Chungnyeol of Goryeo

King Chungnyeol of Goryeo (3 April 1236 – 30 July 1308) was the 25th ruler of the medieval Korean kingdom of Goryeo from 1274 to 1308. He was the son of Wonjong, his predecessor on the throne. Chungnyeol was king during the Mongol Invasions of Japan, aiding in the offensives.

Biography

King Chungnyeol was the first Goryeo ruler to be remembered by the title wang (王), meaning "king". Previous rulers had received temple names with the suffix jo (祖) or jong (宗), meaning "revered ancestor" and a title typically reserved for emperors. After Goryeo became a vassal of the Mongol Yuan dynasty, Yuan emperor Kublai Khan perceived this practice as lowering his own power and ordered that the Goryeo rulers could not receive such names henceforth.

King Chungnyeol, as Crown Prince Sim, proposed to marry a daughter of Kublai Khan. Kublai Khan agreed and for more than 80 years, Goryeo kings married members of Mongol royalty. Heirs to the throne were given Mongol names and were sent to Dadu where they were raised until they reached adulthood.

King Chungnyeol is also known as the fixer who instigated Mongol Emperor to invade Japan with voluntary and overall naval aid to invade Japan together with Mongol Empire.

Family

• Father: King Wonjong of Goryeo (5 April 1219 – 23 July 1274) (고려 원종)
  • Grandfather : King Gojong of Goryeo (3 February 1192 – 21 July 1259) (고려 고종)
  • Grandmother : Queen Anhye of the Kaesong Wang clan (? – 1 June 1232) (안혜왕후 왕씨)
• Mother: Queen Jeongsun of the Gyeongju Kim clan (1222 – 29 July 1237) (정순왕후 김씨)
  • Grandfather : Kim Yak-Seon (김약선)
  • Grandmother : Lady Choi of the Ubong Choi clan (우봉 최씨)
• Consorts:

1. Queen Jangmok of the Borjigin clan (28 June 1259 – 21 May 1297) (장목왕후)
   1. King Chungseon of Goryeo (20 October 1275 – 23 June 1325) (고려 충선왕)
   2. Unnamed son (1278 – ?)
   3. Unnamed daughter (1277 – ?)
2. Princess Jeongshin of the Kaesong Wang clan (? – 4 April 1319) (정신부주 왕씨)
   1. Wang Ja, Prince Gangyang (? – 12 April 1308) (강양공 왕자)
   2. Princess Jeongnyeong (정녕원비)
   3. Princess Myeongsun (? – 7 August 1320) (명순원비)
3. Royal Consort Sukchang Won-Bi of the Eonyang Kim clan (숙비 김씨)
4. Unknown Concubine
   1. Wang Seo (왕서)
5. Royal Consort Mu-Bi of the Taein Si clan (? – 1297) (무비 시씨)

In popular culture

• Portrayed by Jin Won in the 2012 MBC TV series God of War.
• Portrayed by Jeong Bo-seok in the 2017 MBC TV series The King in Love.

See also

• List of Korea-related topics
• Rulers of Korea
• History of Korea
• Korea under Yuan rule
• List of Goryeo people

References

• 충렬왕 (in Korean). Doosan Encyclopedia.