Yeongjo of Joseon

Infobox_Monarch
name =Yeongjo
title =King of Joseon


caption =
reign =August 30, 1724 - March 5, 1776
coronation =August 30, 1724
predecessor =Gyeongjong of Joseon
successor =Jeongjo of Joseon
consort =Queen Jeongseong, Queen Jeongsun
issue =Crown Prince Sado
royal house =House of Yi
royal anthem =
father =Sukjong of Joseon
mother =
date of birth =birth date|1694|9|13|mf=y
place of birth =
date of death =death date and age|1776|3|5|1694|9|13|mf=y
place of death =
buried =|Infobox Korean name
title=Korean name
hangul=영조
hanja=英祖
rr=Yeongjo
mr=Yǒngjo
hangulborn=이금
hanjaborn=李昑
rrborn=I Geum
mrborn=I Kŭm
hangulho=양성헌
hanjaho=養性軒
rrho=Yangseongheon
mrho=Yangsŏnghŏn
hangulja=광숙
hanjaja=光叔
rrja=Gwangsuk
mrja=Kwangsuk

Yeongjo (1694-1776, r. 1724-1776) was the twenty-first king of the Korean Joseon Dynasty. He was the second son of Sukjong, and succeeded his older brother Gyeongjong.

King Yeongjo was a deeply Confucian monarch, and is said to have had a greater knowledge of the classics than his officials.Fact|date=February 2007 During the reign of Yeongjo and his grandson Jeongjo, Confucianization was at its height as was economic recovery from the wars of the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries.

The king is also famous for having treasured Park Mun-su, who was appointed as "Amhaeng-eosa" (암행어사) or secret governmental inspectors. Park, who had earned great merit in putting down Yi In-ja's rebellion, went around the nation arresting corrupt local officers in the name of the king.

The only significantly dismal incident during Yeongjo's reign was the forced suicide of his son, the crown prince Sado. Sado most likely suffered from mental illness. He randomly killed people in the palace and was a sexual deviant. Yeongjo refused to kill his son with his own hand and Sado would not follow orders from his father to take his own life. On a hot August day in 1767, Sado was ordered to climb into a large wooden rice chest. After eight days, Sado died of suffocation.

Nine years later Yeongjo died, and Sado's son, Jeongjo became king. Yeongjo was buried in the dynastic tombs at Donggureung.

Yeongjo was the first to take action against Roman Catholic activities in the country. By the 18th century, Catholicism was beginning to acquire a following especially in the Gangwon and Hwanghae provinces. In 1758, Yeongjo officially outlawed Catholicism as an evil practice.

Family

*Father: King Sukjong (숙종)
*Mother: Royal Noble Consort Sook of the Choi clan (숙빈 최씨)
*Consorts:
# Queen Jeongseong of the Seo clan (정성왕후 서씨, 1692-1757) [Daughter of Seo Jong-je (서종제) and Lady Lee] [She was given the tile "Princess Consort" (군부인) before she was given the title "Queen"]
# Queen Jeongsun of the Kim clan (정순왕후 김씨, 1745–1805) [Daughter of Kim Han-gu (김한구) and Lady Won]
# Royal Noble Consort Jeong of the Lee clan (정빈 이씨)
# Royal Noble Consort Yeong of the Lee clan (영빈 이씨) [Daughter of Lee Yoo-beon (이유번) and Lady Kim]
# Jo "Gwi-in" (귀인 조씨)
# Moon "Suk-ui" (숙의 문씨) [Afterwards was known as "Deposed Moon "Suk-ui" (폐숙의 문씨)]
*Issue:
# Prince Successor Hyojang (효장세자, 1719–1728), Only Son of Royal Noble Consort Jeong of the Lee clan. [He is given the title "Jinjong" (진종)]
# Prince Successor Sado (사도세자, 1735-1762), Only Son of Royal Noble Consort Yeong of the Lee clan [He is given the posthumous title "Jangjo" (장조)] .
# Princess Hwapyeong (화평옹주) - 1st Daughter of Royal Noble Consort Yeong of the Lee clan.
# Princess Hwahyeop (화협옹주) - 2nd Daughter of Royal Noble Consort Yeong of the Lee clan.
#Princess Hwawan (화완옹주) - 3rd Daughter of Royal Noble Consort Yeong of the Lee clan.
# Princess Hwasoon (화순옹주) - 2nd Daughter of Royal Noble Consort Jeong of the Lee clan. [The first daughter died at childbirth]
# Princess Hwayoo (화유옹주) - Only Daughter of Jo "Gwi-in".
# Princess Hwaryeong (화령옹주) - 1st Daughter of Moon "Suk-ui".
# Princess Hwagil (화길옹주) - 2nd Daughter of Moon "Suk-ui".

His full posthumous name

* King Yeongjo Jangsun Jihaeng Sundeok Yeongmo Uiryeol Jang-ui Hong-yun Gwang-in Donhui Checheon Geongeuk Seonggong Sinhwa Daeseong Gwang-un Gaetae Giyeong Yomyeong Suncheol Geon-geon Gonyeong Baemyeong Sutong Gyeongryeok Honghyu Junghwa Yungdo Sukjang Changhun Jeongmun Seonmu Huigyeong Hyeonhyo the Great of Korea
* 영조장순지행순덕영모의렬장의홍윤광인돈희체천건극성공신화대성광운개태기영요명순철건건곤영배명수통경력홍휴중화융도숙장창훈정문선무희경현효대왕
* 英祖莊順至行純德英謨毅烈章義洪倫光仁敦禧體天建極聖功神化大成廣運開泰基永堯明舜哲乾健坤寧配命垂統景曆洪休中和隆道肅莊彰勳正文宣武熙敬顯孝大王

References

ee also

*History of Korea
*Rulers of Korea
*Joseon Dynasty