was paid to the dead king. And in the final part of the ceremony the new king would be inaugurated. But he was supposed to look solemn and reticent as he took his place on the throne – not leap into the seat with gusto suggesting that he was glad he was now the king and his father was gone! 😉
Then the new king gave an inaugural speech to the public. But formal recognition was also required from China so diplomats were sent there to get documents and a gold Royal Seal.
Ancestral Rites for all the previous kings were held at Jongmyo Royal Ancestral Shrine. Jongmyo Jerye, the Royal Ancestral Rite, was the most important state ritual. It was conducted by the King 5 times a year at Jeongjeon (the main hall) and twice a year at Yeongnyeongjeon (a smaller hall built later when Jeongjeon couldn’t accommodate any more tablets). We can still see a reenactment of this ceremony every year in May.
The kings and their queens were buried in tombs usually outside the capital as the tombs needed a lot of space and had to be positioned in a suitable place with good feng sui. There are several locations where we can visit the tombs of the Joseon kings from the splendid (King Sejong’s tomb) to the humble (Yeonsangun’s tomb) Take a look at King Sukjong and Jang Hee Bin’s tombs
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Information in the post was found from sources including:
The Land of Scholars Two Thousand Years of Korean Confucianism by Kang Jae-eun
A Review of Korean History vol. 2 Joseon Era by Han Young Woo
Click into the Hermit Kingdom: Virtual Adventure into the Joseon Dynasty by Yang Sun-jin
The Confucian Kingship of Korea: Yongjo and the Politics of Sagacity by by Jahyun Kim Haboush
Great Korean Portraits by Cho Sun Mi
Read more on Joseon Kings:
What information can we find in the Annals of King Taejo, first king of Joseon?
Where is the tomb of King Sejong the Great?
Jeonju – Home of King Taejo, the First King of the Joseon Dynasty
The Memoirs of Lady Hyegyeong – wife of Prince Sado who died in the rice chest.
Chart of Joseon Kings and historical dramas