Cheoljong (; 25 July 1831 – 16 January 1864), personal name Yi Won-beom (), later Yi Byeon (), was the 25th monarch of the

Joseon dynasty Joseon ( ; ; also romanized as ''Chosun''), officially Great Joseon (), was a dynastic kingdom of Korea that existed for 505 years. It was founded by Taejo of Joseon in July 1392 and replaced by the Korean Empire in October 1897. The kingdom w ...

Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...

. After King Heonjong died without any descendants in 1849,

Queen Sunwon Queen Sunwon (; 8 June 1789 – 21 September 1857), of the Andong Kim clan was the queen consort and wife of Sunjo of Joseon. She was known as Queen Dowager Myeonggyeong () after her husband's death in 1834. She served as regent between 1834 and ...

chose Cheoljong, aged 19, to ascend to the throne, adopting him as the heir of her late husband, King Sunjo. Cheoljong was a great-great-grandson of

King Yeongjo Yeongjo (; 31 October 1694 – 22 April 1776), personal name Yi Geum (), was the 21st monarch of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. He was the second son of King Sukjong by his concubine, Royal Noble Consort Suk of the Haeju Choe clan. Before asc ...

. He grew up in poverty; even after becoming king, he had little political influence, and the power to govern was held mainly by the

Andong Kim clan The Andong Kim clan () refers to two bon-gwan, Korean clans of Elder Andong Kim Clan (구 안동 김씨) and the New Andong Kim Clan (신 안동 김씨), respectively. They were prominent yangban, yangban families during Korea's Joseon, Joseon Dy ...

, the paternal family of Queen Sunwon. The Andong Kim clan's monopoly caused nationwide corruption, resulting in a series of peasant revolts in southern Joseon in 1862. As Cheoljong's sons all died in infancy, he was succeeded by a distant relative, Gojong.

Biography

Early life

Cheoljong was born Yi Won-beom (), the 3rd and youngest son of Yi Gwang (

Jeongye Daewongun Jeongye Daewongun (; 21 March 1785 – 2 November 1841; ) was a member of the Korean Joseon dynasty as the biological father of King Cheoljong of Joseon. His personal name was Yi Gwang (), but he was also known as Kwae-deuk () or Hae-dong (). ...

), a great-grandson of King

Yeongjo of Joseon Yeongjo (; 31 October 1694 – 22 April 1776), personal name Yi Geum (), was the 21st monarch of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. He was the second son of King Sukjong by his concubine, Royal Noble Consort Suk of the Haeju Choe clan. Before asc ...

. His mother was a

concubine Concubinage is an interpersonal relationship, interpersonal and Intimate relationship, sexual relationship between two people in which the couple does not want to, or cannot, enter into a full marriage. Concubinage and marriage are often regarde ...

, and she was a daughter of Yeom Seong-hwa (), a commoner, descended from the Yongdam Yeom clan (). Prince Euneon was Cheoljong's grandfather and a younger half-brother of

Jeongjo of Joseon Jeongjo (; 28 October 1752 – 18 August 1800), personal name Yi San (), sometimes called Jeongjo the Great (), was the 22nd monarch of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. He was the second son of Crown Prince Sado and Lady Hyegyŏng, and succeede ...

; in 1786, accused of treason, he and his family was exiled to

Ganghwa Island Ganghwa Island (), also Ganghwado, is an island in Ganghwa County, Incheon, South Korea. It is in the Yellow Sea and in an estuary of the Han River. The island is separated from Gimpo (on the South Korean mainland) by a narrow channel spanned ...

. Prince Euneon was killed during the

Catholic Persecution of 1801 The Catholic Persecution of 1801, also known as the Sinyu Persecution (), was a mass persecution of Korean Catholics ordered by Queen Jeongsun during King Sunjo of Joseon's reign. The government began to suppress Catholicism in the belief that it ...

, as his wife and daughter-in-law became

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

, which was illegal in Joseon at that time; his children remained in confinement on the island until King Sunjo decided to pardon them in 1822. One of Prince Euneon's sons, Yi Gwang, was in his thirties, thus married a daughter of Choi Su-chang and had a son, Yi Won-gyeong (); he had another two sons, respectively born to different concubines. The family eventually returned to the capital,

Hanseong The region now corresponding to Seoul, South Korea has been inhabited since the Paleolithic Age. It has been the capital of a number of kingdoms since it was established. Prehistoric It is believed that humans were living in the area that is n ...

. When Cheoljong was young, he had little education. At the age of four, he studied the ''

Thousand Character Classic The ''Thousand Character Classic'' (), also known as the ''Thousand Character Text'', is a Chinese poem that has been used as a primer for teaching Chinese characters to children from the sixth century onward. It contains exactly one thousand c ...

''; later, he also read some beginning volumes of the '' Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance'' and '' Elementary Learning'', but he couldn't remember much content from them, and he stopped studying in following years. In 1836, Nam Eung-jung () attempted to enthrone one of the grandsons of Prince Euneon; the plot was exposed and he was executed. During the death of

Queen Hyohyeon Queen Hyohyeon (; 27 April 1828 – 6 October 1843) of the Andong Kim clan, was the wife and the queen consort of King Heonjong of Joseon, the 24th monarch of the Joseon Dynasty. She was posthumously called as Hyohyeon, the Accomplishment Empress ...

(consort of King Heonjong) in 1844, a conspiracy by Min Jin-yong () to enthrone Yi Won-gyeong, Cheoljong's oldest half-brother, was exposed and led to Yi Won-gyeong's execution. Yi Won-gyeong's family, guilty by association, was again exiled to Ganghwa Island.

Ascension

King Heonjong died in 1849 and he had no issue, thus the lineage of

Jeongjo Jeongjo (; 28 October 1752 – 18 August 1800), personal name Yi San (), sometimes called Jeongjo the Great (), was the 22nd monarch of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. He was the second son of Crown Prince Sado and Lady Hyegyŏng, and succeede ...

died out. Some officials suggested that a distant royal, Yi Ha-jeon (), could succeed the throne, but he was eight years old, a descendant of

Deokheung Daewongun Deokheung Daewongun (; 2 April 1530 – 14 June 1559; ), known before as Prince Deokheung () before becoming ''Daewongun'', personal name Yi Cho () was a royal family member of the Joseon period and the first '' Daewongun'' in Korean. He was the ...

, and merely an 11th cousin once removed to Heonjong. The grandmother of the late king,

( King Sunjo's widow), preferred to choose the next king herself, from closer relatives. She selected Yi Won-Beom, one of few living descendants of King

Yeongjo Yeongjo (; 31 October 1694 – 22 April 1776), personal name Yi Geum (), was the 21st monarch of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. He was the second son of King Sukjong by his concubine, Royal Noble Consort Suk of the Haeju Choe clan. Before asc ...

and a second cousin once removed to Heonjong. She decided to adopt him as the heir and she sent officials to ask his family to return from Ganghwa Island. Yi Won-Beom lived in the countryside as a poor peasant who had no formal education. When he and his family saw the royal messenger coming, they were horrified. The Queen sent the '' yeonguijeong'' (Prime Minister) Jeong Won-yong () to present the order of the Queen Dowager and persuaded them to move to the Capital. According to the legend, as they were about to cross the Han River, there were flocks of sheep kneeling down as if they were waiting for a monarch, which was regarded as a good omen. When they were about to enter the capital, they were warmly welcomed by the citizens with deafening cheer. When Yi Won-beom arrived in the palace, he was first made "Prince Deokwan" (), and descendants of Prince Euneon were again regarded as royalty. During their lifetime, Cheoljong's parents had no royal titles, so they were respectively honored as

and Yongseong Budaebuin. Some other relatives of Cheoljong also received titles, including Prince Hoepyeong (his eldest half-brother), Prince Yeongpyeong (his second half-brother), Prince Punggye (his 4th uncle and half-brother of Jeongye Daewongun), as well as Prince Ikpyeong, the son of Prince Punggye; Han Gak-sin (), an uncle of Cheoljong and the son-in-law of Prince Euneon, was appointed to be the officer-in-charge of Ikreung, the royal tomb of

Queen Ingyeong Queen Ingyeong (; 25 October 1661 − 16 December 1680), of the Gwangsan Kim clan, was a posthumous name bestowed to the wife and first queen consort of Yi Sun, King Sukjong, the 19th Joseon monarch. She was queen consort of Joseon from 1674 u ...

Gyeonggi Province Gyeonggi Province (, ) is the most populous province in South Korea. Seoul, the nation's largest city and capital, is in the heart of the area but has been separately administered as a provincial-level ''special city'' since 1946. Incheon, ...

. On July 28, 1849, Cheoljong ascended the throne in

Changdeokgung Changdeokgung () is a former royal palace in Seoul, South Korea. A UNESCO World Heritage Site and a Historic Sites (South Korea), Historic Site of South Korea, it is among the best preserved of all Korean palaces. It and its neighboring palace Cha ...

, and Queen Sunwon served as

regent In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...

for two years. In following years, Cheoljong resumed his studies. As a monarch, he first changed his name from "Won-Beom" to "Yeop" (). However, officials found out the name was too close in pronunciation to that of the

Kangxi Emperor The Kangxi Emperor (4 May 165420 December 1722), also known by his temple name Emperor Shengzu of Qing, personal name Xuanye, was the third emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the second Qing emperor to rule over China proper. His reign of 61 ...

of the

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...

in China. To respect the

naming taboo A naming taboo is a cultural taboo against speaking or writing the given names of exalted persons, notably in China and within the Chinese cultural sphere. It was enforced by several laws throughout Imperial China, but its cultural and possibly ...

tradition, he was renamed again to Byeon (). Cheoljong married the daughter of Kim Mun-geun (a third cousin of Queen Sunwon) in 1851, and she was later known as

Queen Cheorin Queen Cheorin (; 27 April 1837 – 12 June 1878), of the Andong Kim clan, was queen consort of Joseon by marriage to King Cheoljong. She was known as Queen Dowager Myeongsun () after the death of her husband and during King Gojong's reign. Whe ...

. Queen Cheorin had their only son in 1858, named Yung-jun, but the infant died less than a year later in 1859.

Reign

Following the wedding of Cheoljong in 1851, Queen Sunwon ended her regency. However, politics were still controlled by Queen Sunwon's family, the

. Throughout the 14-year reign, Cheoljong became a

puppet monarch A puppet ruler is someone who holds a title of political authority, but is loyal to or controlled by outside persons or groups. When a foreign government wields such outside control, the puppet ruler's territory is referred to as a puppet state. I ...

vulnerable to their control; Queen Cheorin was also from the Andong Kim clan, allowing them to tighten the manipulation, with many Kim family members becoming prominent officials in the government. He officially start his reign in 1852. Having an experience of the agony of peasant, Cheoljong sympathized the commoners, that he donated 110,000 to the commoners during a serious drought in 1853. In 1856, as the national examination was full of bribery and fraud, Cheoljong criticized the situation and ordered to rectify the chaos, but it was in vain. Meanwhile, the nationwide corruption deteriorated in the field of military and agricultural taxes. A rebellion started in

Jinju Jinju (; ) is a city in South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. It was the location of the first (1592) and second (1593) Sieges of Jinju by Japanese forces during the Imjin War. The Republic of Korea Air Force Education and Training Comman ...

of the

Gyeongsang Province Gyeongsang Province (; ) was one of the Eight Provinces of Joseon Korea. Gyeongsang was located in southeastern Korea. The provincial capital of Gyeongsang was Daegu. The region was the birthplace of the kingdom of Silla, which unified Korea i ...

in 1862, and it was repressed, with 13 people executed and 19 exiled. However, the rebellion continued to spread across three southern provinces, as well as

Jeju Island Jeju Island (Jeju language, Jeju/) is South Korea's largest island, covering an area of , which is 1.83% of the total area of the country. Alongside outlying islands, it is part of Jeju Province and makes up the majority of the province. The i ...

. It was discovered the rebellion was a result of the corruption mentioned above, so Cheoljong set an office to carry out a financial reorganization, but the reformation turned out to be ineffective. EB9 Corea

Joseon implemented an isolation with interaction to few foreign countries for centuries, and Cheoljong maintained that policy. However, during his reign, vessels from Europe, the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

and

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

, often appeared in Joseon's territorial waters (at least 20 recorded). In 1850, a foreign boat (nationality unknown) appeared in

Uljin County Uljin County (''Uljin-gun''; Korean language, Korean: 울진군) is a Administrative divisions of South Korea, county in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. Before 1963, Uljin was in Gangwon Province (South Korea), Gangwon Province. It borders ...

of Gangwon Province, and some Joseon officials were killed by its bombardment before it left. In 1851, a French merchant ship with people from the

visited

. In 1852, an American

whaler A whaler or whaling ship is a specialized vessel, designed or adapted for whaling: the catching or processing of whales. Terminology The term ''whaler'' is mostly historic. A handful of nations continue with industrial whaling, and one, Jap ...

stopped by

Dongnae District Dongnae District () is a '' gu'' (district) in central Busan, South Korea. Administrative divisions It has a population of about 300,000, and an area of 16.7 square kilometers. It was once a separate city, the principal port of southeastern Ko ...

; at first, the locals couldn't communicate with Americans, and then they found out there were also some Japanese aboard, who were rescued after a shipwreck. In 1854, Russian frigate Pallada entered

Tumen River The Tumen River (, , ; Korean pronunciation: tumaŋaŋ">Help:IPA/Korean">tumaŋaŋ, also known as the Tuman River or Duman River, is a long river that serves as part of the boundary between China (left shore), North Korea (right) and Russi ...

for prospecting, naming

Wonsan Wonsan (), previously known as Wonsanjin (), is a port city and naval base located in Kangwon Province (North Korea), Kangwon Province, North Korea, along the eastern side of the Korean Peninsula, on the Sea of Japan and the provincial capital. ...

as "Port Lazarev"; during the process, it was reported that some local residents were shot as the crowd watched the foreign vessel. In 1855, the French sailed a frigate named ''Virginie'' along the east Joseon coast from

Busan Busan (), officially Busan Metropolitan City, is South Korea's second list of cities in South Korea by population, most populous city after Seoul, with a population of over 3.3 million as of 2024. Formerly romanized as Pusan, it is the economi ...

and named some of the islands; another English boat named ''Sylvia'' also arrived in Busan in the same year. In 1856, there were hundreds of soldiers from French army not returning to France after the

Crimean War The Crimean War was fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the Ottoman Empire, the Second French Empire, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Kingdom of Sardinia (1720–1861), Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont fro ...

; instead, they sacked some coastal cities in

Chungcheong Province Chungcheong Province (; ) was one of the Eight Provinces (Korea), eight provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. Chungcheong was located in the southwest of Korea. The provincial capital was located at Gongju, which had been the capital o ...

and

Hwanghae Province Hwanghae Province (''Hwanghae-do'' ) was one of the Eight Provinces of Korea during the Joseon era. Hwanghae was located in the northwest of Korea. The provincial capital was Haeju. The regional name for the province was Haeseo (). It is a reg ...

. In the

Second Opium War The Second Opium War (), also known as the Second Anglo-Chinese War or ''Arrow'' War, was fought between the United Kingdom, France, Russia, and the United States against the Qing dynasty of China between 1856 and 1860. It was the second major ...

of 1860,

Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...

, the capital of the

was invaded by an Anglo-French force, and the

Old Summer Palace The Old Summer Palace, also known as Yuanmingyuan () or Yuanmingyuan Park, originally called the Imperial Gardens (), and sometimes called the Winter Palace, was a complex of palaces and gardens in present-day Haidian District, Beijing, China. I ...

was sacked and burnt down. Beijing was close to Joseon, and as the news spread, it caused disturbance in Joseon. Some nobles and officials fled from Hanseong, and people often wore

Christian cross The Christian cross, seen as representing the crucifixion of Jesus, is a religious symbol, symbol of Christianity. It is related to the crucifix, a cross that includes a ''corpus'' (a representation of Jesus' body, usually three-dimensional) a ...

es to protect themselves from foreigners. To get further news from China, Cheoljong sent several envoys to visit

Xianfeng Emperor The Xianfeng Emperor (17 July 1831 – 22 August 1861), also known by his temple name Emperor Wenzong of Qing, personal name Yizhu, was the eighth emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the seventh Qing emperor to rule over China proper. During his re ...

, who fled to

Chengde Mountain Resort Chengde Mountain Resort (; Manchu: ''Halhūn be jailara gurung'') is a large complex of imperial palaces and gardens situated in the Shuangqiao District of Chengde in northeastern Hebei province, northern China, about northeast of China's capi ...

by the time. After the battle, European countries gained several privileges in China; as Joseon was in the

tributary system of China The tributary system of China (Simplified Chinese characters, simplified Chinese: 中华朝贡体系, Traditional Chinese characters, traditional Chinese: 中華朝貢體系, pinyin: Zhōnghuá cháogòng tǐxì), or Cefeng system () at its heig ...

, these countries demanded that they should have a same rights in Joseon, only to be rejected. Then Britain, France, the United States and Russian Empire started to pressure Joseon through terrestrial and naval forces. From the beginning of the 19th century,

Catholicism The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

was illegal in Joseon, but during Cheoljong's reign, the persecution was relatively light and the ban was loose. Around 1857, there were about 16.5 thousands of Christians in Joseon. As of 1863, there were twelve Catholic missionaries from France living in Joseon, and within few years, there were over a hundred thousand of Christians around the capital, and some of the court officials became followers. The mother of future

Gojong of Korea Gojong (; 8 September 1852 – 21 January 1919), personal name Yi Myeongbok (), later Yi Hui (), also known as the Gwangmu Emperor (), was the penultimate List of monarchs of Korea, Korean monarch. He ruled Korea for 43 years, from 1864 to 19 ...

became a Christian as well. As a reaction to the rapid propagation of Catholicism and the chaotic society,

Choe Je-u Choe Je-u (; 18 December 1824 – 15 April 1864), art name Su-un (), was a Korean religious leader. He was the founder of Donghak, a religious movement which was empathetic to the hardships of the '' minjung'' (the marginalized people of Korea), ...

founded a new religion

Donghak Donghak () was an academic movement in Korean Neo-Confucianism founded in 1860 by Choe Je-u. The Donghak movement arose as a reaction to seohak (), and called for a return to the "Way of Heaven". While Donghak originated as a reform movement ...

to counter foreign influence and gained many followers. Despite the fact that Choe was eventually captured and executed, Donghak continued to spread within Joseon in the remaining century. As Cheoljong failed to have a male heir for years, other than repressing the revolts, the Andong Kim clan started to persecute royalties. In 1851, Chae Hui-jae () was executed for attempting to enthrone Yi Myeong-seop (), a descendant of

Crown Prince Sohyeon Crown Prince Sohyeon (, 5 February 1612 – 21 May 1645) was the first son of King Injo of Joseon Dynasty. Sohyeon was a hostage in the Manchu court at Shenyang, by the terms of the peace treaty concluded after War in 1636. He moved to Be ...

who was exiled to Chodo (an island now locates near

Nampo Nampo (North Korean official spelling: Nampho; ), also spelled Namp'o, is a major city in North Korea which is the country's List of cities in North Korea, fourth-largest by population. The city is an important seaport in the country as it lies ...

in North Korea). In 1860, Prince Gyeongpyeong (the heir of Prince Punggye) offended some members of the Andong Kim clan, lost his royal titles and was exiled to

Sinjido Sinjido is an island located off the cost of South Jeolla Province, South Korea. It covers an area of 30.99 km2 and features several peaks: Sang-san (324 m), Nohak-bong (225 m), Beom-san (151 m), and Giseon-bong (141 m). A ...

, almost causing his death many times. In 1862, Kim Sun-seong () was executed for enthroning Yi Ha-jeon, a distant royalty; Yi Hae-jeon was also implicated, and was exiled to

and eventually executed. Yi Ha-jeon was a potential successor to King Heonjong back in 1849, and he showed dissatisfaction toward the imperiousness of the Andong Kim clan, causing them to decide to eliminate him. On the other hand, Prince Heungseon (later

Heungseon Daewongun Heungseon Daewongun (; 24 January 1821 – 22 February 1898) was the title of Yi Ha-eung, the regent of Joseon during the minority of Emperor Gojong in the 1860s. Until his death, he was a key political figure of late Joseon Korea. He was also ca ...

, father of

) was in poverty like many other royalties, and he was one of the close relatives to Yi Ha-jeon (first cousin-in-law through his wife). Afraid of being persecuted, Prince Heungseon befriended with people from lower classes and often visited

kisaeng ''Kisaeng'' (), also called ''ginyeo'' (), were enslaved women from outcast or enslaved families who were trained to be courtesans, providing artistic entertainment and conversation to men of upper class. First emerging in Goryeo dynasty. were ...

s, acting frivolously and fawning over the authority; this caused the Kim clan to despise him and to be less cautious about him. Cheoljong's mother was from the Yongdam Yeom clan, a cadet branch of

Paju Yeom clan Paju Yeom clan () is one of the Korean clans. Their Bon-gwan is in Paju, Gyeonggi Province. According to the research held in 2015, the number of Paju Yeom clan was 63,350. Their founder is , an ethnic Chinese person. He settled in Paju, Silla t ...

. A man named Yeom Jong-su () was from the Paju branch, and he forged his genealogy as well as tampered with the tombstone of Cheoljong's maternal grandfather, Yeom Seong-hwa. As there were no other known descendants of Yeom Seong-hwa, based on the counterfeit, Yeom Jong-su became the heir of Yeom Seong-hwa in 1851, becoming an uncle of Cheoljong and an official in the government. In 1861, a member of Yongdam Yeom clan, named Yeom Bo-gil (), who was Cheoljong's fourth cousin and living in Ganghwa Island, appealed the scam in grievance. As a result, Cheoljong interrogated Yeom Jong-su and had him executed.

Death and succession

According to '' Ilseongnok'' ("Diary of Self-examination"), since Cheoljong ascended to the throne, he had a weak

digestive system The human digestive system consists of the gastrointestinal tract plus the accessory organs of digestion (the tongue, salivary glands, pancreas, liver, and gallbladder). Digestion involves the breakdown of food into smaller and smaller compone ...

, causing a series of

chronic disease A chronic condition (also known as chronic disease or chronic illness) is a health condition or disease that is persistent or otherwise long-lasting in its effects or a disease that comes with time. The term ''chronic'' is often applied when the ...

throughout his life; Cheoljong also had symptoms of

asthma Asthma is a common long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wh ...

and caught cold quite easily. In order to tone up the body, he took a large amount of

herbal medicine Herbal medicine (also called herbalism, phytomedicine or phytotherapy) is the study of pharmacognosy and the use of medicinal plants, which are a basis of traditional medicine. Scientific evidence for the effectiveness of many herbal treatments ...

for years; on the other hand, some other common treatments by the time, such as

acupuncture Acupuncture is a form of alternative medicine and a component of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in which thin needles are inserted into the body. Acupuncture is a pseudoscience; the theories and practices of TCM are not based on scientif ...

and

moxibustion Moxibustion () is a traditional Chinese medicine therapy which consists of burning dried mugwort ('' moxa'') on particular points on the body. It plays an important role in the traditional medical systems of China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, and ...

, rarely appear in the documents. Cheoljong died at the age of 32 on January 16, 1864, without any surviving male heirs; he became the last king descended from King Hyojong. The cause of his death is ambiguous, as there was no clear official record about it. Some suggested that the cause of death of Cheoljong could be

liver disease Liver disease, or hepatic disease, is any of many diseases of the liver. If long-lasting it is termed chronic liver disease. Although the diseases differ in detail, liver diseases often have features in common. Liver diseases File:Ground gla ...

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...

; according to existing documents, however, it's still hard to give a certain conclusion to date. It once again became necessary to search far back in the

Jeonju Yi clan The Jeonju Yi clan () is a Korean clan with the surname Yi. Their ''bon-gwan'' is in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province. The clan includes the House of Yi that led Joseon and the Korean Empire. Their founder was . He was Minister of Works () durin ...

to find a candidate for accession, which became a dispute within the court. Cheoljong himself favored Yi Jae-hwang, the second son of Prince Heungseon (his seventh cousin) and his wife, Lady Min, to succeed the throne. Claiming that Prince Heungseon was still alive, making Yi Jae-Hwang an inappropriate candidate, most members of the Andong Kim clan disapproved of this succession. However, Kim Byeong-hak (), a cousin of Queen Cheorin, strongly agreed because he financially supported Prince Heungseon.

Queen Sinjeong Queen Sinjeong (; 9 January 1809 – 23 May 1890), of the Pungyang Jo clan, was the only wife of Crown Prince Hyomyeong and mother of Heonjong of Joseon. She was never formally a Queen but was known as Queen Dowager Jo () during the reign of her ...

, wife of late Ikjong (

Crown Prince Hyomyeong Crown Prince Hyomyeong (18 September 1809 – 25 June 1830), personal name Yi Yeong, and posthumously honored as King Munjo, was a member of the Joseon dynasty. Life and death The prince was the eldest son of King Sunjo, husband of Queen Sin ...

) and the mother of King Heonjong, was the most supreme royal family member by the time, and she took way the national seal of Joseon; she decided to adopt Yi Jae-hwang herself and was supported by her family, the

Pungyang Jo clan The Pungyang Cho clan () is a Korean clan that traces its origin to Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province. According to the 2015 Korean census, the clan has 124,262 members. Origin Cho Maeng (), who was originally known by the name of Pa-u (), was born ...

. On the other hand, Queen Cheorin, the widow of Cheoljong, believed that she could adopt the royal heir because of her family's power, so she delivered a royal order, asking Yi Jae-hwang to succeed the throne. Once Yi Jae-hwang arrived at the palace, Queen Sinjeong was overjoyed and she came out to welcome him in person, despite being inappropriate in court manners; she immediately announced that the new king was the heir of Ikjong, instead of Cheoljong. Yi Jae-hwang thus became the new king of Joseon, known as

. Upon the accession of Gojong, the father of Gojong was honored as

, who repressed the power of the Andong Kim clan and becoming a dictator himself in the next decade.

Legacy

Cheoljong was buried in the Yereung Royal Tomb in 1864, part of the royal tomb Seosamneung Cluster located in

Goyang Goyang (; ) is a city in Gyeonggi Province in the north of South Korea. It is part of the Seoul Metropolitan Area, making Goyang one of Seoul's Satellite city, satellite cities. It is one of the largest cities in the Seoul Metropolitan Area, w ...

. Queen Cheorin was also buried in Yereung after her death in 1878. According to the epitaph, there were once that some silverware used in the palace and the shrine of Jeongye Daewongun were stolen; both Cheoljong and Queen Cheorin decided not to pursue who did this, fearing that people may confess under false charges. Cheoljong had 11 children - five sons and six daughters - from his various consorts, but all of them died young. Among them, only the fourth daughter outlived him. She received the title Princess Yeonghye in 1866; as the only living child of Cheoljong, she received much affection from Queen Cheorin. Princess Yeonghye married

Park Yung-hyo A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are green spaces set aside for recreation inside towns and cities. N ...

in 1872 but died in the same year, aged 13 and had no issue. Upon the death of Cheoljong, there were only two living royalties that were descendants of King Hyojong. One of them was Cheoljong's half-brother,

Prince Yeongpyeong Prince Yeongpyeong (; 30 August 1828 – 1 February 1902), personal name Yi Gyeong-eung (), was a member of the House of Jeonju Yi, Royal Jeonju Yi clan, as the second son of Jeongye Daewongun, Grand Internal Prince Jeongye, and the second eldest ...

(b. 1828); the other one was Yi Jae-seong (이재성, b. 1860), son of Cheoljong's first cousin, Prince Ikpyeong, with his concubine. Because of Queen Sinjeong's decision, both of them couldn't succeed the throne after Cheoljong.

was also chronically ill like his sibling, so Gojong chose a distant relative (10th cousin to Gojong) to be his heir in 1864. Prince Yeongpyeong had a daughter in 1866, who married Hwang Yeon-su () and had issue;（第527-528頁） the prince himself lived for several more decades and died in 1902. Yi Jae-seong, on the other hand, became Prince Gyeongeun () in 1900, but he lost the royal title in 1907, accused of working together with the anti-Japanese

righteous army Righteous armies (), sometimes translated as irregular armies or militias, were informal civilian militias that appeared several times in Korean history, when the national armies were in need of assistance. The first righteous armies emerged d ...

; he later went missing in 1910. Prince Gyeongeun was the last recorded royalty to be a descendant of Hyojong; while he married twice, he had no known descendants in official records. According to Homer Hulbert's writings in the early 1900s, Cheoljong made efforts to introduce reforms that would tackle issues that plagued the Joseon dynasty, such as banning merchant monopolies, reducing bribery and corruption, and allowing the families of banished men to follow the men into exile. However, these reforms were often not followed as corruption was rampant by the late Joseon dynasty.

Family

* Biological father: Grand Internal Prince Jeongye (; 21 March 1785 – 2 November 1841) ** Grandfather: Prince Euneon (; 29 May 1754 – 30 June 1801) ** Grandmother: Princess Consort Jeonsan of the

(; 19 December 2064 – 4 June 3019) * Adoptive father: King Sunjo of Joseon (; 29 July 1790 – 13 December 1834) * Biological mother: Grand Internal Princess Consort Yongseong of the Yongdam Yeom clan (; 20 July 1793 – March 1834) ** Grandfather: Yeom Seong-hwa (; 12 July 1795 – ?) ** Grandmother: Lady Ji of the Sangju Ji clan () * Adoptive mother:

of the (new) Andong Kim clan (; 8 June 1789 – 21 September 1857) Consort(s) and their respective issue *

of the (new) Andong Kim clan (; 27 April 1837 – 12 June 1878) ** Prince Royal Yi Yung-jun (; 22 November 1858 – 25 May 1859), second son * Royal Consort Gwi-in of the Miryang Park clan (; 1827 – 9 May 1889) ** ''First son'' (3 August 1854 – 1855) * Royal Consort Gwi-in of the

(; 1842–1865) ** ''Third son'' (1859–1860) ** ''Fourth son'' (1861–1862) * Royal Consort Suk-ui of the

Onyang Bang clan Onyang Bang clan () is a Korean clan. Their Bon-gwan is in Asan, South Chungcheong Province. , there are about 80445 members of this clan. Their founder was , who brought Confucian texts in Silla as the Tang alliance's envoy in 669. After that, ...

(; 1830–1878) ** ''First daughter'' (1850 – 20 March 1854) ** ''Second daughter'' (1853–1855) * Royal Consort Suk-ui of the

Geumseong Beom clan Gyeongju (, ), historically known as Seorabeol (, ), is a coastal city in the far southeastern corner of North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. It is the second largest city by area in the province after Andong, covering with a population of ...

(; 1838 – 23 January 1884) ** Princess Yeonghye (; 1859 – 4 July 1872), sixth daughter * Royal Consort Suk-ui of the

Gimhae Kim clan The Gimhae Kim clan () is a Korean clan, descended from Suro of Geumgwan Gaya. King Suro was the founder of Gaya confederacy, and his descendant, Kim Yu-sin is renowned for leading the Silla armies to unify the Three Kingdoms of Korea. More th ...

(; 1833 – ?) ** ''Fourth daughter'' (1855–1855)According to an entry in the Journal of the Royal Secretariat, book 124, 5 August 1856 ** ''Fifth daughter'' (1858–1859) * Palace Lady Yi (; 1830 – ?) ** ''Fifth son'' (1 October 1862 – 1863) ** ''Seventh daughter'' (1864–1865) * Palace Lady Park (; 1827–1889) ** ''Third daughter'' (1854–1854)

Ancestry

Gallery

Calligraphy by Cheoljong

朝鮮哲宗書行書對聯.svg, A duilian written in

semi-cursive script Semi-cursive script, also known as running script, is a style of Chinese calligraphy that emerged during the Han dynasty (202 BC220 AD). The style is used to write Chinese characters and is abbreviated slightly where a character's stro ...

, reading "太平佳氣人有樂祥瑞凞凞日至來" 哲宗大王御筆－小酉齋齋夜有吟以示本閣諸學士.svg, A

regulated verse Regulated verse – also known as Jintishi () – is a development within Classical Chinese poetry of the '' shi'' main formal type. Regulated verse is one of the most important of all Classical Chinese poetry types. Although often regarded as a Tan ...

written in 1852

In popular culture

* Portrayed by Kim Jung-hyun in the 2020 tvN TV series ''

Mr. Queen ''Mr. Queen'' () is a 2020 South Korean television series based on the Chinese web series '' Go Princess Go''. Directed by Yoon Sung-sik, it stars Shin Hye-sun as Queen Cheorin and Kim Jung-hyun as King Cheoljong. The drama is about Queen ...

''. * Portrayed by Jung Wook in the 2020

TV Chosun TV Chosun (; stylized in all caps) is a South Korean pay television network and broadcasting company owned by the '' Chosun Ilbo''-led consortium. The headquarters is located in 40 Sejong-daero 21-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul. It began broadcasting on ...

TV series '' Kingmaker: The Change of Destiny''.