Taejong of Joseon

Taejong (; 21 June 1367 – 8 June 1422), personal name Yi Pangwŏn, was the third monarch of Joseon and the father of Sejong the Great. The fifth son of King Taejo, the founder of the dynasty, he was himself a major contributor toward the establishment of the new regime. He ascended to the throne upon the abdication of his elder brother, King Jeongjong.

Biography

Early life and founding of Joseon

Born in 1367 as the fifth son of Yi Sŏnggye and his first wife Lady Han, Yi Pangwŏn qualified as an official in 1382. He studied under Confucian scholars such as Wŏn Ch'ŏnsŏk. During his early years, he assisted his father in gathering the support of the commoners and of many influential figures in the government; Yi Pangwŏn also helped in the founding of Joseon by assassinating powerful officials who remained loyal to Goryeo, most prominently Chŏng Mong-ju.

Strifes of Princes

After contributing heavily to the overthrowing of the previous dynasty and the establishment of Joseon, he expected to be appointed as successor to the throne. However, his father and Chief State Councillor Chŏng Tojŏn favored Taejo's eighth son and Yi Pangwŏn's youngest half-brother (second son of Queen Sindeok), Yi Pangsŏk. This conflict arose chiefly because Chŏng Tojŏn, as the principal architect of the ideological, institutional and legal foundations of the new dynasty, saw Joseon as a kingdom led by its ministers by virtue of the king's appointment. In contrast, Yi Pangwŏn sought direct rule through an absolute monarchy. These differences ultimately contributed to an environment of deep political tension.

King Taejo, possibly motivated by fondness for his second wife, had selected his youngest son by that wife, Grand Prince Ŭian, as his heir apparent. Chŏngan, frustrated that he and the other sons of Taejo's first wife had been passed over, began moving to eliminate his half-brothers from the line of succession. After Taejo fell ill, Chŏngan launched the , in which he had both children of Taejo's second wife, including the crown prince, murdered. He then declared his older brother and Taejo's second son, Grand Prince Yŏngan, crown prince. In the 9th month, Taejo abdicated the throne in favor of Yŏngan, who became King Jeongjong (). As Jeongjong did not have any sons, he intended to pass the throne onto Chŏngan after his death. However, in the 2nd month of 1400, their brother Grand Prince Hoean attempted to seize the throne in the . The coup was suppressed. Soon afterwards, Jeongjong abdicated the throne in favor of Chŏngan, who became King Taejong ().

Reign

Consolidation of royal power

One of Taejong's first acts as king was to abolish the privilege to maintain private armies which was enjoyed by the aristocracy and the upper echelons of the government. His revoking of the right to keep independent forces effectively severed the upper class' ability to muster large-scale revolts, and drastically increased the number of soldiers employed by the national army.

Taejong's next act was to revise the existing legislation concerning land taxation. With the discovery of previously hidden land, national wealth increased twofold.

In addition, Taejong created a strong central government. In 1400, before taking the throne, he had played a key role in eradicating the , a branch of the old administration that had monopolized the executive power during the waning years of Goryeo, in favor of the Privy Council; during Taejong's reign, the Privy Council was replaced by the State Council. Taejong also issued a decree according to which all decisions passed by the State Council could only come into effect with the approval of the king. This ended the custom of court ministers making decisions through debate and negotiations among themselves, and thus brought the royal authority to new heights.

Shortly thereafter, Taejong installed a new department known as the Sinmun Office, to hear cases in which aggrieved subjects felt that they had been exploited or treated unjustly by officials or aristocrats.

In 1403, Taejong ordered 100,000 pieces of metal type and two complete fonts. Predating Gutenberg and Laurens Janszoon by several decades, he accomplished the metal movable type.

He promoted press, commerce, and education, and also reformed the Sapyeongsunwibu (), Joseon's early military and law enforcement agency, and separated the Uigeumbu as Joseon's law enforcement agency but without military functions.

Later life and death

In 1418, Taejong abdicated in favor of his third legitimate son, Yi To (posthumously King Sejong, commonly known as Sejong the Great), but continued to rule with an iron fist and decide on important matters.

Along the years, as a means to strengthen royal authority and subdue corruption, he executed or exiled some of the supporters who helped him ascend to the throne; he also executed the four brothers of his wife Queen Wŏn'gyŏng, as well as Sejong's father-in-law Sim On and his younger brother Sim Chŏng, in order to limit the influence of in-laws and powerful clans.

King Taejong died four years after his abdication, on 10 May 1422, in Sugang Palace. He was buried alongside Queen Wŏn'gyŏng at Heolleung (), part of the Heonilleung burial ground, in present-day Seocho District, Seoul, South Korea.

Legacy

Taejong remains a controversial figure in Korean history who eliminated many of his rivals (such as Chŏng Mongju and Chŏng Tojŏn) and yet ruled effectively to improve the populace's lives, strengthen national defense, and lay down a solid foundation for his successor's reign.

Outside of Korea, he is better known for having fallen from his horse in the early years of his reign and requesting historians to not record his fall, which they did anyway.

Family

Parents

Father: King Taejo of Joseon (; 4 November 1335 – 27 June 1408)
Grandfather: Yi Chach'un, King Hwanjo of Joseon (; 1315 – 3 May 1360)
Grandmother: Queen Ŭihye of the Yeongheung Ch'oe clan (; ? – 1336)
Mother: Queen Sinŭi of the Cheongju Han clan (; 6 October 1337 – 25 November 1391)
Grandfather: Han Kyŏng, Internal Prince Anch'ŏn ()
Grandmother: Lady Sin of the Saknyeong Sin clan, Grand Madame of Samhan State ()

Consorts and issue

Queen Wŏn'gyŏng of the Yeoheung Min clan (; 6 August 1365 – 27 August 1420)
Princess Chŏngsun (; 1385 – 18 September 1460), first daughter
Princess Kyŏngjŏng (; 1387 – 29 June 1455), second daughter
First son (1389)
Second son (1390)
Third son (1392)
Princess Kyŏngan (; 1393 – 8 June 1415), third daughter
Yi Che, Grand Prince Yangnyŏng (; 1394 – 8 October 1462), fourth (first) son
Yi Po, Grand Prince Hyoryŏng (; 29 January 1396 – 22 June 1486), fifth (second) son
Yi To, Grand Prince Ch'ungnyŏng (; 15 May 1397 – 8 April 1450), seventh (fourth) son
Princess Chŏngsŏn (; 1404 – 5 March 1424), fifth (fourth) daughter
Yi Chong, Grand Prince Sŏngnyŏng (; 12 August 1405 – 20 March 1418), 11th (sixth) son
15th son (1412)
Royal Noble Consort Myŏng of the (old) Andong Kim clan (; ? – 1479)
Royal Noble Consort Ŭi of the Andong Kwŏn clan (; 1384–1468)
Princess Chŏnghye (; ? – 5 November 1424), sixth (fifth) daughter
Royal Noble Consort Hyo of the Cheongpung Kim clan (; ? – 2 April 1454)
Yi Pi, Prince Gyeongnyeong (; 23 January 1396 – 15 October 1458), sixth (third) son
Royal Noble Consort Sin of the Yeongwol Sin clan (; 1377 – 10 March 1435)
Yi In, Prince Hamnyŏng (; 28 January 1403 – 5 November 1467), 10th (fifth) son
Yi Chŏng, Prince Onnyŏng (; 1407 – 16 June 1454), 12th (seventh) son
Princess Chŏngsin (; ? – 17 October 1452), seventh (sixth) daughter
Princess Chŏngjŏng (; 1410 – 11 April 1456), eighth (seventh) daughter
Princess Sukjŏng (), 10th (eighth) daughter
Princess Suknyŏng (), 12th (10th) daughter
Princess Sosin (; 1415 – 27 July 1437), 13th (11th) daughter
Princess Sosuk (; ? – 18 December 1456), 15th (13th) daughter
Princess Sukkyŏng (; 1420–1494), 18th (16th) daughter
Royal Noble Consort Sŏn of the Sunheung An clan (; ? – 15 July 1468)
Yi Chi, Prince Hyeryeong (; 1407 – 1 August 1440), 13th (eighth) son
Princess Kyŏngsin (), 14th (12th) daughter
Princess Sukan (숙안옹주; ? – 25 June 1464), 16th (14th) daughter
Yi Ch'i, Prince Ingnyŏng (; 1422 – 21 August 1464), 18th (12th) son
Royal Noble Consort So of the Jangyeon No clan (; ? – 15 November 1479)
Princess Sukhye (; 1413 – 30 August 1464), 11th (ninth) daughter
Royal Noble Consort Chŏng of the Ko clan (; ? – 24 August 1426)
Yi Nong, Prince Kŭnnyŏng (; 1411 – 25 December 1461), 14th (ninth) son
Royal Consort Sugŭi of the Ch'oe clan ()
Fourth daughter (1400–1402)
Yi T'a, Prince Huiryeong (; 1412 – 7 August 1465), 16th (10th) son
Royal Consort Sugŭi of the Yi clan (; ? — 1443)
Yi Kan, Prince Huryŏng (; 1419 – 18 November 1450), 17th (11th) son
Royal Princess Sukkong of the Cheongdo Kim clan ()
Royal Princess Ŭijŏng of the Hanyang Cho clan (; ? – 1454)
Royal Princess Hyesun of the Goseong Yi clan (; ? – 8 April 1438)
Royal Princess Sinsun of the Seongju Yi clan (; 1390 – ?)
Princess Tŏksuk of the Yi clan ()
Princess Hyesŏn of the Hong clan ()
Princess Sunhye of the Andong Chang clan (; ? – 9 September 1423)
Princess Sŏgyŏng ()
Court Lady, of the Kim clan ()
Princess Sukkŭn (; – 15 September 1450), 17th (15th) daughter
Court Lady, of the Yi clan ()
Princess Suksun (; ? – 1481), 19th (17th) daughter
Unknown
Eighth son (1400–1401)
Ninth son (1403–1404)
Ninth daughter (1412–1414)

Ancestry

In popular culture

Im Hyuk-joo in the 1983 KBS1 TV series Foundation of the Kingdom.
Lee Jung-gil in the 1983 MBC TV series The King of Chudong Palace.
Yoo Dong-geun in the 1996–1998 KBS1 TV series Tears of the Dragon.
Kim Yeong-cheol in the 2008 KBS TV series The Great King, Sejong and the 2016 KBS1 TV series Jang Yeong-sil.
Baek Yoon-sik in the 2011 SBS TV series Deep Rooted Tree.
Choi Tae-joon in the 2012–2013 SBS TV series The Great Seer.
Park Yeong-gyu in the 2012 film I Am the King.
Ahn Jae-mo in the 2014 KBS1 TV series Jeong Do-jeon.
Ahn Nae-sang in the 2015 JTBC TV series More Than a Maid.
Jang Hyuk in the 2015 film Empire of Lust and the 2019 JTBC TV series My Country: The New Age.
Nam Da-reum and Yoo Ah-in in the 2015–2016 SBS TV series Six Flying Dragons.
Kam Woo-sung in the 2021 SBS TV series Joseon Exorcist.
Joo Sang-wook in the 2021–2022 KBS1 TV series The King of Tears, Lee Bang-won.
Lee Hyun-wook in the 2025 tvN TV series The Queen Who Crowns.