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Child Kings: By. Robert Neff

King Heonjeong died at age 21 without an heir, leaving Joseon in turmoil. The Dowager Queen chose a 19-year-old distant relative, Cheoljong, to become the new king due to his illiteracy and lack of social graces, allowing her to continue ruling. Cheoljong was found plowing fields on Ganghwa Island and brought to Seoul, though he could not hide his humble origins. His rule was challenged by another royal family member who staged a coup, but it failed and he was executed. Cheoljong died at a young age from overindulgence, leaving Joseon again without a clear successor, leading to conflicts over who would become the next king.

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61 views2 pages

Child Kings: By. Robert Neff

King Heonjeong died at age 21 without an heir, leaving Joseon in turmoil. The Dowager Queen chose a 19-year-old distant relative, Cheoljong, to become the new king due to his illiteracy and lack of social graces, allowing her to continue ruling. Cheoljong was found plowing fields on Ganghwa Island and brought to Seoul, though he could not hide his humble origins. His rule was challenged by another royal family member who staged a coup, but it failed and he was executed. Cheoljong died at a young age from overindulgence, leaving Joseon again without a clear successor, leading to conflicts over who would become the next king.

Uploaded by

aillenhart
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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CHILD KINGS

By. Robert Neff*



On July 25, 1849, King Heonjeong, Joseons 24th monarch, died. His death left the
nation in a horrible state. Although he had ruled (in name) for some 15 years, he was only 21
at his death and had no heir to pass on the monarchy. There was only one option, for the
Dowager Queen to adopt a distant relative and proclaim him king.
The choice fell upon a distant relative a 19-year-old boy who would come to be known
as King Cheoljong. The decision was based mainly upon the boys illiteracy and lack of
grace a perfect tool for the Dowager Queen to continue to rule the country.
But before he could be crowned, he had to be found. Politics in the Joseon era was
dangerous and so, for their own protection, the boys family had moved away into obscurity
on Ganghwa Island.
In secrecy the prime minister made his way to Ganghwa Island where he found the
future-king plowing a field, his hair in a queue down his back and his face tanned by the
sun.
He was quickly taken back to Seoul where he was proclaimed king and quickly married
to the daughter of one of the strongest families in the capital. Despite the extravagance and
wealth around him, he was a rather simple man who could not hide his past.
Even within the Western community of Shanghai, Cheoljongs austere past was
known. When Monsieur de Montigny, the French consul, and a group of Westerners traveled
to Korea in 1851 to help rescue a group of shipwrecked French whalers they noted: The
newly ascended King whose designation is Jin-ho (Sun-fire) is said to have sprung from a
very humble position in society, he who is now a King, being actually said to have been once
a beggar!
Cheoljongs rule was not without its strife. In 1862, Yi Ha-jon, another member of the
royal family, felt he would be a better king than Cheoljong and decided to take matters into
his own hands and seize the throne. His coup failed in its infancy and he paid for his
transgression with his life. Rather than be ignobly executed, he was allowed to end
his life in a more dignified manner with poison.
But Cheoljong, who was quite fond of food and drink, did not live very long. On Jan. 16,
1864, he died, a victim of his own excesses. Like the previous king, he had no male heirs.
Despite siring five sons and six daughters only one child, a daughter, lived past infancy and
the Korean court found itself in the same position it had been when he had ascended the
throne.
Usually, when a king dies, especially one so young, there are rumors of conspiracies and
assassinations. Cheoljongs death was no different. William Franklin Sands, an American
advisor, claimed that as the king was dying, Yi Ha-eung (who would later became known as
Heungseon Daewongun) rushed into the room and by threats and violence drove out the
timid eunuchs and palace women from the room. Shortly afterwards Yi emerged from the
room and declared that the king had died but prior to his death he had pronounced Yis 12-
year-old son (later known as Gojong) the 26th king of Joseon. He also noted that Yi was to
be Gojongs regent until the young king came of age.
Sands, who got his information second-hand, claimed that there were ugly rumors that
the king, though dying had died a little hastily on the arrival of [Yi Ha-eung]; a trifle sooner,
perhaps, than in the course of nature.
Sands description of the events appears to have been less-than-accurate and possibly
colored by his own feelings of distaste for Heungseon Daewongun. However, it is a fact, that
Gojong was the last child-king and for that matter, king of Korea.

*Robert Neff is a contributing writer for The Korea Times.
Source: http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/culture/2013/03/362_128317.html

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