Prince Yangnyeong

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Grand Prince Yang Nyeong
Grand Prince of Joseon
Born1394
Seoul
Died1462 (aged 68)
Unknown
Burial
HouseHouse of Yi
FatherTaejong of Joseon
MotherQueen Wongyeong
Korean name
Hangul
Hanja
Revised RomanizationYang Nyeong Daegun
McCune–ReischauerYang Nyŏng Taekun
Pen name
Hangul
Hanja
Revised RomanizationGangjeong
McCune–ReischauerKangjŏng
Birth name
Hangul
Hanja
Revised RomanizationYi Je
McCune–ReischauerYi Che
Courtesy name
Hangul
Hanja
Revised RomanizationHubaek
McCune–ReischauerHupaek

Grand Prince Yangnyeong (Hangul: 양녕대군, Hanja: 讓寧大君, 1394–1462) was a prince of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. He was the first-born son of King Taejong of the Joseon dynasty and his consort Queen Wongyeong, elder brother of Sejong the Great, and ancestor of Syngman Rhee, Korean independence activist and first President of South Korea.

Biography[]

He was born as Yi Je (李禔 in Hanja, 이제 in Hangul) in 1394. Originally his father appointed him as the Crown Prince but in the 18th year of his reign replaced prince Yangnyeong with his third son, Grand Prince Chungnyeong, as his successor.[1]

He has been described as an intelligent man with great political skills.

He was the commander of the city guards for almost five years, and because of his interest in harsh punishments, Seoul became one of the safest cities in the country, a success that even the king himself couldn't achieve. Crime fell sharply under his command, and People's trust in government leaders increased.

The crown prince had no desire to rule and eventually got bored of being a guard, so he purposely acted extremely rude in the court and married his favorite peasant to be able to get rid of his titles. He was officially banished from Seoul in June 1418. The night before his leaving, the king called him "the black sheep of the Yi flock" during an argument. Yangnyeong pointed out that their sigil was a dragon, which made him a black dragon instead of a black sheep. Yangyeong took for his personal sigil the yi emblem, but with a black dragon roaring, instead of a yellow one, and he became known as the "Black Dragon".

After leaving the capital, almost all of the city guards voluntarily went into exile with him, And thus he became the leader of the largest and richest mercenary army in the country known as the "Hidden Sword". The severe shortage of guards, forced the king to order the return of the men, but they remained loyal to their commander and none of them returned.

Prince Hyoryeong, Yangnyeong's second brother, had similar feelings about being king, and so became a poor monk in a Buddhist temple. This plot ultimately brought Sejong to the throne.[2]

Sejong loved his older and favorite brother and spent most of his time with him. Ever since he learned how to walk, he followed him everywhere, so much so that Yangnyeong usually called him "My Shadow".

Historians know little about his sexuality, but most of them agree that despite people's hatred of same-sex relationships, he was openly bisexual and had no fear of taking both men and women as a lover. Also because of his adventurous nature, he became quite famous as the "Untamed One". In his day, no man was as popular and fearsome as he was.

Yangnyeong died in 1462, living for 68 years. His death broke the hearts of the peasants and nobles alike. King Sejong said of his brother: "He was free, admirable and fearless until the last moment of his life. Joseon will never see a man like him again."[3]

Family[]

  1. Princess Consort Suseong of the Gwangsan Kim clan (수성군부인 김씨)[4][5][6]
    1. Princess Jaeryeong (재령군주) or Princess Jeonui (전의현주) (1409 - 1444?)[7]
    2. Yi Gae, Prince Soonseong (이개 순성군) (? - 2 September 1462)[8][9]
    3. Princess Yangcheon (영천군주) (1412 - 5 April 1442)[10]
    4. Yi Po, Prince Hamyang (이포 함양군) (1417 - 21 June 1475)[11]
    5. Yi Hye, Prince Seosan (이혜 서산군) (? - 10 April 1451)[12]
    6. Princess Yi of the Jeonju Yi clan (현주 이씨) [13]
    7. Princess Yeongpyeong (영평현주)[14]
    8. Princess Yi of the Jeonju Yi clan (현주 이씨)[15]
  2. Kisaeng Bongjiryeon (기생 봉지련)[16]
  3. Unknown concubine
    1. Yi Gyeom (이겸)
    2. Yi Heun, Duck of Jangpyung (이흔)[17]
    3. Yi Seong (이성)
    4. Yi Soon (이순)
    5. Yi Sim (이심)
    6. Yi Gwang-seok (이광석)
    7. Yi Gwang-geun (이광근)
  4. Kisaeng Eori (기생 어리)
    1. Princess Yi of the Jeonju Yi clan (현주 이씨)[18]
  5. Lady Cho Gung-jang (초궁장)[19][20]
  6. Kisaeng Jeonghyang (기생 정향)
  7. Kisaeng Chil Jeom-saeng (기생 칠점생)
  8. Unknown concubine
    1. Unnamed daughter[21]
    2. Unnamed daughter[22]
    3. Unnamed daughter[23]
    4. Unnamed daughter[24]
    5. Unnamed daughter[25] [26][27][28]
  9. Unknown slave
    1. Unnamed daughter[29][30]
    2. Princess Yi Gu-ji (현주 이구지)[31][32]
  10. Unknown concubine
    1. Unnamed daughter[33]
    2. Unnamed daughter[34]
    3. Unnamed daughter[35]
    4. Princess Yi Geon-yi (현주 이건이)

Popular culture[]

Trivia[]

Today, his descendants form one of the biggest clans of the House of Yi. In addition, it is believed that the plaque on the Namdaemun was personally written by him.[36]

He was an ancestor of Syngman Rhee, Korean independence activist and the first South Korean president.

References[]

  1. ^ Yi, Pae-Yong (2008). Women in Korean History 한국 역사 속의 여성들. ISBN 9788973007721.
  2. ^ Naver Encyclopedia, "양녕대군 [讓寧大君, 1394~1462]", Naver"
  3. ^ Naver Encyclopedia, "양녕대군 [讓寧大君, 1394~1462]", Naver"
  4. ^ Also known as Princess Consort Suseong (수성부부인 광산 김씨, 隨城府夫人 光山 金氏)
  5. ^ Was Crown Princess of Joseon from 1407 to 1418
  6. ^ Eldest daughter of Kim Han-ro (김한로, 金漢老) (1358 - ?) and Lady Jeon (전씨)
  7. ^ Married Lee Ja (이자, 李孜) and had a son, Lee Jeung-seok (이증석, 李曾碩) (1427 - ?). His grandson, Lee Bo (이보, 李人+甫)’s daughter married Yun Won-Gae (윤원개, 尹元凱) (the older brother of Queen Munjeong)
  8. ^ Married Lady Shin (신씨, 申氏) (? - 27 November 1453) and had no issue.
  9. ^ With a concubine from Yangmin, he had a son Yi Sa-jong (이사종, 李嗣宗)
  10. ^ Married Lee Beon (이번, 李蕃)
  11. ^ Married Princess Consort Taein of the Lee clan (태인군부인 이씨, 泰仁郡夫人 李氏)
  12. ^ Married Princess Consort Yangcheon of the Ansan Kim clan (양천군부인 안산 김씨, 陽川郡夫人 安山 金氏) (? - 5 June 1464), and had 2 sons: Yi Shin, Prince Hakrim (학림군 이신, 鶴林君 李頤) and Yi Bin, Prince Chwiseong (취성군 이빈, 鷲城君 李頻)
  13. ^ Married Lee Beon (이번, 李蕃)
  14. ^ Married Kim Cheol-gyun (김철균, 金哲勻)
  15. ^ Married Park Su-jong (박수종)
  16. ^ She was a gisaeng who fell in love with Grand Prince Yangnyeong 4 years after his marriage.
  17. ^ Became the 15 great-grandfather of Rhee Seung-man
  18. ^ Married Lee Jong-gyeong (이종경, 李宗慶)
  19. ^ Lady Cho Gung-jang was also the lover of King Jeongjong, the uncle of Grand Prince Yangnyeong
  20. ^ A kisaeng from Hwangju who comforted Jeongjong after his abdication, and was involved in the eventual stripping of Prince Yangnyeong's title as "Crown Prince" [Taejong Sillok].
  21. ^ Married Kim Am (김암, 金巖)
  22. ^ Married Kim Seung-gan (김승간, 金承幹)
  23. ^ Married Kim Oh (김오, 金澳)
  24. ^ Married Kim Won (김원, 金瑗)
  25. ^ Married Han Chi-yeong (한치형, 韓致亨) (1434 - 30 October 1502)
  26. ^ As his first wife
  27. ^ Han later became Chief State Councilor (영의정, in April 11, 1500) & the Internal Prince Cheongseong (청성부원군)
  28. ^ Han is the nephew of Han Hwak and a cousin of Queen Insu
  29. ^ Married Kwon Chi-jung (권치중, 權致中)
  30. ^ Their granddaughter, Royal Consort Suk-ui of the Kwon clan (숙의 권씨), became a concubine for King Yeonsangun
  31. ^ Married Kwon Deok-yeong (권덕영, 權德榮) and had 2 sons
  32. ^ With a slave, she had a daughter
  33. ^ Married Yu Seok-beon (유석번, 兪碩蕃)
  34. ^ Married Kim Ui (김의, 金儀)
  35. ^ Married Im Jung (임중, 林重)
  36. ^ Naver Encyclopedia, "양녕대군 [讓寧大君, 1394~1462]", Naver"

External links[]

References[]

  • Kim Haboush, JaHyun and Martina Deuchler (1999). Culture and the State in Late Chosŏn Korea. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. ISBN 9780674179820; OCLC 40926015
  • Lee, Peter H. (1993). Sourcebook of Korean Civilization, Vol. 1. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 9780231079129; ISBN 9780231079143; ISBN 9780231104449; OCLC 26353271
  • Lee Bae-yong (2008). Women in Korean History. Seoul: Ewha Womans University Press. ISBN 9788973007721
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