Gwanghaegun or Prince Gwanghae (1574–1641; reigned 1608–1623) was the fifteenth king of the Joseon Dynasty. His personal name was Yi Hon (李琿). Since he was deposed in a coup, later official historians did not give him a temple name like Taejo or Sejong. He was married to Lady Ryu (부인류씨 ; 夫人柳氏). Jamo redirects here. ... Hanja is the Korean name for Chinese characters. ... The Revised Romanization of Korean is the official Korean language romanization system in South Korea. ... McCune-Reischauer romanization is one of the two most widely used Korean language romanization systems, along with the Revised Romanization of Korean, which replaced (a modified) McCune-Reischauer as the official romanization system in South Korea in 2000. ... Year 1574 was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. ... Events The Long Parliament passes a series of legislation designed to contain Charles Is absolutist tendencies. ... Events March 18 - Sissinios formally crowned Emperor of Ethiopia May 14 - Protestant Union founded in Auhausen. ... Year 1623 (MDCXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ... Territory of Joseon after Jurchen conquest of King Sejong Capital Hanseong Language(s) Korean Religion Neo-Confucianism Government Monarchy Wang  - 1392 - 1398 Taejo (first)  - 1863 - 1897 Gojong (last)1 Yeong-uijeong  - 1431 - 1449 Hwang Hui  - 1466 - 1472 Han Myeonghoe  - 1592 - 1598 Ryu Seongryong  - 1894 Kim Hongjip Historical era 1392-1897... Temple names (Traditional Chinese: 廟號 Simplified Chinese: 庙号 Pinyin: miào hào;), are commonly used when naming most Chinese, Vietnamese (such dynasties as Tran,Anterior Lê and Nguyen Dynasty) and most Korean rulers of the Goryeo and Joseon Dynasties. ... Taejo of Joseon (1335-1408; r. ... Sejong the Great (May 6, 1397 – May 18, 1450, r. ...

Birth and Background

He was the second son of King Seonjo, born to Lady Kim, a concubine. When Japan invaded Korea to attack the Ming Empire, he was installed as Crown Prince. While the king fled north to the border with Ming, he set the branch court and fought defensive battles. During and after the Seven Year War(1592–1598), he acted as de facto ruler of the Joseon Dynasty, commanding battles and taking care of reconstruction of the nation after the devastating war in the place of old and weak King Seonjo. King Seonjo ruled in Korea between 1567 and 1608. ... Ming China under the Yongle Emperor Capital Nanjing (1368-1421) Beijing (1421-1644) Language(s) Chinese Government Monarchy Emperor  - 1368-1398 Hongwu Emperor  - 1627-1644 Chongzhen Emperor History  - Established in Nanjing January 23, 1368  - Fall of Beijing 1644  - End of the Southern Ming April, 1662 Population  - 1393 est. ... Combatants Joseon Dynasty Korea, Ming Dynasty China Japan under Toyotomi Hideyoshi Commanders Korea: Yi Sun-sin, Gwon Yul, Won Gyun, Kim Myung Won, Yi Il, Sin Lip, Gwak Jae-u, Kim Shi-min China: Li Rusong , Li Rubai, Ma Gui , Qian Shi-zhen, Ren Ziqiang, Yang Yuan, Zhang Shijue, Chen... Year 1592 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Saturday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ... Events January 7 - Boris Godunov seizes the throne of Russia following the death of his brother-in-law, Tsar Feodor I. April 13 - Edict of Nantes - Henry IV of France grants French Huguenots equal rights with Catholics. ... De facto is a Latin expression that means in fact or in practice. It is commonly used as opposed to de jure (meaning by law) when referring to matters of law or governance or technique (such as standards), that are found in the common experience as created or developed without...

Although it brought prestige to him, his position was still unstable. He had the elder but incompetent brother Imhaegun (Prince Imhae, 臨海君) and a younger but legitimate brother Yeongchangdaegun (Prince Yeongchang, 永昌大君), who was supported by the Lesser Northerners faction (小北). Fortunately for him, King Seonjo's abrupt death made it impossible for his most favorite son Yeongchangdaegun to succeed the throne.

Violence of Greater Northerner faction(大北)

When King Seonjo died, he named Gwanghaegun as his official successor to the throne, and ordered his advisers to make a royal document. However, Yoo Young Gyung of Lesser Northerners faction hid the document and plotted to install Prince Imhae as king, only to be found out by the head of Great Northerners faction (大北), Jeong In-hong. Yoo was executed immediately and Imhaegun was arrested and died the next year.

After the incident, Gwanghaegun tried to bring officials from various political and regional background to his court, but his plan was interrupted by Greater Northerners including Yi Yicheom and Jeong In-hong. Then Greater Northerners began to take out members of other political factions out of the government, especially Lesser Northerners. At last in 1613 Greater Northerners put their hand on Grand Prince Yeongchang; his grandfather Kim Je-nam was found guilty of treason and executed, while Yeongchang was sent into exile, where he was murdered. At the same time Greater Northerners suppressed the Lesser Northerners; In 1618 Yeongchang's mother, Queen Inmok, was stripped off her title and imprisoned. However, Gwanghaegun had no power to stop this even though he was the official head of the government.

Achievements

Despite the bad reputation in later times, he was a talented and realistic politician. He endeavored to restore the country and sponsored restoration of documents. As a part of reconstruction, he revised land ordinance and redistributed the land to people; he also ordered rebuilding of Changdeok Palace along with several other palaces. He was also responsible for the reintroduction of the hopae identification system after a long period of disuse.^[1] Changdeokgung (Changdeok Palace or Palace of Prospering Virtue) is a palace set within a large park in Seoul, South Korea. ... Literal meaning: number tag or household tag Hopae were identification tags carried by Koreans during the Joseon Dynasty, recording the bearers name, place of birth, status, and residence. ...

In foreign affairs he sought a balance between the Ming Empire and the Manchus. Since he realized Joseon was unable to compete with the Manchu military power, he tried to keep friendly relationship with the Manchus, while the kingdom was still under the suzerainty of Ming, which angered Ming and dogmatic Confucist Koreans. However the critically worsened Manchu-Ming relationship forced him to send ten thousand soldiers to aid Ming in 1619. 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, and he sent his ambassadors to Japan in 1617. The Manchu people (Manchu: Manju; Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: , Mongolian: Манж) are a Tungusic people who originated in Manchuria (todays Northeastern China). ... The Battle of Sarhū refers to the series of battles between the Manchus and Ming on March 1619, which ended in the overwhelming victory of the former. ... Gang Hong-rip was a Korean commander-in-chief during the Joseon Dynasty. ...

During his reign, Gwanghaegun encouraged publishing in order to accelerate reconstruction and to restore the kingdom's former prosperity. Many books came out during his reign, including famous medical book Donguibogam. Many historical records were rewritten in this period. The 1610 Dongui bogam is an important book in traditional Korean medicine. ...

In 1616, tobacco was first introduced to Korea and soon popularized by many aristocratic noblemen.

Dethronement and Later Life

In 1623 Gwanghaegun was deposed by the Westerners faction (西人) with a coup. He was confined first on Ganghwa Island (江華島) and then Jeju Island (濟州島), where he died in 1641. He does not have a royal mausoleum like the other Joseon rulers. His and Lady Ryu's remains were buried in a comparatively humble site in Namyangju in Gyeonggi Province. The Westerners faction installed Neungyanggun (綾陽君) as the sixteenth king Injo and took pro-Ming and anti-Manchu policies, which brought two Manchu invasions. Ganghwa Island is an island in the estuary of the Han River, on the west coast of South Korea. ... Jeju is the largest island and smallest province in South Korea, and the name of islands largest city and provincial capital (see Jeju City). ... Namyangju is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. ... Gyeonggi is the most populous province in South Korea. ... Injo of Joseon (1595-1649, r. ...

His eulogistic posthumous name

• King the Checheon Heungun Jundeok Honggong Sinseong Yeongsuk Heummun Inmu Seoryun Ipgi Myungseong Gwangryeol Yungbong Hyeonbo mujeong Jungheui Yecheol Jangeui Jangheon Sunjeong Geoneui Sujeong Changdo Sungeop Great of Korea
• 체천흥운준덕홍공신성영숙흠문인무서륜입기명성광렬융봉현보무정중희예철장의장헌순정건의수정창도숭업대왕
• 體天興運俊德弘功神聖英肅欽文仁武敍倫立紀明誠光烈隆奉顯保懋定重熙睿哲壯毅章憲順靖建義守正彰道崇業大王

Legacy

Althouth Gwanghaegun is one of only two deposed kings who were not restored and given the temple name(the other one being Yeonsangun, the tyrant who greatly contributed to the decline of the nation), many people consider him as the victim of feuds between political factions. He did better job taking care of his country than his predecessor, or his successor, King Injo, each of them who caused the Seven Year War and Manchu Invasion. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Combatants Joseon Dynasty Korea, Ming Dynasty China Japan under Toyotomi Hideyoshi Commanders Korea: Yi Sun-sin, Gwon Yul, Won Gyun, Kim Myung Won, Yi Il, Sin Lip, Gwak Jae-u, Kim Shi-min China: Li Rusong , Li Rubai, Ma Gui , Qian Shi-zhen, Ren Ziqiang, Yang Yuan, Zhang Shijue, Chen...

In modern South Korea, Gwanghaegun is considered a great and wise king, not a despot; his diplomatic skill was recalled by many people who felt worried about the international situation which included an invisible feud between China and the United States. Many people argued that South Korean government needs to position itself carefully in order to survive in the changing world, not to fall like in 1636 when Korea surrendered to Qing Dynasty, or in 1910 when Korea was annexed by Japan. Flag (1890-1912) Anthem Gong Jinou (1911) Territory of Qing China in 1892 Capital Shengjing (1636-1644) Beijing (1644-1912) Language(s) Chinese Manchu Mongolian Government Monarchy Emperor  - 1636-1643 Huang Taiji  - 1908-1912 Xuantong Emperor Prime Minister  - 1911 Yikuang  - 1911-1912 Yuan Shikai History  - Establishment of the Late...

See also

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Gwanghaegun of Joseon

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