Heungseon Daewongun (; 24 January 1821 – 22 February 1898) was the title of Yi Ha-eung, the regent of Joseon during the minority of Emperor Gojong in the 1860s. Until his death, he was a key political figure of late Joseon Korea. He was also called the Daewongun (, sometimes translated as "regent"), Guktaegong, or later Internal King Heonui, and also known to contemporary western diplomats as Prince Gung.

Daewongun literally translates as "prince of the great court", a title customarily granted to the father of the reigning monarch when that father did not reign himself (usually because his son had been adopted as heir of a relative who did reign). While there had been three other Daewonguns during the Joseon dynasty, none were as dominant as Yi Ha-Eung, so the term Daewongun usually refers specifically to him.

Joseon was going through changes in many aspects during this period, but was for the most part unable to keep up with the rapidly changing situation the country found itself in. Yi Ha-eung had to solve both the looming threat posed by Western nations, which were continuously encroaching upon the sovereignty of Eastern states, while at the same time attempt to rebuild a country ravaged by poverty and internal power struggles. He is remembered both for the wide-ranging reforms he attempted during his regency, as well as for what was described by historian Hilary Conroy as "vigorous enforcement of the seclusion policy, persecution of Christians, and the killing or driving off of foreigners who landed on Korean soil".

Biography

Early life

The Daewongun was born Yi Ha-eung on 24 January 1821. He was the fourth son of Yi Chae-jung, a member of the royal family who in 1816 was given the name Yi Gu and the title Prince Namyeon. The Daewongun was a 9th generation descendant of King Injo through Grand Prince Inpyeong.

The Daewongun was well-schooled in Confucianism and the Chinese classics. He reputedly excelled in calligraphy and painting. His early government career consisted of minor posts that were mostly honorary and ceremonial. For most of his early life, his connection to the royal house seemed of little help to him. He was poor and humiliated by the rich in-laws of the royal house.

Rise to power

The Daewongun came to power when his second son, Yi Myeong-bok, was chosen to become king.

In January 1864, King Cheoljong (1831–1864) died without an heir. The selection of the next king was in the hands of three dowagers: Queen Sinjeong, mother of King Heonjong (1827–1849); Queen Myeongheon, King Heonjong's wife; and Queen Cheorin, Cheoljong's wife. This story may or may not have been true.

These facts, however, are known to be correct. On 16 January 1864, Yi Myeong-bok was appointed the Prince of Ikseong by Dowager Queen Sinjeong. The next day, his father was granted the title Daewongun, equivalent to the title of "regent" in Korean, the difference being that the title was only given to the biological father of the young king. On 21 January, Yi Myeong-bok was enthroned as King Gojong, and Dowager Queen Sinjeong began her regency.

When he took power in 1864, the Daewongun was determined to reform the government and strengthen central control. He led an anti-corruption campaign, disciplined the royal clans, and taxed the aristocracy, the yangban. and even further so after the 1871 American attack on Gwanghwado.

The Isolation Policy provided immediate benefits of fortifying Korean patriotism as well as protecting Korean Confucianism. The Heungseon Daewongun was able to protect Joseon from cultural imperialism and westernization and thus protect Korea's heritage from it. However, because he refused entirely to engage in international relations, there was a limited choice of market and slim opportunity for an Industrial Revolution to occur in Korea. Indeed, the Daewongun wanted to avoid engagement with the West – which would have been inevitable if Western countries were allowed to trade freely – as it would erode government influence. The Joseon Dynasty had a strict social hierarchy: the wealth of the yangban nobility rested on the backs of sangmin farm labourers and tenants. The Daewongun wanted to prevent the collapse of this hierarchy. Despite his fame for his fairness and support of civilization, the emancipation of the sangmin would mean the destruction of the yangban, his own social class.

The international relations of Joseon worsened as the Daewongun adopted increasingly desperate and harsher measures in order to repel Westernization. The Daewongun made the choice of protecting the world he knew by trying to shut out foreigners, at the cost of delaying development and modernization, and to keep Korea a hermit kingdom. Many Koreans state that had he chosen to engage with foreign countries as his daughter-in-law Queen Min advocated, the Japanese rule of Korea could have been avoided. However, others state that the ten years of the Isolation Policy was too small a part of the Joseon Dynasty to derive such a statement from.

Retirement

In 1874, King Gojong came of age. His wife, Queen Min, influenced his decision to "assume the full measure of royal responsibility", an action that forced the Daewongun into semi-retirement. of Daewongun but his involvement is not proved.

Return to power

thumb|Daewongun in 1883

The Daewongun enjoyed a brief return to power during the Imo Incident in 1882. On the second day of the mutiny, a group of rioters were received by the Daewongun, "who reportedly exhorted them to bring down the Min regime and expel the Japanese".

  • Mother: Princess Consort Min of the Yeoheung Min clan (; 26 June 1788 – 1831)
  • Consorts and their Respective Issue(s):
  1. Grand Internal Princess Consort Sunmok of the Yeoheung Min clan (; 3 February 1818 – 8 January 1898)
  2. Lady Yi (; 1838–1869)
  3. Yi Jae-myeon, Prince Imperial Heungchin (; 22 August 1845 – 9 September 1912)
  4. Emperor Gojong of Korea (; 8 September 1852 – 21 January 1919)
  5. Lady Yi (; 1861–1899)
  6. Gye Seong-wol ()
  7. Yi Jae-seon, Prince Waneun (; 1 August 1842 – 27 October 1881)
  8. Lady Yi (; 1855–1869)
  9. Kisaeng Chuseon (; ?–1885)
  10. Lady Seo (; ? – 7 January 1914)
  11. Jin Chae-seon (; 1842–?)
  • Portrayed by Yoo Dong-geun in the 2001–2002 KBS2 TV series Empress Myeongseong.
  • Portrayed by Chun Ho-jin in the 2009 film The Sword with No Name.
  • Portrayed by Lee Beom-soo in the 2012 MBC TV series, Dr. Jin.
  • Portrayed by Kim Nam-gil in the 2015 film The Sound of a Flower.
  • Portrayed by Choi Jong-won in the 2018 tvN and Netflix TV series Mr. Sunshine.
  • Portrayed by Ji Sung in the 2018 film Fengshui.
  • Portrayed by Jun Kwang-ryul in the 2020 TV Chosun TV series Kingmaker: The Change of Destiny.

See also

  • History of Korea
  • Prince Imperial Waneun
  • List of monarchs of Korea
  • Anti-appeasement steles

Footnotes

:1.In chronological order: Seonjo's Father (Deokheung Daewongun), his son (Jeongwon Daewongun; Injo's Father), and Cheoljong's Father (Jeongye Daewongun). Gojong's Father is the fourth and last

:2.He is an illegitimate son.

Notes

References

Sources

  • Lee, Moon-Su (2002) "Heungseun daewongun's Political reformation and its Limitation during Late Chosen Dynasty." Donghak Academy Journal, Vol.11 No. ?? , p. 1–29. Republic of Korea: Hanguk Donghak Academy, 2002.