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Sejo of Joseon

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"Sejo" redirects here. For the father of Taejo of Goryeo, see Wang Ryung.
Not to be confused with Sejong of Joseon.

Sejo
세조
世祖
King Emeritus of Joseon
Tenure1 – 2 October 1468
PredecessorDanjong
SuccessorGojong
King of Joseon
Reign3 August 1455 – 1 October 1468
EnthronementGeunjeongjeon Hall, Gyeongbokgung, Hanseong
PredecessorDanjong
SuccessorYejong
Chief State Councillor
In office19 November 1453 – 3 August 1455
PredecessorHwangbo In
SuccessorJeong In-ji
MonarchDanjong
Born7 November 1417
Grand Prince Chungnyeong's Mansion, Hanseong, Joseon
Died23 September 1468(1468-09-23) (aged 50)
Jeongjeon Hall, Sugang Palace, Hanseong, Joseon
Burial
Gwangneung Mausoleum, Namyangju, South Korea
Spouse(s)
​
(m. 1428)​
Issue
among others...		Yejong of Joseon
Names
Yi Yu (이유; 李瑈)
Posthumous name
  • Joseon: King Jideok Yunggong Seongsin Myeongye Heumsuk Inhyo the Great (지덕융공성신명예흠숙인효대왕; 至德隆功聖神明睿欽肅仁孝大王)
  • Ming dynasty: Hyejang (혜장; 惠莊)
Temple name
Sejo (세조; 世祖)
ClanJeonju Yi
DynastyYi
FatherSejong of Joseon
MotherQueen Soheon
ReligionKorean Confucianism (Neo-Confucianism) → Korean Buddhism
Signature
Korean name
Hangul
세조
Hanja
世祖
Revised RomanizationSejo
McCune–ReischauerSejo
Birth name
Hangul
이유
Hanja
李瑈
Revised RomanizationI Yu
McCune–ReischauerI Yu
Courtesy name
Hangul
수지
Hanja
粹之
Revised RomanizationSuji
McCune–ReischauerSuji
Monarchs of Korea
Joseon monarchs
Taejo 1392–1398
Jeongjong 1398–1400
Taejong 1400–1418
Sejong 1418–1450
Munjong 1450–1452
Danjong 1452–1455
Sejo 1455–1468
Yejong 1468–1469
Seongjong 1469–1494
Yeonsangun 1494–1506
Jungjong 1506–1544
Injong 1544–1545
Myeongjong 1545–1567
Seonjo 1567–1608
Gwanghaegun 1608–1623
Injo 1623–1649
Hyojong 1649–1659
Hyeonjong 1659–1674
Sukjong 1674–1720
Gyeongjong 1720–1724
Yeongjo 1724–1776
Jeongjo 1776–1800
Sunjo 1800–1834
Heonjong 1834–1849
Cheoljong 1849–1864
Gojong 1864–1897

Sejo (Korean: 세조; Hanja: 世祖; 7 November 1417 – 23 September 1468), personal name Yi Yu (이유; 李瑈), sometimes known as Grand Prince Suyang (수양대군; 首陽大君), was the seventh monarch of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. He was the second son of Sejong the Great and the uncle of King Danjong, against whom he led a coup d'état in 1453.

Biography

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Early life

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Born in 1417 as the fourth child and second son of Grand Prince Chungnyeong (future King Sejong) by his primary wife, Lady Shim of the Cheongsong Shim clan (future Queen Soheon), he showed great ability at archery, horse riding and martial arts, and was also a brilliant military commander, though he never went to the battlefront himself. He also possessed musical talent, which delighted his father, who claimed that the prince could achieve many great things if he put his mind to it.[1] In 1428, he received the title Grand Prince Suyang by which he is better known.

Rise to power

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Following the death of King Sejong in 1450, Suyang's ill brother, Yi Hyang (later known as King Munjong), took the throne but died two years later, and the crown passed to his 12-year-old son, Yi Hong-wi (posthumously named King Danjong).[2] The new monarch was too young to rule the nation, and the government was controlled by Chief State Councillor Hwangbo In and General Kim Jong-seo, who was the Left State Councillor. As Kim Jong-seo and his faction used the chance to extend the power of court officials against royal family members, the tension between him and Suyang greatly increased not only Suyang himself, but his younger brother, Grand Prince Anpyeong, also sought an opportunity to take control of the country.[3]

In order to court the support of the Ming dynasty, Suyang became an ambassador in 1452. He also surrounded himself with trusted allies, including his famous tactician, Han Myeong-hoe, who advised him to take over the government in a coup. In 1453, Suyang killed Kim Jong-seo and his faction, thereby taking the reins of power into his own hands. After the coup, he arrested his own brother, Grand Prince Anpyeong, first sending him into exile, then sentencing him to death.[3]

Reign

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Finally, in 1455 Suyang forced the powerless king to abdicate, declaring himself the new ruler of Joseon (today known by the temple name "Sejo").[2]

After his younger brother Grand Prince Geumsung, and six scholars, including Seong Sam-mun, Park Paeng-nyeon and Yi Gae, plotted to remove him from power in an attempt to put his nephew back on the throne, Suyang demoted the former king from "King Emeritus" (Sangwang, 상왕, 上王) to "Prince Nosan" (Nosan-gun, 노산군, 魯山君) and later ordered him to commit suicide by poison.

Despite having snatched the throne from his young nephew and killing many people in the process, Sejo proved himself one of the ablest rulers and administrators in Korean history. First, he continued King Taejong's legacy of strengthening the monarchy by weakening the power of the State Council and bringing the officials directly under the king's control. He also further developed the administrative system, which had also been introduced by Taejong, enabling the government to determine exact population numbers and to mobilize troops effectively (this caused Yi Si-ae's Rebellion, which he suppressed). Just like Taejong, Sejo was a hardliner concerning foreign policy and attacked the Jurchens on the northern front in 1460 (오랑캐; 兀良哈) and 1467 (호리개; 胡里改). He also revised the land ordinance to improve the national economy and encouraged the publication of history, economy, agriculture, and religion books.

Sejo himself compiled a number of books based on his interests. One of them is Seokbosangjeol, a biography of Gautama Buddha.[4] The others are Worinseokbo (월인석보; 月印釋譜) and Yeokdaebyeongyo (역대병요; 歷代兵要). One of his crowning achievements was the cultural progress Joseon made during his reign, such as the establishment of Jongmyo court music.[1] His father, King Sejong, had always wanted to use Korean music rather than Chinese music for ancestral ritual, but conservative court officials thought that Chinese music was far superior to Korean music and stopped Sejong's efforts. However, when King Sejo rose to the throne, he modified the ritual music composed by his father and used it for royal ancestral rituals, which is now inscribed as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage for Humanity.[1]

Most importantly, he compiled the Grand Code for State Administration, which became the cornerstone of dynastic administration and provided the first form of written constitutional law in Korea.

Death

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Sejo died in 1468, and the throne passed to his sickly second son, Yi Hwang (Yejong of Joseon). His tomb is known as Gwangneung (광릉) and is located in Namyangju, South Korea.

Family

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Consort(s) and their respective issue

  • Queen Jeonghui of the Papyeong Yun clan (8 December 1418 – 6 May 1483)
  • Royal Noble Consort Geun of the Seonsan Park clan (근빈 박씨; 1425–1504)
    • Yi Seo, Prince Deokwon (덕원군 이서; 7 April 1449 – 18 August 1498), second son
    • Yi Seong, Prince Changwon (창원군 이성; 1458 – 14 September 1505), fourth son
  • Deposed Royal Consort So-yong of the Park clan (폐소용 박씨; 1417 – 3 October 1465)
    • Yi A-ji (이아지; 1459–1463), fifth son
  • Royal Consort Suk-won of the Goryeong Shin clan (숙원 신씨; 1455 – ?)

Ancestry

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See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ She is only mentioned in an unofficial history (야사; 野史) called Geumgye Pildam (금계필담; 錦溪筆談) written in 1873 by Seo Yu-yeong (서유영). The sole reference at her existence in an official document is a passage from the Annals of the Joseon dynasty, where Grand Prince Suyang (as Sejo was still known at the time) is recorded as having "one son and two daughters" [Sejong Sillok, year 28].

References

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  1. ^ a b c "King Sejo and Music". KBS World. 17 July 2019. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
  2. ^ a b An, Seung-jun (11 March 2014). "Forgotten story of Princess Gyeonghye". Korea Times. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
  3. ^ a b 세조. terms.naver.com (in Korean). Retrieved 4 February 2022.
  4. ^ "Life History and Sermon of Buddha Abstracted from Buddhist Scriptures". World Digital Library. 1447. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
Sejo of Joseon
Born: 2 November 1417 Died: 23 September 1468
Regnal titles
Preceded by King of Joseon
24 June 1455 – 22 September 1468 		Succeeded by
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