Heungseon Daewongun

Yi Ha-eung 이하응
Photograph byHomer Hulbert
Grand Internal PrinceofJoseon
Predecessor	Grand Internal Prince Jeongye
Successor	Title abolished
RegentofJoseon
Regency	21 January 1864 – 31 October 1873 withQueen Sinjeong
Predecessor	Cheoljong of Joseon
Successor	Queen Myeongseong
Born	24 January 1821 Hanseong,Joseon
Died	22 February 1898(1898-02-23)(aged 77) Seongjeosibli,Korean Empire
Spouse	Grand Internal Princess Consort Sunmok
Issue	Prince Imperial Heungchin Emperor Gojong of Korea Prince Imperial Waneun(illegitimate)
Dynasty	House of Yi
Father	Yi Gu, Prince Namyeon
Mother	Princess Consort Min
Korean name
Hangul	흥선대원군
Hanja	Hưng tuyên đại viện quân
Revised Romanization	Heungseon Daewongun
McCune–Reischauer	Hŭngsŏn Taewŏn'gum
Art name
Hangul	석파
Hanja	Thạch pha
Revised Romanization	Seokpa
McCune–Reischauer	Sŏkp'a
Birth name
Hangul	이하응
Hanja	Lý thị ứng
Revised Romanization	Yi Ha-eung
McCune–Reischauer	Yi Ha-ŭng
Courtesy name
Hangul	시백
Hanja	Thời bá
Revised Romanization	Sibaek
McCune–Reischauer	Sibaek

Heungseon Daewongun(Korean:흥선대원군;Hanja:Hưng tuyên đại viện quân;24 January 1821 – 22 February 1898) was the title ofYi Ha-eung,theregentofJoseonduring the minority ofEmperor Gojongin the 1860s. Until his death, he was a key political figure of late JoseonKorea.He was also called theDaewongun(lit. 'Grand Internal Prince',sometimes translated as "regent" ),Guktaegong,or laterInternal King Heonui,and also known to contemporary western diplomats asPrince Gung.

Daewongunliterally translates as "prince of the great court", a title customarily granted to the father of the reigning monarch when that father did not reign himself (usually because his son had been adopted as heir of a relative who did reign).While there had been three other Daewonguns during the Joseon dynasty, there was no one as dominant as Yi Ha-Eung in the history of the Joseon dynasty that the term Daewongun usually refers specifically to him.

Joseon was going through changes in many aspects during this period, but was for the most part unable to keep up with the rapidly changing situation the country found itself in. Yi Ha-eung, had to solve both the looming threat posed by Western nations, which were continuously encroaching upon the sovereignty of Eastern states, while at the same time attempt to rebuild a country ravaged by poverty and internal power struggles.He is remembered both for the wide-ranging reforms he attempted during his regency, as well as for what was described by historian Hilary Conroy as "vigorous enforcement of the seclusion policy, persecution ofChristians,and the killing or driving off of foreigners who landed on Korean soil ".

Biography

Early life

The Daewongun was born Yi Ha-eung on 24 January 1821. He was the fourth son of Yi Chae-jung, a member of the royal family who in 1816 was given the name Yi Gu and the title Prince Namyeon. The Daewongun was a 9th generation descendant ofKing InjothroughGrand Prince Inpyeong.

The Daewongun was well-schooled inConfucianismand theChinese classics.He reputedly excelled incalligraphyandpainting.His early government career consisted of minor posts that were mostly honorary and ceremonial. For most of his early life, his connection to the royal house seemed of little help to him. He was poor and humiliated by the rich in-laws of the royal house.Since theAndong Kim clanhad a lot of authority and influence over the country, he was barred from obtaining high positions in politics even though he was a member of the royal family, theJeonju Yi clan.Instead, he drew orchids and sold them to Korean nobilities to earn money.

Rise to power

The Daewongun came to power when his second son,Yi Myeong-bok,was chosen to become king.

In January 1864,King Cheoljongdied without an heir. The selection of the next king was in the hands of three dowagers:Queen Sinjeong,mother ofKing Heonjong;Queen Myeongheon,King Heonjong's wife; andQueen Cheorin,Cheoljong's wife.The "designation right"resided with DowagerQueen Sinjeong,as she was the oldest of the dowagers.

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 ofCrown Prince Hyomyeong.This story may or may not have been 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 Daewongun, equivalent to the title of "regent"in Korean, the difference being that the title was only given to the biological father of the young king. On 21 January, Yi Myeong-bok was enthroned as King Gojong, and Dowager Queen Sinjeong began her regency.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".

Since Gojong was so young, Queen Sinjeong invited the Daewongun to assist his son in ruling the country. She virtually renounced her right to be regent, and though she remained the titular regent, the Daewongun acted as thede factoruler of the country, exercising the powers of the regency in the name of the Queen.

Once Gojong became king, there still remained the question of the king's marriage. Gojong's mother Yeoheung decided upon a daughter of the Min clan,Lady Min.The Daewongun remarked that Min "was a woman of great determination and poise" and was slightly disturbed by her. However, he allowed her to marry his son, and unknowingly created his greatest political rival.

Reforms

Grand Internal Prince Heungseon as Regent

During his regency, the Daewongun attempted several reforms. His main goal was to "crush the old ruling faction that had virtually usurped the sovereign power of the kings earlier in the century".

When he took power in 1864, the Daewongun was determined to reform the government and strengthen central control. He led an anti-corruption campaign, disciplined the royal clans, and taxed the aristocracy, theyangban.Cumingsnotes that this was not a revolution but a restoration, as the Daewongun was attempting to return to the days ofKing Sejongin the fifteenth century.

One of the Daewongun's effective acts as regent was the reconstruction ofGyeongbok Palace.The palace had been built during the reign of thefirst Joseon king.Much of the building was destroyed in a fire in 1533 and the rest was destroyed during theJapanese invasion of 1592.The rebuilding took seven years and five months. It was perhaps the most costly project during the Joseon dynasty.He also weakened the power of theAndong Kim clanand increased the authority of the ruling family. This act stripped almost all of theAndong Kim clan's power.

The Daewongun's reforms were not very successful, as some scholars say he was "too high-handed and tactless".Furthermore, his policies did not have a long-lasting effect. Once Gojong came of age in 1874, he forced the Daewongun into semi-retirement and undid many of his reforms.

Foreign policy

See also:Isolationism § Joseon Dynasty,French campaign against Korea,General Sherman incident,andUnited States expedition to Korea

The Daewongun's foreign policy was rather simple, as Cumings describes it: "no treaties, no trade, noCatholics,no West, and no Japan ".He maintained anisolationistpolicy.

The Isolation Policy was a policy made to isolateJoseonfrom all foreign forces except for China which he believed to be the strongest. He tried to refuse Russia's quest to open Joseon's ports to them by using France, but France refused to help – causing the 1866Byeong-in Persecution.He was involved in theGeneral Sherman incidentas well. The Isolation Policy became more entrenched in 1868 when German merchantErnst Oppertattempted to take hostage the bones of the Daewongun's father in order to force him to open Korea to trade;and even further so after the1871 American attack of Gwanghwado.

The Isolation Policy provided immediate benefits of fortifying Korean patriotism as well as protecting Korean Confucianism. The Heungseon Daewongun was able to protect Joseon from cultural imperialism andwesternizationand thus protect Korea's heritage from it. However, because he refused to engage in international relations entirely, there was a limited choice of market and slim opportunity for anIndustrial Revolutionto occur in Korea. Indeed, the Daewongun wanted to avoid engagement with the West – which would have been inevitable if Western countries were allowed to trade freely – as it would erode government influence. The Joseon Dynasty had a strict social hierarchy: the wealth of the yangban nobility rested on the backs ofsangminfarm labourers and tenants; the Daewongun wanted to prevent the collapse of this hierarchy; despite his fame for his fairness and support of civilization, the emancipation of the sangmin would mean the destruction of the yangban, his own social class.

The international relations of Joseon worsened as the Daewongun adopted increasingly desperate and harsher measures in order to repel Westernization. The Daewongun made the choice of protecting the world he knew by trying to shut out foreigners, at the cost of delaying development and modernization, and to keep Korea ahermit kingdom.Many Koreans state that had he chosen to engage with foreign countries as his daughter-in-lawQueen Minadvocated, theJapanese rule of Koreacould have been avoided. However, others state that the ten years of the Isolation Policy was too small a part of the Joseon Dynasty to derive such a statement from.

Retirement

In 1874, King Gojong came of age. His wife,Queen Min,influenced his decision to "assume the full measure of royal responsibility", an action that forced the Daewongun into semi-retirement.

Loss of eldest son 1881

Daewongun's eldest son, Yi Jae-seon (posthumously known asPrince Imperial Waneun), was with a concubine. Due to an 1881 isolationist conservative plot to overthrow Gojong and install Yi Jae-seon as king but with Daewongun as the effective power behind the throne, this son was executed in October 1881. The plotters were associatesof Daewongun but his involvement is not proved.

Return to power

See also:Imo Incident

Daewongun in 1883

The Daewongun enjoyed a brief return to power during theImo Incidentin 1882. On the second day of the mutiny, a group of rioters were received by the Daewongun, "who reportedly exhorted them to bring down the Min regime and expel the Japanese".King Gojong asked his father, the Daewongun to come to the palace. The Daewongun's appearance, escorted by 200 mutineers, "put an immediate end to the wild melee." Gojong gave the Daewongun "all the small and large matters of the government" and thus the Daewongun resumed his rule. BothJapaneseandChineseforces headed towards Korea to put down the rebellion, andMa Chien-chung,a Chinese diplomat in Korea, decided that it was time to remove the Daewongun.

The Chinese had three reasons they wanted to remove the Daewongun: First, he attempted to overthrow the pro-Chinese Min faction. Second, "he created a situation which invited the Japanese troops to Korea, thus precipitating the danger of a military conflict between Japan on the one hand and Korea and China on the other." And third, "the Taewongun [Daewongun]-inspired disturbance threatened the foundation of a lawfully constituted government in a dependent nation".

Ma arrested the Daewongun on the charge of disrespect to the emperor for "usurping the power which the emperor had invested in the king of Korea".However, as he was the father of the king, he was dealt with leniently. One hundred Chinese soldiers escorted the Daewongun to a waiting Chinese warship, and from there toTianjin.

Return to Korea

In the fall of 1885, the Chinese returned the Daewongun to Korea, "despite strong objections from the queen and her followers".After the return, he was unhappy whenEmpress MyeongseongsignedRussia–Korea Treaty of 1884.Daewongun tried to return power again by aiding his grandsonYi Jun-yong,cousin of KingGojong,in an attempt to overthrow King Gojong.

Gabo Reform

In 1894, the Japanese were strengthening their hold over Korea. They needed someone amenable to them to be a leader in Korea during theGabo Reform.They approached the Daewongun as a potential leader. When he agreed, on 23 July Japanese soldiers liberated him from the house arrest Gojong had placed him under. In exchange for his help, the Daewongun asked for a promise that if the reforms succeeded, "Japan will not demand a single piece of Korean territory".The soldiers took him to the palace, where they approached the king. The Daewongun reproached King Gojong and announced that he would be taking over.

The Japanese became nervous after placing the Daewongun in charge, as he seemed interested "only in grasping power and purging his opponents and did not see the need for a reform policy".By September 1894, the Japanese decided that the Daewongun was not to be trusted. By early October, it became clear that "the plan to use the Taewongun [Daewongun] as a vehicle for the reform program had misfired".A Japanese statesman,Inoue Kaoru,was sent to Korea as the new resident minister, where he told the Daewongun, "You always stand in the way," and forced the Daewongun to promise that he would "abstain from interference in political affairs".

Involvement in Queen Min's assassination

In 1895, Japanese officials in Korea were plotting the removal of Gojong's wife,Queen Min.Miura Gorō,Inoue Kaoru's successor as Japanese advisor to the Korean government, andSugimura Fukashi,a secretary of the Japanese legation, planned the attempt. The two decided to involve the Daewongun in the plot, and after making inquiries, learned that he was "indignant enough to plan a coup" and would cooperate with them.On 8 October 1895, early in the morning, Japanese policemen escorted the Daewongun to the palace.His involvement from that point on is unclear, but on that morning, Japanese agentsassassinated Queen Min.

Death

The Daewongun died in 1898, just a little over a year after the formation of theKorean Empire.On 24 August 1907 EmporerSunjongbestowed him the posthumous titleInternal King Heungseon Heonui.

Family

• Father: Yi Gu, Prince Namyeon (이구 남연군;22 August 1788 – 19 March 1836)
• Mother: Princess Consort Min of theYeoheung Min clan(군부인 여흥민씨;26 June 1788 – 1831)
• Consorts and their Respective Issue(s):

1. Grand Internal Princess Consort Sunmok of the Yeoheung Min clan(순목대원비 민씨;3 February 1818 – 8 January 1898)
   1. Lady Yi (이씨;1838–1869)
   2. Yi Jae-myeon, Prince Imperial Heungchin(이재면 흥친왕;22 August 1845 – 9 September 1912)
   3. Emperor Gojong of Korea(대한제국 고종;8 September 1852 – 21 January 1919)
   4. Lady Yi (이씨;1861–1899)
2. Gye Seong-wol (계성월)
   1. Yi Jae-seon, Prince Waneun(이재선 완은군;1 August 1842 – 27 October 1881)
   2. Lady Yi (이씨;1855–1869)
3. Kisaeng Chuseon (기녀 추선;?–1885)
4. Lady Seo (서씨;?– 7 January 1914)
5. Jin Chae-seon(진채선;1842–?)

In popular culture

• Portrayed byYoo Dong-geunin the 2001–2002KBS2TV seriesEmpress Myeongseong.
• Portrayed byChun Ho-jinin the 2009 filmThe Sword with No Name.
• Portrayed byLee Beom-sooin the 2012MBCTV series,Dr. Jin.
• Portrayed byKim Nam-gilin the 2015 filmThe Sound of a Flower.
• Portrayed byChoi Jong-wonin the 2018tvNandNetflixTV seriesMr. Sunshine.
• Portrayed byJi Sungin the 2018 filmFengshui.
• Portrayed byJun Kwang-ryulin the 2020TV ChosunTV seriesKingmaker: The Change of Destiny.

See also

• History of Korea
• Prince Imperial Waneun
• List of monarchs of Korea

Footnotes

1.^In chronological order:Seonjo's Father (Deokheung Daewongun), his son (Jeongwon Daewongun;Injo's Father), and Cheoljong's Father (Jeongye Daewongun). Gojong's Father is the fourth and last

2.^He is an illegitimate son.

References

Sources

• Lee, Moon-Su. Korea Donghak Academy Journal Vol.11 No.-(2002). Heungseundaewongun's Political reformation and its Limitation during Late Chosen Dynasty. p. 1–29. Republic of Korea: Hanguk Donghak Academy, 2002.

External links

Media related toHeungseon Daewongunat Wikimedia Commons