Gwanghaegun or Prince Gwanghae (Korean: 광해군; Hanja: 光海君; 4 June 1575 – 7 August 1641), personal name Yi Hon (이혼; 李琿), was the 15th monarch of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. As he was deposed in a coup d'état, he did not receive a temple name.
Biography
Birth and background
Gwanghaegun was the second son of King Seonjo, born to Lady Kim Gong-Bin, a concubine. When Japan invaded Korea to attack the Ming Empire, he was installed as Crown Prince. When the king fled north to the border of Ming, he set up a branch court and fought defensive battles. During and after the Seven Year War (1592–1598), he acted as the de facto ruler of the Joseon Dynasty, commanding battles and taking care of the reconstruction of the nation after the devastating wars, in the place of old and weak King Seonjo.[1]
Although it brought prestige to him, his position was still unstable. He had an elder but incompetent brother Prince Imhae (Imhaegun, 임해군, 臨海君) and a younger but legitimate brother Grand Prince Yeongchang (Yeongchang Daegun, 영창대군, 永昌大君), who was supported by the Lesser Northerners faction. Fortunately for Gwanghae, King Seonjo's abrupt death made it impossible for his favorite son Yeongchang to succeed to the throne.
Violence of Greater Northerner faction
Before King Seonjo died, he named Prince Gwanghae as his official successor to the throne and ordered his advisers to make a royal document. However, Lyu Young-gyong of the Lesser Northerners faction hid the document and plotted to install Grand Prince Yeongchang as king, only to be found out by the head of the Great Northerners faction (대북; 大北), Jeong In-hong. Lyu was executed immediately and Grand Prince Yeongchang was arrested and executed the following year.
After the incident, Gwanghae tried to bring officials from various political and regional background to his court, but his plan was interrupted by Greater Northerners including Yi I-cheom and Jeong In-hong. Then, Greater Northerners began to take members of other political factions out of the government, especially Lesser Northerners. In 1613, the Greater Northerners moved against Grand Prince Yeongchang; his grandfather Kim Je-nam was found guilty of treason and executed, while Yeongchang was sent into exile, where he too was executed. At the same time, Greater Northerners suppressed the Lesser Northerners; in 1618, Yeongchang's mother, Queen Inmok, was stripped of her title and imprisoned. Gwanghae had no power to stop this even though he was the official head of the government.[citation needed]
Achievements
Despite his poor reputation after his death, he was a talented and pragmatic politician. He endeavored to restore the country and sponsored the restoration of documents. As a part of reconstruction, he revised land ordinance and redistributed land to the people; he also ordered the rebuilding of Changdeok Palace along with several other palaces. Additionally, he was responsible for the reintroduction of the hopae identification system after a long period of disuse.[2]
In foreign affairs he sought a balance between the Ming Empire and the Manchus. Since he realized Joseon was unable to compete with Manchu military power, he tried to maintain friendly relationship with the Manchus while the kingdom was still under the suzerainty of Ming, which angered the Ming and dogmatic Confucian Koreans. The critically worsened Manchu-Ming relationship forced him to send ten thousand soldiers to aid Ming in 1619.[3] However, the Battle of Sarhū ended in Manchu's overwhelming victory. The Korean General Gang Hong-rip lost two-thirds of his troops and surrendered to Nurhaci. Gwanghaegun negotiated independently for peace with the Manchus and managed to avoid another war. He also restored diplomatic relationship with Japan in 1609 when he reopened trade with Japan through Treaty of Giyu, and sent his ambassadors to Japan in 1617.
In the domestic sphere, Gwanghaegun implemented the Daedong law, which let his subjects pay their taxes more easily. However, this law was activated only in Gyeonggi Province, which was the largest granary zone at that time, and it took a century for the law to be extended across the whole kingdom. He encouraged publishing in order to accelerate reconstruction and to restore the kingdom's former prosperity. Many books were written during his reign, including the medical book Dongui Bogam, and several historical records were rewritten in this period. In 1616, tobacco was first introduced to Korea and it soon became popular amongst the Korean aristocracy.
Dethronement and later life
On April 11, 1623, Gwanghaegun was deposed in a coup by the Westerners faction. The coup directed by Kim Yu took place at night, Gwanghaegun fled but was captured later.[4] He was confined first on Ganghwa Island and then on Jeju Island, where he died in 1641.[5] He does not have a royal mausoleum like the other Joseon rulers. His and Lady Ryu's remains were buried at a comparatively humble site in Namyangju in Gyeonggi Province. The Westerners faction installed Neungyanggun as the sixteenth king Injo who promulgated pro-Ming and anti-Manchu policies, which resulted in two subsequent Manchu invasions.
Legacy
Gwanghaegun's tomb
Gwanghaegun is one of only two deposed kings who were not restored and given a temple name (the other one being Yeonsangun).
He remains a polarizing figure among historians. Historian Oh Hang-nyeong strongly criticized the king, writing that he "practically used up the country’s entire budget solely for the construction of palaces, his policies were flawed and moreover, he was absent in many of the cabinet meetings. Gwanghaegun failed to communicate with his servants and with his people." However, historian Lee Duk-il praised the king, did that he "indeed made some political errors, but during his reign, the famous oriental medical book 'Donguibogam' was published and he created the tax system 'Daedong law' that was enforced for the benefit of the people." Despite the controversy over the king's handling of domestic policies, most historians have a positive assessment of Gwanghae's acts regarding foreign affairs.[6]
Referenced in rapper Agust D's 2020 regnal march inspired Daechwita.[41][42] Both the song's lyrics and accompanying Lumpens music video draw further from the 2012 film Masquerade with Agust D portraying a scarred tyrant threatened by the arrival of his modern era doppelganger.[43][44]
Literature
Gwanghae's Lover, a 2013 novel written by Euodia. Originally posted on web portal Naver, it is a love story about Gwanghae and a time traveling high school girl.[45]
^Rutt, Richard; Pratt, Keith L.; Hoare, James (1999). Korea: A Historical and Cultural Dictionary. United Kingdom: Routledge. ISBN0-7007-0463-9. (p252)
^Was honored as “Queen Gongseong of the Gimhae Kim clan” (공성왕후; 恭聖王后) and was given the posthumous title “자숙단인공성왕후, 慈淑端仁恭聖王后” during her son’s reign.
^Was given the royal title of “Internal Prince Haeryeong” (해령부원군; 海寧府院君)
^After her husband's deposition, she was known as "Deposed Queen Yu" (폐비 유씨).
^She was posthumously referred to as "Queen Hyejang" (혜장왕후).
^Married Deposed Crown Princess Park of the Miryang Park clan (폐빈 밀양 박씨; 廢嬪 密陽 朴氏; 1598–1623) and had a daughter (died prematurely).
^With an unnamed concubine, he had a daughter, Princess Yi Ah-gi (현주 이아기; 縣主 李娥其; 1618–?).
^His second concubine, Royal Consort Heo of the Yangcheon Heo clan (소훈 양천 허씨; 昭訓 許氏), was the daughter Heo Gyun (the younger brother of Heo Nanseolheon).
^Daughter of Heo Gyeong (허경, 許儆; 1566–1617) and Lady Shin of the Pyeongsan Shin clan (평산 신씨; 平山 申氏). Niece of Heo Jeok.
^Heo Gyeong’s mother, Min Yeon-hyang, Lady Min of the Yeoheung Min clan (민연향, 閔蓮香; 1540–?), was the granddaughter of Princess Gyeongsuk (daughter of King Seongjong), the aunt of Royal Noble Consort Jeong of the Yeoheung Min clan (concubine of King Seonjo), and a first cousin thrice removed of Queen Inhyeon.
^Before being promoted to the rank of Bin, Lady Heo was given the rank of Royal Consort Suk-ui (숙의)
^Daughter of Yun Hong-yeop (윤홍업; 尹弘業) and Lady Yu of the Changwon Yu clan (창원 유씨).
^Lady Yun was firstly promoted to Suk-ui (숙의; 淑儀) and then to So-ui (소의; 昭儀). She was lastly promoted to Gwi-in (귀인; 貴人)
^Due to her father’s disposition, she was known as Lady Yi of the Jeonju Yi clan of 8th rank (단인 전주 이씨). “Danin” (단인; 端人) is a rank given to wives whose husband have a government position of 8th rank.
^Was known before as Royal Consort Suk-won (숙원; 淑媛), and then as Royal Consort So-won (소원; 昭媛)
^Daughter of Jeong Sang-heon (정상헌; 鄭象獻) and an unnamed slave concubine, niece of Jeong Ji-san (정지산; 鄭之産; ?–1617), and granddaughter of Jeong Sa-ryong (정사룡; 鄭士龍; 19 December 1491 – 2 October 1570/1573).
^Daughter of Im Mong-jeong (임몽정; 任夢正) and his concubine. Niece of Im Choi-jeong (임취정; 任就正; 1561–1628).
# denotes that the king was deposed and never received a temple name.
^Those who were listed were not reigning monarchs but posthumously recognized; the year following means the year of recognition.
^Only the crown princes that didn't become the king were listed; the former year indicates when one officially became the heir and the latter one is that when one died/deposed. Those who ascended to the throne were excluded in the list for simplification.
^The title given to the biological father, who never reigned, of the kings who were adopted as the heir to a precedent king.
^The de jure monarch of Korea during the era was the Emperor of Japan, while the former Korean emperors were given nobility title "King Yi" instead.
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