Queen Sapyeong of the Jeonju Yi clan () was the first and primary wife of
King Gangjong of Goryeo when he was still a crown prince who just reigned for 9 months. Descended from
Yi Yongbu, she would become the first cousin fifth removed to
Yi Seonggye and only royal wife in Korean history who was born and came from 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 former House of Yi which ruled the Joseon dynasty and the Korean Empire.
Their founder was Yi Han (). His ...
.
Biography
Early life
The future Queen Sapyeong was born into 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 former House of Yi which ruled the Joseon dynasty and the Korean Empire.
Their founder was Yi Han (). His ...
as the only daughter of
Yi Ui-bang
Yi Ui-bang (, 1121 – 12 January 1175) was a military ruler of Korea during the Goryeo period. He was one of many military dictators of Goryeo in the aftermath of the 1170 warrior rebellion.
Life Background
Yi originated from the Jeonju Yi c ...
, son of Yi Yong-bu and Lady Jo in
Jeonju
Jeonju () is the 16th largest city in South Korea and the capital of North Jeolla Province. It is both urban and rural due to the closeness of Wanju County which almost entirely surrounds Jeonju (Wanju County has many residents who work in Jeonj ...
,
Jeollakbuk-do.
Marriage and later life
In 1174, she married
Crown Prince Wang Suk as his primary and first wife since her father had a big influence in the court. However, after 5 months reign, her father was assassinated in the coup led by Jeong-Gyun (정균), son of
Jeong Jung-bu
Jeong Jung-bu (1106 – 18 October 1179) was a medieval Korean soldier and military dictator during the Goryeo Dynasty (918–1392). He was a career soldier, qualified on military part of civil service examination. He was most noted for leading ...
(정중부), which she later expelled from her position and out the palace according to the opinion that,
:"You cannot have the rebel's daughter as a spouse and companion for you."
"반역자의 딸을 동궁의 배필로 둘 수 없다."
After her husband's ascension to the throne, she then received her title back and
posthumously honoured as a
Queen Consort. The couple had a
daughter
A daughter is a female offspring; a girl or a woman in relation to her parents. Daughterhood is the state of being someone's daughter. The male counterpart is a son. Analogously the name is used in several areas to show relations between ...
who later married Wang Chun, Duke Hawon (왕춘 하원공).
After that, her life was not appear in both of ''
Goryeosa
The ''Goryeosa'' (), or ''History of Goryeo'', is the main surviving historical record of Korea's Goryeo dynasty. It was composed nearly a century after the fall of Goryeo, during the reign of King Sejong, undergoing repeated revisions betwee ...
'' or ''
Goryeosa
The ''Goryeosa'' (), or ''History of Goryeo'', is the main surviving historical record of Korea's Goryeo dynasty. It was composed nearly a century after the fall of Goryeo, during the reign of King Sejong, undergoing repeated revisions betwee ...
jeolyo''.
Family
*Father:
Yi Ui-bang
Yi Ui-bang (, 1121 – 12 January 1175) was a military ruler of Korea during the Goryeo period. He was one of many military dictators of Goryeo in the aftermath of the 1170 warrior rebellion.
Life Background
Yi originated from the Jeonju Yi c ...
(이의방, 李義方) (1121 - 12 January 1174)
**Grandfather: Yi Yong-bu (이용부, 李勇夫)
***Great-grandfather:Yi Gung-jin (이궁진, 李宮進)
****Great-great-grandfather: Yi Jin-yu (이진유, 李珍有)
** Grandmother: Lady Yi (이씨, 李氏); daughter of Yi Hyeong (이형, 李珩) from the Samcheok Yi clan
*Mother: Lady Jo (조씨, 曺氏)
*Husband:
Crown Prince Wang Suk (황태자 왕숙) (10 May 1152 — 26 October 1213); son of
King Myeongjong and
Queen Uijeong.
**Daughter:
Princess Suryeong
Princess Suryeong was a Goryeo Royal Princess as the first and eldest daughter of King Gangjong when he was still a crown prince, from his first former wife, Queen Sapyeong, who was the daughter of Yi Ui-bang. She was, possibly, the older half-s ...
(수령궁주) (1174 - ?)
***Son-in-law: Wang Chun, Duke Hawon (하원공 왕춘, 河源公 王瑃); grandson of Princess Changrak and great-grandson of
King Injong
In popular culture
* Portrayed by
Park Eun-bin
Park Eun-bin (, born September 4, 1992) is a South Korean actress. A former child actress, she is known for her lead roles in the television series '' Hello, My Twenties!'' (2016–2017), '' Hot Stove League'' (2019–2020), '' Do You Like Brah ...
in the 2003-2004
KBS TV series ''
Age of Warriors
''Age of Warriors'' () is a South Korean historical television series. It aired on KBS1 from February 8, 2003, to August 15, 2004, every Saturday and Sunday at 21:45 ( KST) for 158 episodes. The series is set during the military rule over Gorye ...
''.
References
External links
Queen Sapyeongon
Encykorea
The ''Encyclopedia of Korean Culture'' is a Korean language encyclopedia published by the Academy of Korean Studies and DongBang Media Co. The articles in the encyclopedia are aimed at readers who want to learn about Korean culture and history ...
.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sapyeong, Queen
Royal consorts of the Goryeo Dynasty
Year of birth unknown
Year of death unknown
Jeonju Yi clan
People from Jeonju