Deposed Crown Princess Park

Deposed Crown Princess Park 폐빈 박씨
Crown Princess of Joseon
Tenure	2 August 1611 – 14 March 1623
Predecessor	Crown Princess Yu
Successor	Crown Princess Gang
Born	1598 Hanseong, Joseon
Died	June 1623(1623-06-00) (aged 24–25) Ganghwa Island, Joseon
Spouse	Deposed Crown Prince Yi Ji (m. 1611–1623)
Issue	Unnamed son
Clan	Miryang Park clan (by birth) Jeonju Yi clan (by marriage)
Dynasty	House of Yi (by marriage)
Father	Park Ja-heung
Mother	Lady Yi of the Gwangju Yi clan

Deposed Crown Princess Park of the Miryang Park clan (Korean: 폐빈 박씨; Hanja: 廢嬪 朴氏; 1598 – June 1623) was the primary wife of Deposed Crown Prince Yi Ji, eldest son of Gwanghaegun of Joseon and Deposed Queen Yu.

Biography

The future Crown Princess was born in 1598, although her family jokbo says 1602, as the eldest child and only daughter of seven younger brothers. Her father was Park Ja-heung of the Miryang Park clan, and her mother was Lady Yi of the Gwangju Yi clan.

Through her father, Lady Park was a 29th great-granddaughter of King Gyeongmyeong of Silla and Queen Jangsataek through their eldest son, Park Eon-chim, Grand Prince Milseong (밀성대군 박언침; 887–?) who became the founder of Miryang Park clan.

Her maternal eldest aunt married a 6th great-grandson of Grand Prince Yangnyeong, Yi Sang-hang (이상항; 李尙恒; 1578–1623). Both would later be executed due to their involvement in Kim Gae-si’s schemes.

On 2 August 1611, the 3rd year reign of Gwanghaegun of Joseon, the 13-year-old Lady Park was chosen as the Crown Princess Consort (왕세자빈; 王世子嬪) and married Gwanghaegun's son, Crown Prince Yi Ji. Later, on 5 July 1614, she gave birth to their first son but he died sometime in the winter.

Sometime after her marriage, her maternal grandfather became involved in the political palace turmoil. He was known to work with Kim Gae-si, her father-in-law’s concubine, and Gwon Sin (권신).

Meanwhile, on 13 March 1623, Park was deposed from her position along with her in-law's and got exiled to Ganghwa Island. Because of her father-in-law’s tyranny and her maternal grandfather’s political involvement with Kim Gae-si, her family was exiled too and some of them were beheaded as execution.

While in exile, the deposed couple fasted or tried to commit suicide by hanging themselves, but failed. In the end, about two months later in April (May of the lunar calendar), Yi Ji was digging a tunnel to escape. When his wife and him tried to escape the island, they were caught by the royal soldiers. The deposed crown princess committed suicide in June 1623 (lunar calendar May) the third day after her husband was arrested. She was 26 years old. Then on 22 July, a month after his late wife’s death (in the Korean calendar (lunar) was 25 June), her husband died from hunger.

Park didn't receive a posthumous name because she was deposed from her position.

Family

• Father: Park Ja-heung (박자흥; 1581–1623)
  • Grandfather: Park Seung-jong (박승종; 1562–1623)
    • Great-grandfather: Park Ahn-se (박안세; 1542–1617)
    • Great-grandmother: Lady Hwang of the Changwon Hwang clan (정경부인 창원 황씨; 1550–?); daughter of Hwang Rim (황림; 黃琳; 1517–1597)
  • Grandmother: Lady Kim of the Andong Kim clan (정경부인 안동 김씨; 1564–1589); daughter of Kim Sa-won (김사원; 金士元; 1524–1585), Park Seung-jong’s first wife
• Mother: Lady Yi of the Gwangju Yi clan (정부인 광주 이씨; 1580–?)
  • Grandfather: Yi Yi-cheom, Internal Prince Gwangchang (이이첨 광창부원군; 1560–1623)
  • Grandmother: Lady Lee (이씨; 1561–?); daughter of Lee Eung-rok (이응록; 李應祿; 1531–?)
• Husband: Deposed Crown Prince Yi Ji (폐세자 이지; 31 December 1598 – 22 July 1623)
  • Father-in-law: Gwanghaegun of Joseon (조선 광해군; 4 June 1575 – 7 August 1641)
  • Mother-in-law: Deposed Queen Yu of the Munhwa Yu clan (폐비 유씨; 15 August 1576 – 31 October 1623)
• Issue
  • Unnamed son (군; 5 July 1614 – 19 December 1614)