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Taejong (1367 – 1422, r. 1400-1418) was the third king of the Joseon Dynasty
Joseon Dynasty

Joseon , was a sovereign state founded by Taejo Taejo of Joseon, and lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo Kingdom at what is today the city of Kaesong....
 in Korea
Korea

Korea is a geographic area composed of two sovereign countries, a civilization, and a former state situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia....
 and the father of King Sejong the Great
Sejong the Great of Joseon

Sejong the Great was the fourth king of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea. He is best remembered for creating the Korean alphabet hangul, despite strong opposition from the scholars educated in hanja ....
.

as born as Yi Bangwon in 1367 as the fifth son of King Taejo
Taejo of Joseon

Taejo of Joseon , born Yi Seong-gye, whose changed name is Yi Dan, was the founder and the first king of the Joseon Dynasty of Korean antiquity, and the main figure in overthrowing the Goryeo Dynasty....
, and was qualified as an official of Goryeo Dynasty in 1382. During his early days, he helped his father to extend his support with the citizenry and many influential figures of the government. He was sent to the Ming Dynasty of China in 1388.






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Taejong (1367 – 1422, r. 1400-1418) was the third king of the Joseon Dynasty
Joseon Dynasty

Joseon , was a sovereign state founded by Taejo Taejo of Joseon, and lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo Kingdom at what is today the city of Kaesong....
 in Korea
Korea

Korea is a geographic area composed of two sovereign countries, a civilization, and a former state situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia....
 and the father of King Sejong the Great
Sejong the Great of Joseon

Sejong the Great was the fourth king of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea. He is best remembered for creating the Korean alphabet hangul, despite strong opposition from the scholars educated in hanja ....
.

Early life

He was born as Yi Bangwon in 1367 as the fifth son of King Taejo
Taejo of Joseon

Taejo of Joseon , born Yi Seong-gye, whose changed name is Yi Dan, was the founder and the first king of the Joseon Dynasty of Korean antiquity, and the main figure in overthrowing the Goryeo Dynasty....
, and was qualified as an official of Goryeo Dynasty in 1382. During his early days, he helped his father to extend his support with the citizenry and many influential figures of the government. He was sent to the Ming Dynasty of China in 1388. Taejong helped his father
Taejo of Joseon

Taejo of Joseon , born Yi Seong-gye, whose changed name is Yi Dan, was the founder and the first king of the Joseon Dynasty of Korean antiquity, and the main figure in overthrowing the Goryeo Dynasty....
 found a new dynasty by disposing of powerful Confucian officials such as Jeong Mong-ju
Jeong Mong-ju

Jeong Mongju , often known by his pen name Po Eun, was a Korean scholar born during the Goryeo dynasty. He was born in Yeongcheon, to a family of the Yeongil Jeong clan....
, who remained loyal to the Goryeo
Goryeo

The Goryeo Dynasty was a sovereign state established in 918 by Taejo of Goryeo. It united the Later Three Kingdoms in 936 and ruled most of the Korean peninsula until it was removed by the Joseon dynasty in 1392....
 kings.

In 1392, he helped his father to overthrow Goryeo and establish a new dynasty, Joseon. He thought he would be appointed as the successor to the throne, but his little half-brother, Yi Bangseok(Prince Uian) was favored more by Taejo and Prime Minister Jeong Dojeon
Jeong Dojeon

Jeong Dojeon , also known by the pen name Sambong, was the most powerful medieval Korean noble and politician in the early Joseon Dynasty dynasty....
, who were afraid of Taejong's strong leadership and hard-line policy against noble families. In 1398, he led a coup against Jeong Dojeon and Yi Bangseok, exterminating Jeong's faction and murdering Yi Bangseok, his siblings and the queen. He then gave a push to his older brother, Jeongjong of Joseon
Jeongjong of Joseon

King Jeongjong of Joseon , born Yi Bang-gwa, whose changed name is Yi Gyeong, was the second king of Joseon Dynasty . He was the second son of the founder and also the first king of the dynasty, King Taejo of Joseon....
, as a crown prince. Disappointed, Taejo abdicated in 1399, and Jeongjong succeeded to the throne.

In 1400, General Bak Po, who was disappointed by Taejong for not rewarding him for his action in the 1398 coup, allied with Bangwon's older brother Yi Banggan(Prince Hoean) and rebelled against him. Yi Bangwon successfully defeated his brother's forces, then executed Bak Po and sent Yi Banggan into exile. King Jeongjong, who was afraid of his brother's harsh action, appointed him as crown prince and abdicated in the same year, thus Taejong became the third king of Joseon Dynasty.

Reign

First in his reign, he banned private armies and absorbed the soldiers who were privately owned by many nobles and princes into the official army, and removed opposition from the government. He also changed the political system, creating a strong central government and an absolute monarchy. He promoted Confucianism, which was more like political philosophy rather than religion; thus demoting Buddhism, which was far from daily living and decayed from the power given by Goryeo kings back then. He closed many temples that were established by Goryeo kings, and seized their large possessions and added them to the national treasury. He also initiated the system of hopae
Hopae

Hopae were identification tags carried by Koreans during the Joseon Dynasty, recording the bearer's name, place of birth, Caste#Castes in Korea, and residence....
, an early form of identification recording the bearer's name and residence, used to control the movement of people. He also set a big drum in front of his court, so that the common people, when they had some problems, could come to palace and consult the king.

In foreign policy, he was straight hardliner-he attacked the Jurchens
Jurchens

The Jurchens were a Tungusic peoples who inhabited the region of Manchuria until the 17th century, when they adopted the name Manchu. They established the Jin Dynasty between 1115 and 1122; it lasted until 1234 when the Mongols arrived....
 on the northern border and Japanese Pirates on the southern coast. Taejong is also known for being responsible for the Oei Invasion
Oei Invasion

The Oei Invasion was the 1419 invasion of Japan, Tsushima Island led by the Joseon Dynasty....
 of Tsushima Island
Tsushima Island

Tsushima are islands of the Japanese Archipelago situated in the middle of Korea Strait at 34?25'N and 129?20'E. It is the largest island of Nagasaki Prefecture....
 in 1419. He also promoted publications, commerce and education. He also founded and encouraged Uigeumbu, the royal guard and secret police at the same time. In 1404, He moved the capital back to Hanyang(Seoul), and abdicated in 1418-giving the throne to Sejong the Great of Joseon
Sejong the Great of Joseon

Sejong the Great was the fourth king of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea. He is best remembered for creating the Korean alphabet hangul, despite strong opposition from the scholars educated in hanja ....
.

Taejong was known for his passion for hunting, considered unseemly in a ruler.

Family

  • Father: King Taejo
    Taejo of Joseon

    Taejo of Joseon , born Yi Seong-gye, whose changed name is Yi Dan, was the founder and the first king of the Joseon Dynasty of Korean antiquity, and the main figure in overthrowing the Goryeo Dynasty....
  • Mother: Queen Sin-ui of the Anbyeon Han clan (???? ??)
  • Consorts:
  1. Queen Wongyeong of the Yeoheung Min clan (???? ??)
  2. Royal Noble Consort Hyo of the Kim clan (?? ??)
  3. Royal Noble Consort Myeong of the Kim clan (?? ??)
  4. Royal Noble Consort Sin of the Sin clan (?? ??)
  5. Royal Noble Consort Seon of the An clan (?? ??)
  6. Royal Noble Consort Ui of the Gwon clan (?? ??)
  7. Royal Noble Consort So of the No clan (?? ??)
  8. Choi Suk-ui (?? ??)
  9. Princess Deoksun of the Lee clan (???? ??)
  10. Princess Soonhye of the Jang clan (???? ??)
  11. Concubine Go (?? ??)
  • Issue:
  1. Grand Prince Yangnyeong, 1st Son of Queen Wongyeong of the Yeoheung Min clan.
  2. Grand Prince Hyoryeong, 2nd Son of Queen Wongyeong of the Yeoheung Min clan
  3. Grand Prince Chungnyeong, 3rd Son of Queen Wongyeong of the Yeoheung Min clan
  4. Grand Prince Seongnyeong, 4th Son of Queen Wongyeong of the Yeoheung Min clan.
  5. Prince Gyeongnyeong, Only Son of Royal Noble Consort Hyo of the Kim clan.
  6. Prince Hamnyeong, 1st Son of Royal Noble Consort Sin of the Sin clan.
  7. Prince Onnyeong, 2nd Son of Royal Noble Consort Sin of the Sin clan.
  8. Prince Geunnyeong, 3rd Son of Royal Noble Consort Sin of the Sin clan.
  9. Prince Iknyeong, Only Son of Royal Noble Consort Seon of the An clan.
  10. Prince Huiryeong, Only Son of Choi Suk-ui.
  11. Prince Huryeong, Only Son of Princess Deoksun of the Lee clan.
  12. Prince Hyeryeong, Only Son of Concubine Go.
  13. Princess Jeongsoon, 1st Daughter of Queen Wongyeong of the Yeoheung Min clan.
  14. Princess Gyeongjeong, 2nd Daughter of Queen Wongyeong of the Yeoheung Min clan.
  15. Princess Gyeongan, 3rd Daughter of Queen Wongyeong of the Yeoheung Min clan.
  16. Princess Jeongseon, 4th Daughter of Queen Wongyeong of the Yeoheung Min clan.
  17. Princess Sukan, Only Daughter of Royal Noble Consort Myeong of the Kim clan.
  18. Princess Jeongshin, 1st Daughter of Royal Noble Consort Sin of the Sin clan.
  19. Princess Jeongjeong, 2nd Daughter of Royal Noble Consort Sin of the Sin clan.
  20. Princess Sukjeong, 3rd Daughter of Royal Noble Consort Sin of the Sin clan.
  21. Princess Soshin, 4th Daughter of Royal Noble Consort Sin of the Sin clan.
  22. Princess Sooknyeong, 5th Daughter of Royal Noble Consort Sin of the Sin clan.
  23. Princess Sookgyeong, 6th Daughter of Royal Noble Consort Sin of the Sin clan.
  24. Princess Sookgeun, 7th Daughter of Royal Noble Consort Sin of the Sin clan.
  25. Princess Sosook, 1st Daughter of Royal Noble Consort Seon of the An clan.
  26. Princess Gyeongshin, 2nd Daughter of Royal Noble Consort Seon of the An clan.
  27. Princess Jeonghye, Only Daughter of Royal Noble Consort Ui of the Gwon clan.
  28. Princess Sookhye, Only Daughter of Royal Noble Consort So of the No clan.
  29. Princess Sooksoon, Only Daughter of Princess Deoksun of the Lee clan.


His full posthumous name

  • King Taejong Gongjeong Seongdeok Sin-gong Geoncheon Chegeuk Daejeong Gye-u Munmu Yecheol Seongnyeol Gwanghyo the Great
  • ??????????????????????????
  • ??????????????????????????


Modern depiction

"Tears of the Dragon," a popular KBS television historical drama that aired from 1996-8, portrayed Taejong's life. It depicts him as being committed to the stability of the kingdom, a commitment that translated into affection and devotion towards his father and heir (originally Taejong's firstborn son), although these feelings were not reciprocated due to anger about the 1398 assassinations. The anger culminated in the retired Taejo's efforts to remove Taejong by backing the Cho Sa-Wei Revolt and personally shooting an arrow at him during a reconciliation meeting. According to the series, Taejong grew to become perpetually suspicious of others around him (especially his in-laws), resulting in purge
Purge

In history and political science, a purge is the removal of people who are considered undesirable by those in power from a government, from another organisation, or from society as a whole....
s, a typical example being his execution of the queen's influence-peddling-but-loyal oldest brothers and na?vely-innocent youngest brothers. In disgusted response, his Crown Prince rejected the throne to become a playboy
Playboy

Playboy is an American men's magazine, founded in Chicago, Illinois, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, which has grown into Playboy Enterprises, with a presence in nearly every medium....
 and his second-born son joined the Buddhist priesthood, deferring the position to the third-born son.

King Taejong was also depicted in the 2008 KBS historical drama King Sejong the Great (TV series)
King Sejong the Great (TV series)

Daewang Sejong is a new South Korean Historical Drama airing on Korean Broadcasting System, following after Dae Jo Yeong long epic 136 episodes....
 about his third son and sucessor, King Sejong.

See also

  • List of Korea-related topics
    List of Korea-related topics

    This is a list of articles on Korea-related people, places, things, and concepts. For help on how to use this list, see the #Introduction below....
  • Rulers of Korea
  • Cheonsang Yeolcha Bunyajido
    Cheonsang Yeolcha Bunyajido

    Cheonsang Yeolcha Bunyajido is a 14th century Korean star map, copies of which were spread nationwide in the Joseon Dynasty. The name is sometimes translated as "chart of the constellations and the regions they govern."...