Royal Noble Consort Huibin Jang Explained

Hui-bin Jang
희빈 장씨
Succession:Queen consort of Joseon
Reign:22 October 1690 – 12 April 1694
Reign-Type:Tenure
Predecessor:Queen Inhyeon
Successor:Queen Inhyeon
Religion:Korean Buddhism
Succession1:Royal Noble Consort of the First Senior Rank
Reign1:
  • 15 January 1689 – 22 October 1690
  • 12 April 1694 – 10 October 1701
Dynasty:House of Yi (by marriage)
Reign-Type1:Tenure
House-Type:Clan
Father:Jang Hyeong
Mother:Lady Yun of the Papyeong Yun clan
Consort:Yes
Spouse:Sukjong of Joseon
Issue:Gyeongjong of Joseon
Birth Date:3 November 1659
Birth Place:Sangpyeong-bang, Hanseong, Joseon
Death Place:Chwiseondang Hall, Changgyeong Palace, Hanseong, Joseon
Place Of Burial:Daebinmyo Mausoleum, Seooneung Cluster, Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea
House:
Hangul:희빈 장씨
Rr:Hui-bin Jang-ssi
Mr:Hŭi-pin Chang-ssi
Othername1:Honorary title
Hangulborn:장옥정
Hanjaborn:張玉貞
Rrborn:Jang Ok-jeong
Mrborn:Chang Ok-chŏng

Royal Noble Consort Hui of the Indong Jang clan (; 3 November 1659 – 10 October 1701), personal name Jang Ok-jeong, was an infamous consort of Sukjong of Joseon and the mother of King Gyeongjong. She was queen of Joseon from 1690 until her deposition in 1694.

Biography

Early life

Jang Ok-jeong was the daughter of Jang Hyeong and his second wife, Lady Yun of the Papyeong Yun clan. Part of the Namin faction, she came from a long line of interpreters and belonged to the Jungin class.

Ok-jeong is widely thought to have been one of the most beautiful women in Joseon, and her charm was mentioned in the Annals.

She became a lady-in-waiting to the King's step-great-grandmother, Grand Queen Dowager Jaui, at the recommendation of Prince Dongpyeong, who was Sukjong's first cousin-once-removed and Jaui's step-grandson.[1]

Life as royal consort

While visiting Queen Jaui, the King became infatuated with Ok-jeong's beauty and gave her the rank of Seungeun Sanggung (or Favored Sanggung; 승은 상궁), but his mother, Queen Dowager Hyeonyeol, who belonged to the Seoin faction, feared that Jang Ok-jeong would influence him to favor the Namin, so she expelled her from the palace.

In 1683, Hyeonyeol died and Queen Min, Sukjong's wife at that time (posthumously known as Queen Inhyeon), allowed Lady Jang to return to court.

In 1686, Ok-jeong became a concubine with the rank of Sug-won .[2] In 1688, she was elevated to So-ui, after giving birth to the King's first son, Yi Yun.

In the court, the Seoin faction split into Noron (Old Learning), led by Song Si-yeol, and Soron (New Learning), led by Yun Jeung. The Noron was supported by Queen Inhyeon.

The Namin faction pushed for the King to acknowledge Yi Yun as heir apparent, but the Seoin faction insisted that the Queen was still young and could bear a son, who should be the heir. Sukjong pushed for a compromise in which the Queen would adopt Yi Yun as her son. However, she refused to do so. Sukjong became angry at the opposition, and many were killed, including Song Si-yeol. The Namin faction seized power, and they exiled the Queen's father and the leaders of the Seoin faction.

In May 1689, Queen Inhyeon was also deposed and exiled. This incident is called Gisa Hwanguk .[3] [4]

In that same year, Lady Jang was promoted to Bin, the highest rank for a consort, with the prefix Hui (禧), which means "beautiful". Later, Jang Hui-bin was appointed as queen consort.

In 1693, Sukjong's new favorite, a palace maid from the Haeju Choe clan, was officially elevated to a royal consort of the Sug-won rank. Choe Sug-won (later Choe Suk-bin), was an open supporter of Queen Min and encouraged the King to reinstate her to her original position. In the meantime, Kim Chun-taek, who was member of the Noron faction, and Han Jung-hyuk from the Soron faction, staged a campaign to reinstate the Deposed Queen.

In 1694, Jang Ok-jeong lost the favor of the King.[5] Sukjong grew disgusted by the greed of the Namin faction and the ever-powerful Jang family. He also felt remorse for his temperamental actions during Gisa Hwanguk. In the government, the Namin faction's attempt to purge the Seoin on the charge of plotting to reinstate the deposed Queen backfired.

Later years and death

The King banished Jang Hui-jae, Queen Jang's older brother, and the leaders of the Namin party. He officially demoted Jang Ok-jeong to her former position, Hui-bin, and reinstated the Deposed Queen Min. This incident is called Gapsul Hwanguk . The Namin faction would never politically recover from this purge.

The Soron faction supported Crown Prince Yi Yun, who was Jang Hui-bin's son, while the Noron faction supported Yi Geum, Prince Yeoning, who was Choe Suk-bin's son.

In 1701, Queen Inhyeon died of an unknown disease. Allegedly, Sukjong discovered Lady Jang conspiring with a shaman priestess to curse the Queen with black magic and gloating over her death.[6] The Soron faction pleaded with the King to show mercy and pointed out that she was the mother of the Crown Prince.

Unmoved, the King sentenced Hui-bin, her mother, her brother, the leader of Soron and all of her companions to death. 1700 people died as a result of the incident. He also exiled the courtiers who had asked him to spare Lady Jang's life.[7]

On 7 October 1701, Sukjong passed a decree prohibiting any concubine from ever becoming Queen, and on 10 October 1701, Jang Hui-bin was executed by poisoning at Chwiseondang Hall, her residence inside Changgyeong Palace. She was 42 years old.

Burial

Her tomb is called Daebinmyo and was originally located in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, but in June 1969 it was moved to the Seooneung Cluster, in Deogyang District, Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, near Myeongneung, which contains the tombs of King Sukjong and two of his wives, Queen Inhyeon and Queen Inwon.[8] [9] The relocation took place because the tomb was blocking the government's planned expansion of the city.

Behind the tomb is a large rock, and a pine tree has broken through the rock to grow. There is speculation that this reveals that Jang Hui-bin's ki (energy) was, and still is, very strong. Some Korean websites report that because Lady Jang was such a strong woman there is a belief that if young, single women who want a boyfriend visit the tomb and pay a tribute, they will soon find love.[10]

Her memorial tablet was enshrined in Chilgung (or the "Palace Of Seven Royal Concubines").[11]

Ancestry

Family

Sibling(s)

Husband

Issue

In popular culture

Notes and References

  1. Prince Dongpyeong's father was Yi Jing, Prince Sungseon, the eldest son of King Injo and Lady Gwi-in of the Okcheon Jo clan.
  2. Sug-won is the lowest rank for the concubine of the King (junior 4th).
  3. Web site: 네이버 학술정보. Academic.naver.com. 26 October 2017.
  4. Web site: The history of Korea. Homer B. (Homer Bezaleel). Hulbert. 26 October 2017. Seoul, Methodist Pub. House. 26 October 2017. Internet Archive.
  5. Book "East Asia: A Cultural, Social, and Political History", 3rd pag. 255.
  6. The Memoirs of Lady Hyegyeong Page 246.
  7. Book: Lee, Bae-young . 20 October 2008 . Wome in Korean History . Ewha Womans University Press . 109–111 . 978-8973007721.
  8. Web site: 4 August 2011. Daebinmyo Tomb at Seooreung Tombs - Exploring Korea. 26 October 2017. Exploringkorea.com.
  9. Web site: Academic : Information of Palaces and Royal Tombs (Royal Tombs). dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140202113143/http://www.gogung.go.kr/fgn/jsp/en/html/academic/academic4-2.jsp. 2 February 2014. 2014-01-26.
  10. Web site: King Sukjong and Jang Hee Bin's Tombs. 8 June 2010. Dramasrok.com. 26 October 2017.
  11. Web site: 2019-05-15 . Chilgung: Traces of the Seven Royal Concubines . 2022-05-02 . The Argus . ko.
  12. Web site: Lady Jang (Janghuibin) (1961). Korean Movie Database. 2013-01-26.
  13. Web site: Femme Fatale, Jang Hee-bin (Yohwa, Jang Hee-bin) (1968). Korean Movie Database. 2013-01-26.
  14. Web site: ko:'죽지 않는' 장희빈 벌써 9명, 김태희가 뒤 이을까. http://star.ohmynews.com/NWS_Web/OhmyStar/at_pg.aspx?CNTN_CD=A0001780449. OhmyNews. ko. 2013-01-26. 22 September 2012.
  15. Web site: TV Dramas - Actresses Line up for Award Ceremony Takeover. The Chosun Ilbo. 2013-04-02. 29 December 2003.
  16. Web site: Lee. Ga-on. Han Hyo-joo says she "hold fast" to her role in DongYi. 10Asia. 2013-01-26. 7 May 2010.
  17. Web site: Ho. Stewart. Kim Tae Hee Cast in Her First Historic Drama, Jang Ok Jung as Joseon Dynasty's Infamous Lady Jang Hee Bin. EnewsWorld.mnet.com. CJ E&M. 8 October 2012. 2013-01-23. https://web.archive.org/web/20121227171220/http://enewsworld.mnet.com/enews/contents.asp?idx=16901. 27 December 2012. dead.
  18. Web site: Hong. Grace Danbi. Shinhwa Transforms into Royal Concubines for Shinhwa Broadcast. 2012-12-16. EnewsWorld.mnet.com. 24 August 2012. CJ E&M.