繼承關係

睿宗薨當天，成宗即位于景福宮勤政門。明史記載「晄病篤，以所生子幼，命其兄故世子暲子娎權國事，遣陪臣以聞。及卒，賜謚襄悼，命娎嗣位，娎妻韓氏封王妃」。睿宗有兩子，長子早夭，但是還有次子，即齊安大君。大王大妃貞熹王后讓睿宗次子出繼平原大君為後，使他不能繼承王位，而讓成宗承睿宗之嗣。但是，按照宗法制度，成宗生父李暲就不應該被認為是成宗的父親了。而根據《璇源系譜》，睿宗嗣子也是成宗而不是成宗的長兄月山大君，因為朝鮮也遵守「長子不為人後」的規則，因此由德宗的次子成宗入繼大統。

垂簾聽政

成宗即位後，一直由貞熹王后垂簾聽政，1476年才開始親政。

反世祖的儒教士大夫們廢除了朝鮮世祖和睿宗時代宮中的佛教儀式和朝廷生活中其他不正常現象。成宗每天要按嚴格的日程上兩至四次課。春秋館除了給國王講課以外，還擴大為進諫機構，每天向國王灌輸儒家思想，減少對佛教的支持，頒布了《度僧法》。

在位期間

政治文化

官吏從官田收租收稅作為私人收入的權利（職田制）開始衰微。在新設的讀書堂（又名湖堂，位置在漢城南郊龍山豆毛浦）內，青年學者受到良好對待並得到晉升的機會。通過開設經筵，儒教在施政中恢復地位。出自朱熹理學的朝鮮性理學說也開始興起。

朝鮮刊印《大典續錄》、《絲綸全集》和一部關于傳統音樂的附插圖的教本。學者們當中一些在世祖在位期間，因為反對篡位而曾遭受歧視的人在朝廷中立住了腳。

朝廷分成勛舊勢力和新進的士林勢力兩大派別，文恬武嬉、兵備廢弛、黨爭加劇。

經濟狀況

經濟沒有重大改善。對官吏的土地實行由中央收取和分配田租（官收官給法）之後，官吏和兩班謀求在耕種權方面取得對土地的控制，從而侵犯了農民的土地權份額。土地由于開墾荒地而增長，而這又進一步促進農業莊園的增加，但是政府試圖阻止這一進程。一些農莊搜羅了奴婢和農民。另一些則放棄自己的自由地位，以逃避沉重的土地稅，徭役和貢稅。由于獲得官職之路向反世祖的各派開放，擁有地產的欲望變得更加強烈，爭取官職的競爭也更激烈。業已確立了功臣田、特別賜田、已開墾土地和積累土地耕種權的擁有者地位的人成了人們抨擊的目標。

家庭

王后

廢妃

嬪御

子

（按出生年份排列）

女

（按嫡庶排列）

附註

;腳注

;引用

Biography

Seongjong was the 9th King of the Joseon period of Korea. He was born the second son of Crown Prince Uigyeong and Subin Han-ssi 수빈한씨 and was then named Prince Jalsan (잘산군). When he accessed to the throne, his father (1438-1457) was elevated to the status of King Deokjong and his mother (1437-1504) to Queen Insu.

Seongjong was the grandson of Sejo, the 7th King, and the nephew of Yejong, the 8th King. He succeeded King Yejong in 1469 when the weak king died and his son was too young to succeed him. In the same move, Jalsan's older brother Grand Prince Wolsan (1454-1487) was recused as having a too weak complexion.

Since Seongjong was only 12 when he was crowned, his grandmother Queen Jeonghee ruled the nation in his name, along with his mother Queen Insu. In 1476, at the age of 19, he began to govern the country in his own name.

His reign was marked by the prosperity and growth of the national economy, based on the laws laid down by kings Taejong, Sejong, and Sejo. He himself was a gifted ruler. In 1474, the code of law, first ordered by King Sejo, was completed and put into effect. Seongjong also ordered revisions and improvements to the code.

Besides the law, he also encouraged Confucian scholars; He greatly expanded Hongmungwan, the royal library and advisory council to the king at the same time, and strengthened so-called Three Offices (Hongmungwan, Office of Inspector General, Office of Censors) as check and balance on the Royal Court. For the first time since King Sejong, he brought many liberal Confucian scholars to his court, whose political views went against those of the conservative officials (members of the nobility) who had helped kings Taejong and Sejo to power. In this way he made his rule more effective by appointing able administrators regardless of their political views. His policy resulted in many positive innovations, increasing his number of supporters. The king himself was an artist and scholar, and liked to argue about the finer points of politics with more liberal scholars. He encouraged scholars to publish numerous books about geography and social etiquette, for example, as well as areas of knowledge that benefited the common people.

It was under Seongjong's reign that the Widow Remarriage Ban (1477) was enacted, which strengthened pre-existing social stigma against women who remarried by barring their sons from public office. In 1489, Seongjong condemned a woman of the royal clan, Yi Guji, when it was discovered that she had cohabited with her slave after being widowed.

He also sent several military campaigns against the Jurchens on the northern border in 1491, like many of his predecessors. The campaign, led by Gen. Heo Jong, was successful, and the defeated Jurchens led by Udige (兀狄哈) retreated to the north of Amrok River. King Seongjong was succeeded by his son, Yeonsangun (1476-1494-1506) and thereafter by another of his sons Jungjong (1488-1506-1544).

Family

• Father: Deokjong of Joseon (1438 – 2 September 1457)

　• Grandfather: King Sejo of Joseon (2 November 1417 – 23 September 1468)

　• Grandmother: Queen Jeonghui of the Papyeong Yun clan (8 December 1418 – 6 May 1483)

• Mother: Queen Sohye of the Cheongju Han clan (7 October 1437 – 11 May 1504)

　• Grandfather: Han Hwak (1400 – 11 September 1456)

　• Grandmother: Lady Hong of the Namyang Hong clan

• Consorts and their Respective Issue:

• Queen Gonghye of the Cheongju Han clan (8 November 1456 – 30 April 1474)

• Queen Jeheon of the Haman Yun clan (15 July 1455 – 29 August 1482)

• # Prince Yi Hyo-Shin (1475)

• # Yi Yung, Crown Prince Yeonsan (23 November 1476 – 20 November 1506)

• # Unnamed son

• Queen Jeonghyeon of the Papyeong Yun clan (21 July 1462 – 13 September 1530)

• # Princess Sunsuk (1478 – 14 July 1488)

• # Princess Shinsuk (1481 – 13 February 1486)

• # Yi Yeok, Grand Prince Jinseong (16 April 1488 – 29 November 1544)

• # Unnamed princess

• # Unnamed princess

• Royal Noble Consort Myeong of the Andong Kim clan

• # Princess Hwisuk

• # Princess Gyeongsuk (1483 – ?)

• # Yi Jong, Prince Musan (1490 – 1525)

• # Princess Hwijeong

• Royal Consort Gwi-in of the Chogye Jeong clan (? – 1504)

• # Yi Hang, Prince Anyang (1480 – 1505)

• # Yi Bong, Prince Bongan (1482 – 1505)

• # Princess Jeonghye (1490 – 6 August 1507)

• Royal Consort Gwi-in of the Yeongwol Eom clan (? - 1504)

• # Princess Gongshin (1481 – 1549)

• Royal Consort Gwi-in of the Andong Kwon clan (1471 – 1500)

• # Yi Byeon, Prince Jeonseong (1490 – 1505)

• Royal Consort Gwi-in of the Uiryeong Nam clan

• Royal Consort So-ui of the Lee clan

• Royal Consort Suk-ui of the Namyang Hong clan (1457 – 1510)

• # Princess Hyesuk (1478 – ?)

• # Yi Su, Prince Wanwon (1480 – 1509)

• # Yi Nyeom, Prince Hoesan (1481 – 1512)

• # Yi Don, Prince Gyeonseong (1482 – 1507)

• # Princess Jeongsun (1486 - ?)

• # Yi Hwoe, Prince Ikyang (1 July 1488 - 21 January 1552)

• # Yi Chim, Prince Gyeongmyeong (1489 - 1526) (이침 경명군)

• # Yi In, Prince Uncheon (1490 – 1524)

• # Yi Hui, Prince Yangwon (1492 – 1551)

• # Princess Jeongsuk (1493 – 8 February 1573)

• Royal Consort Suk-ui of the Jinju Ha clan

• # Yi Sun, the Prince Gyeseong (1478 – 1504)

• Royal Consort Suk-ui of the Jeong clan

• Royal Consort Suk-yong of the Cheongseong Sim clan (1465 - 1515)

• # Princess Gyeongsun (1482 – ?)

• # Princess Sukhye (1486 – 1525)

• # Yi Gwan, Prince Yiseong (1489 – 1552)

• # Yi Jeon, Prince Yeongan (1490 – 11 June 1538)

• Royal Consort Suk-yong of the Kwon clan

• # Princess Gyeonghwi (1489 - 1525)

• # Unnamed prince

• Royal Consort Suk-Won of the Yun clan (? - 1533)

His full posthumous name

• King Seongjong Gangjeong Inmun Heonmu Heumseong Gonghyo the Great of Korea

•

Portrayal in media

• Portrayed by Yun Sun-hong in the 1985 film Eoudong.

• Portrayed by Yoon Yang-ha in the 1988 film Diary of King Yeonsan.

• Portrayed by Hyun Suk in the 1995 KBS TV series Jang Nok Soo.

• Portrayed by Lee Jin-woo in the 1998-2000 KBS TV series King and Queen.

• Portrayed by Go Joo-won and Yoo Seung-ho in the 2007-2008 SBS TV series The King and I.

• Portrayed by Baek Sung-hyun and Choi Won-hong in the 2011-2012 JTBC TV series Insu, The Queen Mother.

• Portrayed by Choi Moo-sung in the 2017 MBC TV series The Rebel.

• Portrayed by Kim Jeong-hak in the 2017 KBS2 TV series Queen for Seven Days.