Empress Sunjeong

Empress Sunjeong was born as Lady Yun, or Yun Jeung-sun (Hangul: 윤증순, Hangja: 尹曾順), in Seoul to Lady Yu of the Gigye Yu clan and Marquis Yun Taek-yeong, the Lord of the Haepyeong Yun clan. Yun Bo-seon, 2nd president of the Republic of Korea, was her ninth cousin three times removed. Her mother was given the royal title of "Lady Kyeongheung of the Gigye Yun clan, Princess Consort to the Internal Prince" (Hangul: 경흥부부인 기계 유씨, Hanja: 慶興府夫人 杞溪 兪氏) and her father was given the royal title of "Internal Prince Haepeong, Yun Taek-yeong" (Hangul: 해풍부원군, 윤택영, Hanja: 海豊府院君 尹澤榮) when she became Crown Princess Consort.

Jeong-sun married Crown Prince Cheok, who was 20 years her senior, on 24 January 1907 at the age of 13 after his first wife, Crown Princess Consort Min (Empress Sunmyeong) died on 5 November 1904. On 20 July 1907, she became Empress Consort of Korea when her husband ascended the throne after the forced abdication of his father, Emperor Gwangmu. The Empress was demoted by the Japanese government by the Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty of 1910 and thereafter officially known as Her Majesty, Queen Yi of Korea (this title, however, was ignored in Korea).

Empress Sunjeong became a widow 24 April 1926, when Emperor Yunghui died without issue at the Changdeok Palace in Seoul. Emperor Yunghui had been rendered infertile (and was also said to be mentally disabled) by poisoning in the Coffee Poisoning Plot [1][2]

During the Korean War, Empress Sunjeong stayed in Changdeok Palace as long as she could in the face of advancing forces from North Korea. During the war, the soldiers of North Korea invaded the palace but she reproved them and drove them all out. She then escaped secretly to the Unhyeon Palace when the war situation became too serious. As the war progressed, she moved to Busan with other Imperial family members, including Princess Hui (wife of Prince Wanheung). According to The World is One, Princess Yi Bangja's autobiography, Empress Sunjeong went to Busan on foot.

Queen Yun Returning to the Palace.

After the war, the new government of President Rhee Syng-man, jealous of the popularity of the Imperial House, prevented Empress Sunjeong from entering the Changdeok Palace. She was kept imprisoned in Suin Hall, a narrow and unsuitable cottage in Jeongneung, Seoul. After a change in government in 1961 she returned to Nakseon Hall, Changdeok Palace with her dutiful ladies-in-waiting Park Chang-bok (d.1981), Kim Myung-gil (d.1983) and Sung Ok-yeom (d.2001), and five other staff.

Empress Sunjeong became a Buddhist in her later years. She died childless on 3 February 1966, aged 72, at Nakseon Hall, Changdeok Palace, Seoul from a heart attack. She was given a state funeral and a private Buddhist funeral. She is buried beside her husband, Emperor Yunghui at the Yureung.

She is known posthumously as Empress Sunjeong of Korea (officially, 純貞孝皇后, 순정효황후; Sunjeonghyo Hwanghu; Empress Sunjeong-hyo).