Queen Sasuk facts for kids

Queen Sasuk (Hangul: 사숙왕후 이씨; Hanja: 思肅王后 李氏; around 1065 – around 1107) was an important queen in the ancient Korean kingdom of Goryeo. She was the second wife of King Seonjong and the mother of his son, King Heonjong. She belonged to the powerful Incheon Yi family.

Life of Queen Sasuk

How did she become a Queen?

Queen Sasuk married King Seonjong when he was still known as Duke Gukwon. At first, she was called his "Concubine," but after his first wife passed away, she became the "Duchess Consort Gukwon." She lived with him in his home until he became king.

In 1083, Duke Gukwon became King Seonjong. After he took the throne, she was given the royal title of Consort Yeonhwa and lived in Yeonhwa Palace. They had a son in 1084 and two daughters. Sadly, their first daughter died very young. Their second daughter was born blind, which meant she could not marry.

Becoming a Regent and Later Life

King Seonjong became very sick and passed away in 1094. Their only son, Heonjong, became the new king. He was only 11 years old at the time. Because he was so young, his mother, Queen Sasuk, became the regent. This meant she ruled the kingdom for him. She was in charge of all government and military decisions.

As the Queen Mother, she moved to a special mansion to help strengthen the royal family's power. She went to the royal court every day to watch over the government. Her orders were as powerful as the King's own commands.

In 1095, King Heonjong's uncle, Duke Gyerim (who later became King Sukjong), took over the throne. This happened because the Queen Mother's cousin, Yi Ja-ui, tried to start a rebellion against Duke Gyerim. Yi Ja-ui lost his life for this attempt.

After ruling for only one year and five months, the young King Heonjong had to give up his throne to his uncle. Queen Sasuk's official home was closed, and she lost all her power. She and her son moved back to the old palace where King Seonjong had lived when he was a duke.

They lived quietly in Heungseong Palace. Two years later, in 1097, King Heonjong passed away. Queen Sasuk lived for about ten more years, passing away around 1107 when she was in her early 40s. She was buried in the same tomb as her husband.

What happened after her death?

Years later, King Sukjong's son, King Yejong, made sure Queen Sasuk was properly buried with her husband in Illeung tomb in Gaeseong. He also held a special ceremony for her.

Officials at the time recognized Queen Sasuk's importance. They said she had contributed a lot to the kingdom as the wife of Duke Gukwon and later as Queen. They also noted that she showed great leadership as a regent, using her political power to rule on behalf of her young son. This shows she was a very influential woman during her time.

One historian described her as a woman who "enjoyed the highest power as a regent" and came from a very important noble family during a time when powerful families had a lot of influence in Goryeo.

Her Royal Names

Over time, more names were added to Queen Sasuk's official title to honor her.

• In April 1140, during the reign of King Injong, the name Jeong-hwa (정화, 貞和) was added.
• In October 1253, during the reign of King Gojong, the name Gwang-suk (광숙, 匡肅) was also added to her Posthumous name.