Queen Shinjeong

Queen Sinjeong was born on 21 January 1809 into the Pungyang Jo clan to Jo Man-yeong and Lady Deok-an of the Eunjin Song clan during King Sunjo's 8th year of reign. In 1819, she became Crown Princess Consort when she married Crown Prince Hyomyeong, and gave birth to the future King Heonjeong on 8 September 1827. From 1827, her husband had acted as regent for his father when he was ill, but died at the age of 20 in 1830. King Sunjo then died from his illness in 1834.

Her son, Heonjong of Joseon, became king in 1834 but died childless in 1849, and was succeeded by a distant relative, Cheoljong of Joseon. After the death of her son, she was given the title Grand Royal Dowager Queen Sinjeong.

In January 1864, King Cheoljong died without an heir. There were no male heirs, the result of suspected foul play by a rival branch of the royal family, the Andong Kim clan. The Andong Kim clan had risen to power through intermarriage with the House of Yi. The selection of the next king was in the hands of three dowagers: Queen Sinjeong, mother of King Heonjong; Queen Myeongheon, King Heonjong’s wife; and Queen Cheorin, Cheoljong's wife.[1] The "designation right" resided with Dowager Queen Sinjeong, as she was the oldest of the dowagers.[2]

Queen Cheorin, the queen consort of Cheoljong and a member of the Andong Kim clan, claimed the right to choose the next king, although traditionally, the eldest queen dowager is the one with the authority to select the new king. Cheoljong’s cousin, Grand Royal Dowager Queen Sinjeong (the widow of King Heonjong's father [entitled Ikjong]) of the Pungyang Jo clan, who too had risen to prominence by intermarriage with the Yi family, currently held this title.

Queen Sinjeong saw an opportunity to advance the cause of the Pungyang Jo clan, the only true rival of the Andong Kim clan in Korean politics. As Cheoljong fell deeper under his illness, the Grand Royal Dowager Queen was approached by Yi Ha-eung, a descendant of King Injo (r.1623–1649), whose father was made an adoptive son of Prince Eunsin, a nephew of King Yeongjo (r.1724–1776). The branch that Yi Ha-eung's family belonged to was an obscure line of descent of the Yi clan, which survived the often deadly political intrigue that frequently embroiled the Joseon court by forming no affiliation with any factions. Yi Ha-eung himself was ineligible for the throne due to a law that dictated that any possible heir to the kingdom be part of the generation after the most recent incumbent of the throne, but his second son Yi Myeong-bok, and later Emperor Gojong, was a possible successor to the throne.

The Pungyang Jo clan saw that Yi Myeong-bok was only twelve years old and would not be able to rule in his own name until he came of age, and that they could easily influence Yi Ha-eung, who would be acting as regent for the future king. As soon as news of Cheoljong's death reached Yi Ha-eung through his intricate network of spies in the palace, he and the Pungyang Jo clan took the hereditary royal seal — an object that was considered necessary for a legitimate reign to take place and aristocratic recognition to be received — effectively giving her absolute power to select the successor to the throne. By the time Cheoljong's death had become a known fact, the Andong Kim clan was powerless according to law as the seal lay in the hands of the Grand Royal Dowager Queen Sinjeong.

In an apocryphal story, Queen Cheorin sent a minister to fetch the son of Yi Ha-eung, eleven-year-old Yi Myeong-bok, who was flying a kite in a palace garden. The son was brought to the palace in a sedan chair, where Queen Sinjeong rushed forward and called him her son, thus producing the new Joseon king, King Gojong, adopted son of Crown Prince Hyomyeong.[1] This story may or may not be 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 Heungseon Daewongun. On 21 January, Yi Myeong-bok was enthroned as King Gojong, and Dowager Queen Sinjeong began her regency.[2] Yi was apparently chosen because "he was the only suitable surviving male member of the Yi clan and closest by blood to the royal house".[2]

Since Gojong was so young, Queen Sinjeong invited the Daewongun to assist his son in ruling. She virtually renounced her right to be regent, and though she remained the titular regent, the Daewongun was in fact the true ruler.[2]

Queen Sinjeong died on 4 June 1890 during Gojong's 27th year of reign. Nine years after her death, and during the 3rd year reign of Emperor Gwangmu, she was given the posthumous title of "Empress Shin Jeong-ik (Hangul: 신정익황후, Hanja: 神貞翼皇后), and Crown Prince Hyomyeong was given the posthumous title of "Emperor Moon Jo-ik" (Hangul: 문조익황제, Hanja: 文祖翼皇帝).

• Great-Great-Great-Grandfather
  • Jo Do-bo (조도보, 趙道輔)
• Great-Great-Great-Grandmother
  • Lady Kim of the Gyeongju Kim clan (본관: 경주 김씨, 金氏); (김필진의 딸) daughter of Kim Pil-jin (김필진, 金必鎭)
• Great-Great-Grandfather
  • Jo Sang-gyung (조상경, 趙尙絅)
• Great-Great-Grandmother
  • Lady Lee of the Bupyeong Lee clan (본관: 부평 이씨, 李氏); (이정태의 딸) daughter of Lee Jeong-tae (이정태, 李廷泰)
• Great-Grandfather
  • Jo Eom (조엄, 趙曮) (1719 - 1777); brought sweet potato seeds in 1763 during King Yeongjo's 39th year of reign
• Great-Grandmother
  • Lady Hong of the Pungsan Hong clan (홍씨, 洪氏); (본관: 풍산 홍씨) (홍현보의 딸) daughter of Hong Hyeon-bo (홍현보, 洪鉉輔)
• Grandfather
  • Jo Jin-Gwan (1739 - 1808) (조진관, 趙鎭寬)
• Grandmother
  • Lady Hong of the Pungsan Hong clan (홍씨, 洪氏) (1739 - 1799); (본관: 풍산 홍씨) (홍익빈의 딸) daughter of Hong Ik-bin (홍익빈, 洪益彬)
• Father
  • Jo Man-Yeong (1776 - 1846) (조만영, 趙萬永)
• Mother
  • Lady Deok-an of the Eunjin Song clan (덕안부부인, 德安府夫人) (1776 - 1834); (본관: 은진 송씨, 恩津 宋氏) (송시연의 딸) daughter of Song Si-yeon (송시연, 宋時淵)
• Brothers
  • Older brother: Jo Byeong-gwi (조병귀, 趙秉龜)
    • Adoptive nephew: Jo Seong-ha (조성하, 趙成夏); second son of Jo Byeong-joon (조병준, 趙秉駿) and grandson of Jo Won-yeong (조원영, 趙原永)
  • Older brother: Jo Byeong-gu (조병구, 趙秉龜) (1801 - 1845)
  • Younger brother: Jo Byeong-gi ( 조병기, 趙秉夔) (1821 - 1858); became the adoptive son of Jo In-yeong (조인영, 趙寅永) (1782 - 1850)
• Sisters
  • Younger sister: Lady Jo of the Pungyang Jo clan (본관: 풍양 조씨, 豊壤 趙氏); married Yi In-seol (이인설, 李寅卨) of the Jeonju Yi clan (본관: 전주 이씨, 全州 李氏)
  • Younger sister: Lady Jo of the Pungyang Jo clan (본관: 풍양 조씨, 豊壤 趙氏) (?-1865); wife of Yu Chi-seon (유치선, 兪致善) of the Gigye Yu clan (본관: 기계 유씨, 杞溪 兪氏); their adopted son Yu Jin-hak (유진학) was the maternal grandfather of Empress Sunjeong[3]
  • Younger sister: Lady Jo of the Pungyang Jo clan (본관: 풍양 조씨, 豊壤 趙氏); married Kim Seok-hyeon (김석현, 金奭鉉) of the Gwangsan Kim clan (본관: 광산 김씨, 光山 金氏)
• Husband
  • Yi Yeong, Crown Prince Hyomyeong (18 September 1809 - 25 June 1830) (이영 효명세자)
• Sons
  • Son: King Heonjong of Joseon (8 September 1827 – 25 July 1849) (조선 헌종)
    • Daughter-in-law: Queen Hyohyeon of the Andong Kim clan (27 April 1828 - 18 October 1843) (효현왕후 김씨)
    • Daughter-in-law: Queen Hyojeong of the Namyang Hong clan (6 March 1831 – 2 January 1904) (효정왕후 홍씨)
  • Adoptive son: Gojong of Korea (8 September 1852 - 21 January 1919) (광무태황제)
    • Adoptive daughter-in-law: Empress Myeongseong (17 November 1851 - 8 October 1895) (명성태황후 민씨)

• Portrayed by Kim Yong-rim in the 2001-2002 KBS2 TV series Empress Myeongseong.
• Portrayed by Jung Hye-sun in the 2012 MBC TV series Dr. Jin.
• Portrayed by Chae Soo-bin in the 2016 KBS2 TV series Love in the Moonlight.
• Portrayed by Jo Yeon-hee in the 2020 tvN TV series Mr. Queen.

• 신정왕후 (in Korean). Doosan Encyclopedia.

1. https://thetalkingcupboard.com/joseon/royal-ladies-of-joseon-dynasty/