Munjong of Joseon

Yi Hyang was the longest holder of the position of Crown Prince during the Joseon Dynasty, holding the position from 1421 to 1450, a record 29 years. In January 1421, Sejong instructed that the eight-year-old Yi Hyang be educated by ministers from the Hall of Worthies, then in October the same year, he was made crown prince and sent to study at the Sungkyunkwan.[1] From 1442 until his own accession to the throne in 1450, he served as regent to King Sejong.[2]

Most of Yi Hyang's achievements were performed during his life as crown prince. Although credit is primarily given to Jang Yeong-sil for inventing the water gauge, the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty state that it was the crown prince who found measures of water levels in the ground. Yi Hyang also contributed to the development of Korean vernacular script by his father.[3] He improved Hwacha as well-known type for nowadays, by himself and younger brother Yi Gu, Grand Prince Imyeong (임영대군 이구). Also, it was Munjong who took care of state affairs late during King Sejong's reign, as Sejong developed various illnesses and disorders.

Yi Hyang ascended the Joseon throne as King Munjong in 1450, and his reign marked the beginning of an imbalance of power at court. Kim Bi-hwan describes the, "interaction of the royal authority, administrative power, remonstrative power, and the collective authority of scholars outside the office," before Munjong as contributing to a situation that allowed the Joseon to function constitutionally. During Munjong's reign, however, the power balance collapsed, setting the stage for his brother to lead a coup d'etat in 1452, and was not corrected until the reign of Yeonsangun of Joseon.[4]

Munjong was first married to Royal Noble Consort Hwi of the Andong Kim clan. She reportedly used witchcraft to gain Munjong's love. She burned the shoes of Munjong's mistress, and made her drink the ashes with alcohol. When King Sejong found out about this, he deposed her from her position.

Secondly, Munjong married Royal Noble Consort Sun of the Haeum Bong clan (순빈 봉씨). She was deposed from her position when it was discovered that she drank alcohol, which was not accepted for a woman, and because she had a homsoexual love affair with one of her maids named So-ssang (소쌍).

Lastly, Queen Hyeondeok became the third wife of Munjong. She was reportedly the only wife that Munjong loved, and she gave birth to Princess Gyeonghye and Danjong, but died in childbed. Danjong was the next king of Joseon after Munjong died.

• Father: King Sejong of Joseon (15 May 1397 – 8 April 1450) (세종)
  • Grandfather: King Taejong of Joseon (13 June 1367 – 30 May 1422) (조선 태종)
  • Grandmother: Queen Wongyeong of the Yeoheung Min clan (29 July 1365 – 18 August 1420) (원경왕후 민씨)
• Mother: Queen Soheon of the Cheongsong Shim clan (12 October 1395 – 19 April 1446) (소헌왕후 심씨)
  • Grandfather: Shim On (1375 – 18 January 1419) (심온)
  • Grandmother: Lady Ahn of the Sunheung Ahn clan (? – 1444) (순흥 안씨)
• Consorts and their Respective Issue(s):

1. Royal Noble Consort Hwi of the Andong Kim clan (1410–1429) (휘빈 김씨)[5][6][7]
2. Royal Noble Consort Sun of the Haeum Bong clan (1414–1436) (순빈 봉씨)[8]
3. Queen Hyeondeok of the Andong Kwon clan (17 April 1418 – 10 August 1441) (현덕왕후 권씨)[9][10][11]
   1. An unnamed Daughter (died in childhood)[12]
   2. Princess Gyeonghye (1436 – 30 December 1473) (경혜공주)[13]
   3. King Danjong of Joseon (9 August 1441 – 7 November 1457) (단종)[14]
4. Royal Noble Consort Suk of the Namyang Hong clan (1418 – ?) (숙빈 홍씨)
   1. An unnamed daughter (died in childhood)
5. Royal Consort So-ui of the Ryu clan (소의 류씨)
6. Consort Sa-chik of the Yang clan (사칙 양씨)
   1. Princess Gyeongsuk (1439–?) (경숙옹주)[15]
   2. An unnamed daughter (died in childhood)
7. Royal Consort Suk-ui of the Nampyeong Mun clan (1426 – 1508)[16][17]
8. Royal Consort So-yong of the Kwon clan (소용 권씨)
9. Royal Consort So-yong of the Jeong clan (소용 정씨)
   1. An unnamed son (died in childhood)
10. Consort So-hun of the Yun clan (소훈 윤씨)
11. Consort Seung-hwi of the Yu clan (승휘 유씨)
12. Court Lady Jang (상궁 장씨)
    1. An unnamed son (died in childhood)

• King Munjong Gongsun Heummyung Insuk Gwangmun Seonghyo the Great of Korea
• 문종공순흠명인숙광문성효대왕
• 文宗恭順欽明仁肅光文聖孝大王

• Portrayed by Hwang Chi-hoon in the 1983 MBC TV series The King of Chudong Palace.
• Portrayed by Jeon Moo-song in the 1998 KBS TV series King and Queen.
• Portrayed by Oh Eun-chan and Lee Sang-yeob in the 2008 KBS TV series The Great King, Sejong.
• Portrayed by Park Jung-chul in the 2008 film The Divine Weapon.
• Portrayed by Jung Dong-hwan in the 2011 KBS2 TV series The Princess' Man.
• Portrayed by Sunwoo Jae-duk in the 2011 JTBC TV series Insu, The Queen Mother.
• Portrayed by Kim Tae-woo in 2013 film The Face Reader.
• Portrayed by Han Jeong-woo and Choi Seung-hun in the 2016 KBS1 TV series Jang Yeong-sil.

• Kim, Bi-Hwan (2014). Kang, Jung In (ed.). A Constitutionalist Interpretation of Confucian Politics in the Early Joseon Dynasty. London: Lexington Books. pp. 243–266.
• Jung, Jae-Hoon (2006). "Royal Education of Princes in the Reign of King Sejong". The Review of Korean Studies. 9 (3). pp. 133–152.
• Yeon, Jaehoon (2010). "Was the Korean alphabet a sole invention of King Sejong?". Journal of Korean Culture. 14. pp. 1–20.

1. http://navercast.naver.com/contents.nhn?rid=77&contents_id=57444