Heonjong of Joseon

Heonjong of Joseon
조선 헌종
朝鮮憲宗
King of Joseon
Reign13 December 1834 – 25 July 1849
Enthronement18 December 1834
PredecessorSunjo
SuccessorCheoljong
RegentRoyal Queen Dowager Myeonggyeong (1834–1841)
BornYi Hwan (이환; 李烉)
(1827-09-08)8 September 1827
Gyeongchunjeon Hall, Changdeok Palace, Hanseong, Joseon
Died25 July 1849(1849-07-25) (aged 21)
Junghuidang Hall, Changdeok Palace, Hanseong, Joseon
Burial
Gyeongneung Mausoleum, Dongguneung Cluster, Guri, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea
Spouse(s)
​
(died 1843)​
​
(m. 1844)​
Issue1 daughter
Posthumous name
  • Joseon: King Gyeongmun Wimu Myeongin Cheolhyo the Great
    • 경문위무명인철효대왕
    • 經文緯武明仁哲孝大王
Temple name
Heonjong (헌종; 憲宗)
ClanJeonju Yi clan
DynastyHouse of Yi
FatherMunjo of Joseon
MotherQueen Sinjeong
ReligionKorean Confucianism (Neo-Confucianism)
Korean name
Hangul
헌종
Hanja
Revised RomanizationHeonjong
McCune–ReischauerHŏnjong
Art name
Hangul
원헌
Hanja
Revised RomanizationWonheon
McCune–ReischauerWŏnhŏn
Birth name
Hangul
이환
Hanja
Revised RomanizationI Hwan
McCune–ReischauerYi Hwan
Courtesy name
Hangul
문응
Hanja
Revised RomanizationMuneung
McCune–ReischauerMunŭng
Monarchs of Korea
Joseon monarchs
Taejo 1392–1398
Jeongjong 1398–1400
Taejong 1400–1418
Sejong 1418–1450
Munjong 1450–1452
Danjong 1452–1455
Sejo 1455–1468
Yejong 1468–1469
Seongjong 1469–1494
Yeonsangun 1494–1506
Jungjong 1506–1544
Injong 1544–1545
Myeongjong 1545–1567
Seonjo 1567–1608
Gwanghaegun 1608–1623
Injo 1623–1649
Hyojong 1649–1659
Hyeonjong 1659–1674
Sukjong 1674–1720
Gyeongjong 1720–1724
Yeongjo 1724–1776
Jeongjo 1776–1800
Sunjo 1800–1834
Heonjong 1834–1849
Cheoljong 1849–1864
Gojong 1864–1897

Heonjong (Korean: 헌종; Hanja: 憲宗; 8 September 1827 – 25 July 1849), personal name Yi Hwan (이환; 李烉), was the 24th monarch of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. His father was Crown Prince Hyomyeong, who died at the age of 20 before becoming king, and his mother was Queen Sinjeong of the Pungyang Jo clan.

Biography[edit]

Yi Hwan was born to Crown Princess Jo and Crown Prince Hyomyeong on 8 September 1827 in Gyeongchunjeon (경춘전; 景春殿) within Changdeok Palace. It was said that when the day before he was born, she dreamt of giving her son a box containing a tree carved with jade, and on the day of his birth, a group of cranes flew from the front room and went around for a long time. She and the others considered it to be strange.[1]

The young Heonjong ascended to the throne in 1834 at the age of 7 after his grandfather, King Sunjo, died. Heonjong was the youngest monarch to ascend the throne in Joseon's history.[2] Like King Sunjo, Heonjong took the throne at a young age and his grandmother, Queen Sunwon served as queen regent. Although King Heonjong ascended to the throne, he had no political control over Joseon. When Heonjong reached adulthood, Queen Sunwon refused to give up control. In 1840, the control over the kingdom was then handed down to the Andong Kim clan, the family of his grandmother Queen Sunwon, following the anti-Catholic Gihae persecution of 1839. During Heonjong's reign, he built the Nakseonjae complex and insisted that his beloved concubine, Kim Gyeong-bin, be given sole use of the complex which was an unprecedented move in Joseon's history.[3]

King Heonjong died after reigning for 15 years in 1849 at the age of 21. He was buried at the Gyeongneung tomb within the Donggureung Tomb Cluster in Seoul, where several kings and queens of the Joseon Dynasty were buried, with Queen Hyohyeon and Queen Hyojeong.[4] As King Heonjong died without an heir, the throne passed to a distant descendant of King Yeongjo, King Cheoljong.

As was customary with the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, the chronicle of Heonjong's reign was compiled after his death, in 1851. The compilation of the 16-volume chronicle was supervised by Jo In-yeong, her mother's uncle.

Family[edit]

Consorts and their respective issue:

  1. Queen Hyohyeon of the Andong Kim clan (효현왕후 김씨; 27 April 1828 – 18 October 1843)
  2. Queen Hyojeong of the Namyang Hong clan (효정왕후 홍씨; 6 March 1831 – 2 January 1904)
  3. Royal Noble Consort Gyeong of the Gwangsan Kim clan (경빈 김씨; 27 August 1832 – 21 April 1907)
  4. Royal Noble Consort Jeong of the Haepyeong Yun clan (정빈 윤씨; 1827 – ?)
  5. Royal Consort Suk-ui of the Gimhae Kim clan (숙의 김씨; January 1814 – 12 November 1895)
    1. First daughter (1848–1848)

In popular culture[edit]

Ancestry[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ 헌종 대왕 행장(行狀)
  2. ^ Kim, Hyung-eun. "New life for the palace of sighs". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  3. ^ Kim, Hyung-eun. "New life for the palace of sighs". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  4. ^ "Donggureung Tombs, Gyeonggi, South Korea - 동구릉 (東九陵), 경기 구리시". Asian Historical Architecture. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
Heonjong of Joseon
Born: 8 September 1827 Died: 25 July 1849
Regnal titles
Preceded by King of Joseon
1834–1849
with Queen Sunwon (1834–1841) 		Succeeded by
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