Biography

Background

King Seonjo was born Yi Yeon in 1552 in Hanseong (today, Seoul), capital of Korea, as the third son of Prince Deokheung (덕흥군), himself son of King Jungjong and Royal Noble Consort Changbin Ahn-ssi (창빈 안씨, 1499–1549). He was given the title of Prince Haseong. When King Myeongjong died young without an heir, Prince Haseong was the next in the line of succession. Then, by decision of the royal court, he was crowned king in 1567 at the age of 16. As a result, his father was promoted to the status of Daewongun (대원군, 'Great Prince of the Court)

Early Reign (1567–1575)

King Seonjo focused on the improvement of the lives of the common people, as well as rebuilding the nation after the political corruption during the chaotic reign of Yeonsangun and King Jungjong. He encouraged Sarim scholars, who had been persecuted by entrenched aristocrats in four different purges between 1498 and 1545 during reign of Yeonsangun and Jungjong. Seonjo continued the political reforms of King Myeongjong, and put many famous Confucian scholars, including Yi Hwang, Yi I, Jeong Cheol, and Yu Seong-ryong, in office.

Seonjo also reformed the civil service examination system, particularly the civil official qualification exam. The previous exam was mainly concerned with literature, not with politics or history. The king himself ordered the system to be reformed by increasing the importance of these other subjects. He also restored the reputations of executed scholars such as Jo Gwang-jo, who died in Third Literati Purge of 1519, and denounced the accomplishments of corrupt aristocrats, notably Nam Gon, who instigated the purge under Jungjong and contributed greatly to the corruption of the era. These acts earned the king the respect of the general populace, and the country enjoyed a brief era of peace.

Political division and East-West feud (1575–1592)

Among the scholars King Seonjo called to the government were Sim Ui-gyeom and Kim Hyowon. Sim was a relative of the queen, and heavily conservative. Kim was the leading figure of the new generation of officials, and called for liberal reforms. The scholars who supported King Seonjo began to split into two factions, headed by Sim and Kim. Members of the two factions even lived in the same neighborhood; Sim's faction lived on west side of the city while Kim's followers gathered on the east side. Consequently, the two factions began to be called the Western Faction and the Easterners ; this two-faction based political system lasted 200 years and later helped bring about the collapse of the dynasty.

At first the Westerners earned the favor of the king, since Sim was related to the queen and also had larger support from wealthy nobles. However, their attitudes on reformation and Sim's indecisiveness helped the Easterners take power, and the Westerners fell out of favor. Reforms were accelerated during the first period of influence of the Easterners, but then many Easterners began to urge others to slow down the reforms. The Easterners were once again divided into the Northern and the Southern Faction. Yu Seong-ryong led the Southern faction while the Northerners divided even further after arguments over many issues; the greater Northern faction came to become extremely liberal in the scope of their reform goals, while the 「lesser」 Northern faction was less reformist but still more open to reform than the Southerners.

The political divisions caused the nation to be weakened, since the size of the military was also one of the issues on the reform agenda. Yi I, a neutral conservative, urged the king to increase the size of the army to prepare against future invasions from the Jurchens and Japanese. However, both factions rejected Yi's suggestions, and the size of the army was decreased further since many believed the peaceful period would last. The Jurchens and Japanese used this opportunity to expand their influence in East Asia, resulting in the Seven-Year War, and the foundation of the Qing Dynasty in China, both of which would lead to devastation on the Korean Peninsula.

King Seonjo faced many difficulties dealing with both new threats, sending many skilled military commanders to the northern front, while contending with Japanese leaders Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu in the south. However, after Toyotomi Hideyoshi unified Japan, the Japanese soon proved themselves to be the greater threat; and many Koreans began to fear that their country would be taken over by the Japanese. Many officials concerned with the defense of the kingdom urged the king to send delegates to Hideyoshi, their major purpose being to find out whether Hideyoshi was preparing for invasion or not. However, the two government factions could not even agree on this issue of national importance; so a compromise was made and one delegate from each faction was sent to Hideyoshi. When they returned to Korea, their reports only caused more controversy and confusion. Hwang Yun-gil, of the Westerners faction, reported that Hideyoshi was raising huge numbers of troops, but Kim Seong-Il, of the Easterners faction, told the king that he thought these large forces were not for the war against Korea, since he was trying to complete his reforms quickly to prevent lawlessness and quash the bandits now roaming the countryside. Since the Easterners had the bigger voice in government at the time, Hwang's reports were ignored and Seonjo decided not to prepare for war, even though the attitude of Hideyoshi in his letter to Seonjo clearly showed his interest in the conquest of Asia.

Six-Year War (1592–1598)

In 1591, after the delegates had returned from Japan, Toyotomi Hideyoshi sent his own delegates to visit King Seonjo, and asked permission to pass through the Korean Peninsula to invade China, in effect declaring war against the Joseon kingdom. The king was surprised; after refusing the Japanese request he sent a letter to Beijing to alert the Chinese that the Japanese were actually preparing for full-scale war against the Korean-Chinese alliance. He also ordered the construction of many forts in the coastal regions and sent generals Sin Rip and Yi Il to the southern coast to prepare for war. While the Koreans were busy making their preparations, the Japanese manufactured muskets for many of their soldiers, mobilized warriors from across the entire country.

On April 13, 1592, about 700 Japanese ships under Konishi Yukinaga invaded Korea. Konishi easily burned Fort Busan and Fort Donglae, killed commanders Jeong Bal and Song Sang-hyeon and marched northward. On the next day even more troops under Katō Kiyomasa and Kuroda Nagamasa landed, also marching toward Hanyang. A huge Japanese fleet under Todo Takatora and Kuki Yoshitaka supported them from the sea. General Yi Il faced Katō Kiyomasa at the Battle of Sangju, which was won by Japanese. Then Yi Il met General Sin Rip, but their combined forces were also defeated at the Battle of Chungju by Konishi Yukinaga. Then Seonjo appointed General Kim Myeong-won as Commander-in-Chief and Field Marshal, and ordered him to defend the capital. Then the king moved to Pyongyang, since the Japanese began to seize the capital. He later moved even further north to the border city of Uiju just before the fall of Pyongyang. While the king was absent from the capital, many people who had lost hope in the government plundered the palace and burned many public buildings. This resulted in even more damage than that perpetrated by the Japanese after they had captured the city.

Although the army continued to lose men and battles, the navy successfully cut the Japanese supply line from the sea; Admiral Yi Sun-sin defeated the Japanese fleet several times and did much damage to the supply ships. With the navy blocking supplies, Chinese forces under General Li Rusong arrived, and began to push the Japanese southward, eventually retaking Pyongyang. Konishi Yukinaga successfully blocked a Chinese advance at Battle of Byeokjegwan, and again tried to push the Koreans northward, but the crucial blow came at the Battle of Hangju, where General Gwon Yul defeated the Japanese with a much smaller force. The Japanese then decided to enter into peace negotiations, while both sides continued fighting. During these negotiations Koreans retook Seoul, but the palaces had all been burnt to the ground, so Seonjo repaired one of the old royal family's houses and renamed it Deoksugung, making it one of the official palaces.

The peace negotiations between the Chinese and Japanese ended unsuccessfully, due to a lack of understanding between the two sides and misrepresentation of the Koreans. The Japanese again invaded Korea in 1597; but this time all three nations were ready for war, and the Japanese were not able to advance as easily as in 1592. The Japanese tried to take Hanyang from both land and sea routes. At first the plan seemed to work well when Todo Takatora defeated Admiral Won Gyun at the Battle of Chilchonryang, but the plan was abandoned when the Korean navy under Admiral Yi Sun-sin defeated the Japanese fleet under Todo Takatora in the Battle of Myeongnyang with only 13 ships. The battle effectively ended the war, and in 1598 the Japanese at last withdrew from Korea after the sudden death of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The Battle of Noryang marked the end of the war, with the last Japanese units under Konishi Yukinaga leaving Korea.

Later days (1598–1608)

Despite all the efforts put in by Seonjo during the war, such as establishing army training facilities and reforming taxation laws – people were awarded with increase of social class, exemption of labor or crimes in return for payment of tax in rice – the war left a devastated land and starving people. After the war, his wish of reconstructing the nation was impeded by the political turmoil caused by quarrelling political factions and famine. King Seonjo lost hope in governing the nation, and let his Crown Prince Gwanghaegun rule in his place. However, when the queen gave birth to a son (Gwanghaegun was the second son of Lady Kim, the king's concubine), the succession also became a matter of contention. King Seonjo died in 1608, while political division and outside threats still darkened the skies over Korea.

Family

• Grandfather

　• King Jungjong of Joseon (16 April 1488 – 29 November 1544) (조선 중종)

• Grandmother

　• Royal Noble Consort Changbin of the Ansan Ahn clan (2 September 1499 – 7 November 1549) (창빈 안씨)

• Father

　• Biological: Yi Cho, Grand Internal Prince Deokheung (2 April 1530 – 14 June 1559) (이초 덕흥대원군)

　• Adoptive: King Myeongjong (명종대왕) (3 July 1532 - 2 August 1567)

• Mother

　• Biological: Grand Internal Princess Consort Hadong of the Hadong Jeong clan (23 September 1522 – 24 June 1567) (하동부대부인 정씨)

　　• Maternal Grandfather: Jeong Se-Ho (1486 – 1563) (정세호, 鄭世虎)

　　• Maternal Grandmother: Lady Lee of the Gwangju Lee clan (광주 이씨)

　• Adoptive: Queen Insun of the Cheongseong Sim clan (인순왕후 심씨) (7 June 1532 - 12 February 1575)

• Consorts and their Respective Issue(s):

• Queen Uiin of the Bannam Park clan (5 May 1555 – 5 August 1600) (의인왕후 박씨)

• Queen Inmok of the Yeonan Kim clan (15 December 1584 – 13 August 1632) (인목왕후 김씨)

• # Princess Jeongmyeong (27 June 1603 – 8 September 1685) (정명공주)

• # Yi Ui, Grand Prince Yeongchang (12 April 1606 – 19 March 1614) (이의 영창대군)

• Royal Noble Consort Gong of the Gimhae Kim clan (16 November 1553 – 13 June 1577) (공빈 김씨)

• # Yi Jin, Prince Imhae (20 September 1572 – 3 June 1609) (이진 임해군)

• # Yi Hon, Crown Prince Gwanghae (4 June 1575 – 7 August 1641) (이혼 광해세자)

• Royal Noble Consort In of the Suwon Kim clan (1555 – 1613) (인빈 김씨)

• # Yi Seong, Prince Uian (1577 – 24 February 1588) (이성 의안군)

• # Yi Ho, Prince Shinseong (6 January 1579 – 8 December 1592) (이후 신성군)

• # Yi Bu, Prince Jeongwon (2 August 1580 – 29 December 1619) (이부 정원군)

• # Princess Jeongsin (1583 – 1653) (정신옹주)

• # Princess Jeonghye (1584 – 1638) (정혜옹주)

• # Princess Jeongsuk (1587 – 6 November 1627) (정숙옹주)

• # Yi Gwang, Prince Uichang (1589 – 1645) (이광 의창군)

• # Princess Jeongan (1590 – 1660) (정안옹주)

• # Princess Jeonghwi (1593 – 15 July 1653) (정휘옹주)

• Royal Noble Consort Sun of the Gimhae Kim clan (순빈 김씨) (? - 1647)

• # Yi Bu, Prince Sunhwa (10 October 1580 – 18 March 1607) (이부 순화군)

• Royal Noble Consort Jeong of the Yeoheung Min clan (1567 – 1626) (정빈 민씨)

• # Yi Gong, Prince Inseong (29 October 1588 – 20 May 1628) (이공 인성군)

• # Princess Jeongin (1590 – 10 January 1656) (정인옹주)

• # Princess Jeongseon (1 April 1594 – 1 August 1614) (정선옹주)

• # Princess Jeonggeun (1601 – 11 July 1613) (정근옹주)

• # Yi Yeong, Prince Inheung (1604 – 1651) (이영 인흥군)

• Royal Noble Consort Jeong of the Namyang Hong clan (1563 – 1638) (정빈 홍씨)

• # Princess Jeongjeong (1595 – 1666) (정정옹주)

• # Yi Ju, Prince Gyeongchang (23 September 1596 – 16 January 1644) (이주 경창군)

• Royal Noble Consort On of the Cheongju Han clan (1581 – 1664) (온빈 한씨)

• # Yi Je, Prince Heungan (1598 - 1624) (이제 흥안군)

• # Yi Reuk, Prince Gyeongpyeong (June 1600 – 28 November 1673) (이륵 경평군)

• # Princess Jeonghwa (1604 – 1667) (정화옹주)

• # Yi Gye, Prince Yeongseon (24 December 1605 – 1649) (이계 영선군)

• Royal Consort Gwi-in of the Yeonil Jeong clan (귀인 정씨) (1557 - 1579)

• Royal Consort Suk-ui of the Dongrae Jeong clan (숙의 정씨) (1564 - 1580)

• Royal Consort Suk-ui of the Kim clan (숙의 김씨)

• Royal Consort Suk-ui of the Han clan (숙의 한씨)

• Royal Consort So-won of the Yun clan (소원 윤씨) (? - 1632)

• Court Lady Kim (상궁 김씨) (? - 1623)

His full posthumous name

• English: King Seonjo Sogyung Jeongryun Ripgeuk Seongdeok Hongryeol Jiseong Daeeui Gyeokcheon Heeun Gyungmyung Sinryeok Honggong Yungeop Hyeonmun Euimu Seongye Dalhyo the Great of Korea

• Korean:

Modern depictions

• Portrayed by Kim Sung-ok in the 1995 KBS2 TV series West Palace.

• Portrayed by Park Chan-hwan in the 1999-2000 MBC TV series Hur Jun.

• Portrayed by Im Dong-jin in the 2003 SBS The King's Woman.

• Portrayed by Choi Cheol-ho in the 2004-2005 KBS1 TV series Immortal Admiral Yi Sun-sin.

• Portrayed by Kim Chang-wan in the 2010 film Blades of Blood.

• Portrayed by Jeon No-min in the 2013 MBC TV series Hur Jun, The Original Story.

• Portrayed by Jeong Bo-seok in the 2013 MBC TV series Goddess of Fire.

• Portrayed by Lee Sung-jae in the 2014 KBS2 TV series The King's Face.

• Portrayed by Kim Tae-woo in the 2015 KBS1 TV series The Jingbirok: A Memoir of Imjin War.

• Portrayed by Park Yeong-gyu in the 2015 MBC TV series Splendid Politics.

• Portrayed by Lee Ji-hoon in the 2016 JTBC TV series Mirror of the Witch.

• Portrayed by Kim Hyun-bin in the 2016 MBC TV series Flowers of the Prison.

• Portrayed by Jang Hyuk in the 2019 tvN TV Series The Crowned Clown.

生平

宣祖本為中宗的孫子，明宗的侄子，德興君的兒子，被封為河城君，出繼伯父福城君。明宗二十年（1565年），明宗病重，當時世子李暊已過世，儲君未定，領議政李浚慶請明宗在所有侄子裡面選一位立儲，明宗命河城君入宮服侍，明宗二十二年（1567年），明宗駕崩，首相奉遺教迎河城君即位，是為宣祖，是朝鮮王朝第一位以旁系子孫入主的國王。

他在位期間，朝鮮終于完成了長達二百年的宗系辯誣，使得明朝將正確的朝鮮宗系寫進了《明會典》。（此前，明朝一直有說法認為朝鮮太祖大王李成桂是高麗權臣李仁任的兒子，這一錯誤說法被寫進了《皇明祖訓》與《明會典》。至此，宣祖趁明朝改修《明會典》的時機，改正了這一錯誤，朝鮮史稱「宗系辯誣」。）

宣祖一朝，功臣同士大夫間的「士禍」已經消弭，但是士大夫間的黨爭正式爆發，東人黨和西人黨在士大夫角逐名利的朝廷內形成，之後西人失勢，東人又分裂為南人黨與北人黨；宣祖朝後期，擊敗了南人的北人又因為內部鬥爭分為大北派與小北派。朋黨們不斷攫取利益，導致朝廷風氣敗壞，而且朝政紊亂。例如黨人在丁酉再亂前夕施加壓力迫他罷黜抗倭名將李舜臣，只因為李舜臣與南人領袖柳成龍相善，導致朝鮮水軍幾乎全軍覆沒。

宣祖二十五年（1592），日本豐臣秀吉發動了對朝鮮的侵略戰爭，史稱萬曆朝鮮之役。此戰中朝鮮軍隊一觸即潰，宣祖逃往義州，甚至說出「與其死於賊手, 無寧死於父母之國」。最後依靠明軍的援助才最終擊退日軍，朝鮮長期感念在心，稱之為「再造」。朝鮮損失慘重，軍隊陣亡7萬人以上；人口減少約200萬，大多死于戰火；戰後的土地數量從戰前的1708000結銳減到541000結。戰爭導致朝鮮朝廷的壓力越來越大。

野史傳說宣祖的過世是被光海君與金尚宮所毒殺，朝鮮王朝實錄對這一點也是有些含混不清，但是並無實際的證據可以證明，或許是仁祖登上王位後為了貶低光海君而加的罪名。《實錄》的記載中宣祖是于萬曆三十六年二月一日進食糯米飯時噎死的。

宣祖曾經提出「孝子說」，將朝鮮比作中國的孝子，將日本比作賊子。

家庭

王后

後宮

子

女

相關影視作品及飾演者

• 《朝鮮王朝五百年》—《壬辰倭亂》：1985年MBC電視劇， 飾。

• 《東醫寶鑑》：1991年MBC電視劇， 飾。

• 《西宮》：1995年KBS電視劇， 飾。

• 《醫道》：1999年MBC電視劇， 飾。

• 《雷鳴》：2000年KBS電視劇， 飾。

• 《》：2003年SBS電視劇， 飾。

• 《不滅的李舜臣》：2004年KBS電視劇，趙敏基、郭正旭、崔哲浩 飾。

• 《龜巖許浚》，2013年MBC電視劇，全盧民 飾。

• 《火之女神井兒》：2013年MBC電視劇，鄭普碩 飾。

• 《王的面孔》：2014年KBS電視劇，李成宰 飾。

• 《懲毖錄》：2015年KBS電視劇，金太祐 飾。

• 《華政》：2015年MBC電視劇，樸英奎飾。

• 《魔女寶鑑》：2016年JTBC電視劇，李知勳飾。

• 《成為王的男人》：2019年tvN電視劇，張赫客串。

資料

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|align="center" colspan="3"|朝鮮宣祖

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