Empress Sunmyeonghyo


Empress Sunmyeonghyo or literally known as Sunmyeong, the Filial Piety Empress, of the Yeoheung Min clan, was the first wife and Crown Princess Consort of Crown Prince Yi Cheok, who later became the last emperor of the Korean Empire.

Biography

Lady Min was born on 20 November 1872 into the Yeoheung Min clan to Min Tae-ho, leader of the Yeoheung Min clan, and his second wife, Lady Song of the Jincheon Song clan. She had an older half-brother and one younger brother. It was said that her family was poor when she was young until her older half-brother, Min Yeong-ik, became the adoptive son of Min Seung-ho; who was a relative of the clan.
This was because Min Seung-ho was the adoptive son of Min Chi-rok, the father of Empress Myeongseong. Thus making her adoptive uncle the adoptive older brother of Empress Myeongseong who became Queen in 1866 which helped her family thrive. Despite having another son, her father adopted another son from a relative within their clan.
Lady Min also became the adoptive niece to Grand Internal Princess Consort Yeoheung and Grand Internal Prince Heungseon. Making her be adoptive cousins with Min Yeong-hwan, Min Yeong-chan, Prince Heungchin, and Emperor Gojong. Through her 4th great-grandfather, Min Jin-won, she was a 4th great-grandniece to Queen Inhyeon, and was a distant cousin of Queen Wongyeong as they shared Min Jeok as their ancestor. She was also a distant degree cousin of Empress Myeongseong.
She became Crown Princess Consort when she married Crown Prince Yi Cheok on 6 April 1882 at the age of 11. She was known as Crown Princess Consort Min. Around that year, her mother and her father’s third wife died.
With the marriage, it granted her parents royal titles: her father was given the title of “Internal Prince Yeoeun”, and her mother was given the title of “Internal Princess Consort Jinyang of the Jincheon Song clan”. Her father's other two wives were also given royal titles as well since Lady Min was their step-daughter.
The princess, aged 22, was a witness to her mother-in-law's assassination on 8 October 1895, when she stood in front of the Empress, attempting to protect her. This may have contributed to her early death, as she was plagued by severe depression thereafter.
In 1897, when the Korean Empire became established, her royal title changed to Imperial Crown Princess Consort Min.
Although the Crown Princess and Crown Prince were at the age and stage to have an heir, they did not have children of their own. This was probably due to the Coffee Poisoning Plot that might have gotten her husband infertile from the poison.
She died on 5 November 1904 in Kangtaeil, Gyeongun Palace, before her husband was enthroned. The 13-year-old Yun Jeung-sun was selected and arranged to take her position as crown princess consort in 1907.
She was firstly given the posthumous title of Primary Consort Sunyeol, but it was soon changed to Primary Consort Sunmyeong. Her title was once again changed to her well-known posthumous title, Empress Sunmyeonghyo, when Sunjong became emperor on 19 July 1907.
Empress Sunmyeong was first buried in Nae-dong, Yongmasan, Yangju, Gyeonggi Province where the Neungho at the time was called Yugangwon. She was then moved to Geumgok-dong, Namyangju where the Neungho was changed to Yureung when Sunjong died in 1926. The crown princess is buried with her husband and his second wife, Empress Sunjeong. In 1970, by order of President Park Chung-hee, construction of the Seoul Children's Grand Park started and opened the following year in the Yugangwon.

Family

In popular culture