Seonjo of Joseon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Seonjo of Joseon朝鮮宣祖 조선 선조 |
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| King of Joseon | |||||||||
| Reign | 1567–1608 | ||||||||
| Predecessor | Myeongjong of Joseon | ||||||||
| Successor | Gwanghaegun of Joseon | ||||||||
| Regent | Crown Prince Gwanghae (1592–1608) |
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| Born | 26 November 1552 Hanseong, Kingdom of Joseon |
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| Died | 16 March 1608 (aged 55) Hanseong, Kingdom of Joseon |
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| Consort | Queen Uiin (m.1569–d.1600) Queen Inmok (m.1602–1608) |
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| Issue | Gwanghaegun of Joseon | ||||||||
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| House | Jeonju Yi | ||||||||
| Father | Yi Cho, Grand Internal Prince Deokheung (biological) Yi Hwan, King Myeongjong (adoptive) |
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| Mother | Grand Internal Princess Consort Hadong of the Hadong Jeong clan (biological) Queen Insun (adoptive) |
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| Religion | Confucianism | ||||||||
| Seonjo of Joseon | |
| Hangul |
선조
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| Hanja | |
| Revised Romanization | Seonjo |
| McCune–Reischauer | Sŏnjo |
| Birth name | |
| Hangul |
이연
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| Hanja |
李昖
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| Revised Romanization | I Yeon |
| McCune–Reischauer | Yi Yŏn |
Seonjo of Joseon (born Yi Yeon) was the 14th king of the Joseon dynasty in Korea. He ruled from 1567 to 1608. King Seonjo was known for supporting Confucianism and improving the country when he first became king. However, his later rule faced problems like political disagreements and challenges during the Japanese invasions.
Biography of King Seonjo
Early Life and Becoming King
King Seonjo was born in 1552 in Hanseong, which was the capital of Korea. His birth name was Yi Yeon. He was the third son of Prince Deokheung. Prince Deokheung was the son of King Jungjong.
Yi Yeon was given the title of Prince Haseong. Later, he was adopted by Queen Insun. When King Myeongjong died without a child, Prince Haseong was next in line for the throne. The royal court decided he should be king. He was crowned king in 1567 when he was 16 years old.
King Seonjo's Early Rule (1567–1575)
When King Seonjo first became king, he focused on making life better for ordinary people. He also worked to rebuild the country after a time of political problems. He supported Sarim scholars, who were wise thinkers who had faced hard times before.
Seonjo continued to make government changes. He brought many famous Confucian scholars into important roles. These included Yi Hwang, Yi I, and Yu Seong-ryong.
He also improved the system for choosing government officials. Before, the tests mainly focused on literature. King Seonjo ordered that history and politics should be more important subjects. He also honored scholars who had been unfairly treated in the past. These actions made the people respect the king, and the country had a peaceful time.
Political Divisions and Factions (1575–1592)
King Seonjo invited many scholars to join the government. Among them were Sim Ui-gyeom and Kim Hyowon. Sim was a relative of the queen and liked to keep things traditional. Kim was a leader for new officials who wanted changes.
The scholars who supported King Seonjo started to split into two groups. One group followed Sim, and the other followed Kim. These groups even lived in different parts of the city. Sim's group lived in the west, and Kim's group lived in the east. Because of this, they became known as the Western Faction and the Easterners. This two-group political system lasted for 200 years.
At first, the Westerners were favored by the king. However, the Easterners eventually gained more power. The Easterners then split into two more groups: the Northern and Southern Factions. These political divisions made the country weaker.
One important issue was the size of the military. Yi I, a wise leader, told the king to make the army bigger. He warned that Korea needed to prepare for possible attacks from the Jurchens and Japanese. But both political groups disagreed with Yi's idea. They thought the peaceful time would last, so the army's size was made even smaller.
The Jurchens and Japanese used this chance to grow stronger. This led to the Seven-Year War and the rise of the Qing dynasty in China. Both events caused great damage to Korea.
Warnings from Japan
King Seonjo faced challenges from both the Jurchens and the Japanese. He sent military leaders to the northern border. However, the Japanese, led by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, became the bigger threat. Many Koreans worried that Japan would invade.
Officials urged the king to send people to Japan. Their goal was to find out if Hideyoshi was planning an invasion. But the two main political groups couldn't agree on this important matter. So, one person from each group was sent.
When they returned, their reports caused more confusion. Hwang Yun-gil of the Westerners said Hideyoshi was building a huge army. But Kim Seong-Il of the Easterners said he didn't think the forces were for war against Korea. Since the Easterners had more power, Hwang's warnings were ignored. King Seonjo decided not to prepare for war, even though Hideyoshi's letter showed his interest in taking over Asia.
The Six-Year War (1592–1598)
In 1591, Toyotomi Hideyoshi sent his own people to King Seonjo. He asked for permission to pass through Korea to invade China. This was like declaring war on Korea. The king was surprised. He refused the request and sent a letter to China to warn them. He also ordered forts to be built along the coast. Generals Sin Rip and Yi Il were sent to the south to get ready for war.
While Korea prepared, the Japanese made many muskets for their soldiers. They gathered warriors from all over Japan.
First Invasion (1592)
On April 13, 1592, about 700 Japanese ships invaded Korea. They easily captured Fort Busan and Fort Donglae. They killed the commanders and marched north. More Japanese troops landed the next day and also marched towards the capital, Hanyang. A large Japanese navy supported them from the sea.
Korean forces lost battles to the Japanese. General Yi Il and General Sin Rip were defeated. King Seonjo appointed General Kim Myeong-won to defend the capital. But the king had to move to Pyongyang as the Japanese advanced. He later moved even further north to Uiju. While the king was away, many people who had lost hope looted the palace and burned public buildings. This caused more damage than the Japanese did when they captured the city.
Turning the Tide
Even though the army was losing, the Korean navy was successful. Admiral Yi Sun-sin cut off the Japanese supply lines from the sea. He defeated the Japanese fleet many times. With supplies blocked, Chinese forces arrived and began to push the Japanese south. They eventually took back Pyongyang.
The Japanese tried to push the Koreans north again, but they were defeated at the Battle of Hangju. General Gwon Yul won with a much smaller force. The Japanese then decided to talk about peace, but both sides kept fighting. During these talks, Koreans took back Seoul. However, the palaces were all burned down. So, King Seonjo repaired an old royal family house and named it Deoksugung, making it a new official palace.
Second Invasion (1597)
The peace talks between China and Japan failed. This was because of misunderstandings and wrong information about the Koreans. The Japanese invaded Korea again in 1597. But this time, all three nations were ready for war. The Japanese could not advance as easily as before.
The Japanese tried to take Hanyang by land and sea. At first, their plan seemed to work when they defeated Admiral Won Gyun at sea. But Admiral Yi Sun-sin, with only 13 ships, defeated the Japanese fleet in the Battle of Myeongnyang. This battle, along with the sudden death of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, effectively ended the war. The Japanese completely left Korea in 1598. The Battle of Noryang marked the end of the war.
King Seonjo's Later Years (1598–1608)
King Seonjo made efforts during the war, like setting up army training and changing tax laws. For example, people could get a higher social class or avoid labor if they paid taxes in rice. However, the war left the country devastated and people starving.
After the war, King Seonjo wanted to rebuild the nation. But political arguments and famine made it hard. King Seonjo lost hope in leading the country. He let his Crown Prince Gwanghaegun rule in his place.
However, when the queen had a son, who was younger than Gwanghaegun, there was a disagreement about who should be the next king. King Seonjo died in 1608. At that time, political divisions and threats from outside still troubled Korea.
Modern Depictions of King Seonjo
King Seonjo has been shown in many TV shows and movies:
- Portrayed by Kim Sung-ok in the 1995 KBS2 TV series West Palace.
- Portrayed by Park Chan-hwan in the 1999–2000 MBC TV series Hur Jun.
- Portrayed by Im Dong-jin in the 2003 SBS The King's Woman.
- Portrayed by Choi Cheol-ho in the 2004–2005 KBS1 TV series Immortal Admiral Yi Sun-sin.
- Portrayed by Kim Chang-wan in the 2010 film Blades of Blood.
- Portrayed by Jeon No-min in the 2013 MBC TV series Hur Jun, The Original Story.
- Portrayed by Jeong Bo-seok in the 2013 MBC TV series Goddess of Fire.
- Portrayed by Lee Sung-jae in the 2014 KBS2 TV series The King's Face.
- Portrayed by Kim Tae-woo in the 2015 KBS1 TV series The Jingbirok: A Memoir of Imjin War.
- Portrayed by Park Yeong-gyu in the 2015 MBC TV series Splendid Politics.
- Portrayed by Lee Ji-hoon in the 2016 JTBC TV series Mirror of the Witch.
- Portrayed by Kim Hyun-bin in the 2016 MBC TV series Flowers of the Prison.
- Portrayed by Jang Hyuk in the 2019 tvN TV Series The Crowned Clown.
See also
In Spanish: Seonjo de Joseon para niños
- List of Koreans
- Rulers of Korea
