Crown Prince Hyomyeong


Crown Prince Hyomyeong, personal name Yi Yeong, and posthumously honored as King Munjo, was a member of the Joseon dynasty.

Life and death

The prince was the eldest son of King Sunjo, husband of Queen Sinjeong and father of King Heonjong.
In 1817, the prince was admitted to the Sungkyunkwan. In 1819, he was titled Crown Prince of Joseon. A genius in literature and the arts, he created several court dances and used court ritual and the arts to validate and augment the King's control over the government.
Hyomyeong first became active in politics when he was only 17, due to his father being ill.
Known to have pursued various political reforms, the prince served as Regent in 1827 until his death 3 years later at age 20.
He did have some enemies amongst his maternal relatives, but avoided nepotism and was a talented writer, composer and choreographer.

Legacy

The prince was commemorated in an album of six scenes created to celebrate the commencement of his learning at the Songgyungwan, one of a number of documentary paintings of the Joseon period.
Among 53 Joseon jeongjaes or court dances which remain, 26 are his works. His "Chunaengjeon" is the best known and most beloved traditional court dance for its gentle and poetic movements. He was one of the most important people in Korean Court ritual history, along with King Sejong.

His full posthumous name

Crown Prince Hyomyeong has the longest posthumous name for a member of nobility of Korea.
  • English: Crown Prince Chewon Chanhwa Seokgeuk Jeongmyeong Seongheon Yeongcheol Yeseong Yeon-gyeong Yungdeok Sun-gong Dokhyu Hong-gyeong Hong-un Seongryeol Seon-gwang Junsang Yoheum Sun-gong U-geun Tangjeong Gyecheon Geontong Sinhun Geondae Gonhu Gwang-up Yeongjo Jang-ui Changryun Haeng-geon Baenyeong Gitae Suyu Huibeom Changhui Ipgyeong Hyeongdo Seongheon Sojang Goeng-yu Sinhwi Suseo Ubok Donmun Hyeonmu In-ui Hyomyeong the Great
  • Hanja: 體元贊化錫極定命聖憲英哲睿誠淵敬隆德純功篤休弘慶洪運盛烈宣光濬祥堯欽舜恭禹勤湯正啓天建通神勳肅謨乾大坤厚廣業永祚莊義彰倫行健配寧基泰垂裕熙範昌禧立經亨道成獻昭章宏猷愼徽綏緖佑福敦文顯武仁懿孝明大王

Family

  1. Queen Sinjeong of the Pungyang Jo clan
  2. #King Heonjong of Joseon

In popular culture