Jeongjong, 3rd monarch of Goryeo


Jeongjong, personal name Wang Yo, was the third king of the Goryeo dynasty of Korea. He was the third son of King Taejo, the dynastic founder.

Reign

Jeongjong rose to the throne after his half-brother King Hyejong died, and set himself to reducing the power of various royal in-laws, including Wang Gyu and Pak Sul-hui. However, lacking the support of the Gaegyeong elites, he was unable to substantially strengthen the throne.
In 946, he spent 70,000 sacks of grain from the royal storehouses to support Buddhism in the country. In 947, he had the fortress of Pyongyang constructed as the country's Western Capital. He sought to move the capital from Gaegyeong to Pyongyang as his father had desired, as Jeongjong believed that in order to restore Goguryeo's old territories, the capital should be moved further north. However, Jeongjong was not successful in his attempts due to opposition from the nobility based in Gaegyeong.
Jeongjong became paranoid however that people inside the palace were conspiring to kill him and he then started to go insane. After four years of his reign, he died just after he signed a royal decree to make his brother, the fourth prince Wang So, king instead of his son.

Family

  1. Queen Mungong of the Suncheon Pak clan – No issue.
  2. Queen Munseong of the Suncheon Pak clan
  3. #Prince Gyeongchunwon, 1st son
  4. #1st daughter
  5. Lady Cheongjunamwon of the Cheongju Kim clan – No issue.

In popular culture