Heonjong of Joseon

24th king of Joseon from 1834 to 1849

Heonjong of Joseon
조선 헌종
朝鮮憲宗

Portrait of King Heonjong

King of Joseon
Reign| 13 December 1834 – 25 July 1849
Enthronement| 18 December 1834
Predecessor| Sunjo
Successor| Cheoljong
Regent| Royal Queen Dowager Myeonggyeong (1834–1841)

Born| 8 September 1827
Gyeongchunjeon Hall, Changdeok Palace, Hanseong, Joseon
Died| 25 July 1849(1849-07-25) (aged 21)
Junghuidang Hall, Changdeok Palace, Hanseong, Joseon
Burial|

Gyeongneung Mausoleum, Dongguneung Cluster, Guri, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea

Spouse(s)|

Queen Hyohyeon

(died 1843)​

Queen Hyojeong

(m. 1844)​

Issue| 1 daughter
| Names

Yi Hwan (이환; 李烉)
Posthumous name
Joseon: King Gyeongmun Wimu Myeongin Cheolhyo the Great (경문위무명인철효대왕; 經文緯武明仁哲孝大王)
Temple name
Heonjong (헌종; 憲宗)
Clan| Jeonju Yi
Dynasty| Yi
Father| Munjo of Joseon
Mother| Queen Sinjeong
Religion| Korean Confucianism (Neo-Confucianism)
Korean name

Hangul|

Hanja|

Revised Romanization| Heonjong
McCune–Reischauer| Hŏnjong
Art name
Hangul|

Hanja|

Revised Romanization| Wonheon
McCune–Reischauer| Wŏnhŏn
Birth name
Hangul|

Hanja|

Revised Romanization| I Hwan
McCune–Reischauer| Yi Hwan
Courtesy name
Hangul|

Hanja|

Revised Romanization| Muneung
McCune–Reischauer| Munŭng
Monarchs of Korea

Joseon monarchs
|  Taejo|  1392–1398

|

Jeongjong|  1398–1400
Taejong|  1400–1418
Sejong|  1418–1450
Munjong|  1450–1452
Danjong|  1452–1455
Sejo|  1455–1468
Yejong|  1468–1469
Seongjong|  1469–1494
Yeonsangun|  1494–1506
Jungjong|  1506–1544
Injong|  1544–1545
Myeongjong|  1545–1567
Seonjo|  1567–1608
Gwanghaegun|  1608–1623
Injo|  1623–1649
Hyojong|  1649–1659
Hyeonjong|  1659–1674
Sukjong|  1674–1720
Gyeongjong|  1720–1724
Yeongjo|  1724–1776
Jeongjo|  1776–1800
Sunjo|  1800–1834
Heonjong|  1834–1849
Cheoljong|  1849–1864
Gojong|  1864–1897

* v
* t
* e

Heonjong (Korean: 헌종; Hanja: 憲宗; 8 September 1827 – 25 July 1849), personal name Yi Hwan (이환; 李烉), was the 24th monarch of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. His father was Crown Prince Hyomyeong, who died at the age of 20 before becoming king, and his mother was Queen Sinjeong of the Pungyang Jo clan.

## Biography[edit]

Yi Hwan was born to Crown Princess Jo and Crown Prince Hyomyeong on 8 September 1827 in Gyeongchunjeon (경춘전; 景春殿) within Changdeok Palace. It was said that when the day before he was born, she dreamt of giving her son a box containing a tree carved with jade, and on the day of his birth, a group of cranes flew from the front room and went around for a long time. She and the others considered it to be strange.[1]

The young Heonjong ascended to the throne in 1834 at the age of 7 after his grandfather, King Sunjo, died. Heonjong was the youngest monarch to ascend the throne in Joseon's history.[2] Like King Sunjo, Heonjong took the throne at a young age and his grandmother, Queen Sunwon served as queen regent. Although King Heonjong ascended to the throne, he had no political control over Joseon. When Heonjong reached adulthood, Queen Sunwon refused to give up control. In 1840, the control over the kingdom was then handed down to the Andong Kim clan, the family of his grandmother Queen Sunwon, following the anti-Catholic Gihae persecution of 1839. During Heonjong's reign, he built the Nakseonjae complex and insisted that his beloved concubine, Kim Gyeong-bin, be given sole use of the complex which was an unprecedented move in Joseon's history.[3]

King Heonjong died after reigning for 15 years in 1849 at the age of 21. He was buried at the Gyeongneung tomb within the Donggureung Tomb Cluster in Seoul, where several kings and queens of the Joseon Dynasty were buried, with Queen Hyohyeon and Queen Hyojeong.[4] As King Heonjong died without an heir, the throne passed to a distant descendant of King Yeongjo, King Cheoljong.

As was customary with the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, the chronicle of Heonjong's reign was compiled after his death, in 1851. The compilation of the 16-volume chronicle was supervised by Jo In-yeong, her mother's uncle.

## Family[edit]

* Father: King Munjo of Joseon (조선의 문조; 18 September 1809 – 25 June 1830)
* Grandfather: King Sunjo of Joseon (조선의 순조; 29 July 1790 – 13 December 1834)
* Grandmother: Queen Sunwon of the Andong Kim clan (순원왕후 김씨; 8 June 1789 – 21 September 1857)
* Mother: Queen Sinjeong of the Pungyang Jo clan (신정왕후 조씨; 21 January 1809 – 4 June 1890)
* Grandfather: Jo Man-yeong, Internal Prince Pungeun (풍은부원군 조만영; 1776–1846)
* Grandmother: Lady Song of the Eunjin Song clan, Internal Princess Consort Deokan (덕안부부인 은진 송씨; 1776–1834)

Consorts and their respective issue:

1. Queen Hyohyeon of the Andong Kim clan (효현왕후 김씨; 27 April 1828 – 18 October 1843)
2. Queen Hyojeong of the Namyang Hong clan (효정왕후 홍씨; 6 March 1831 – 2 January 1904)
3. Royal Noble Consort Gyeong of the Gwangsan Kim clan (경빈 김씨; 27 August 1832 – 21 April 1907)
4. Royal Noble Consort Jeong of the Haepyeong Yun clan (정빈 윤씨; 1827 – ?)
5. Royal Consort Suk-ui of the Gimhae Kim clan (숙의 김씨; January 1814 – 12 November 1895)
1. First daughter (1848–1848)

## In popular culture[edit]

* Portrayed by Jung Hae-in in the 2018 film Heung-boo: The Revolutionist.
* The starting king of Joseon in the video game Victoria 3.

## Ancestry[edit]

Ancestors of Heonjong of Joseon

|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | Crown Prince Sado

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| King Jeongjo|

|  |  |
| Lady Hong Hyegyeong

| King Sunjo|

|  |  |  |  |
| Park Jun-won

| Royal Noble Consort Su-Ki of the Park Clan|

|  |  |
| Lady Won

| Crown Prince Hyomyoung|

|  |  |  |  |  |  |

| Kim Jo-sun|

|  |  |

| Queen Sunwon of the Andong Kim Clan|

|  |  |  |  |

| Lady Sim|

|  |  |

| Yi Hwan, King Heonjong|
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Jo Eom

| Jo Jin-gwan|

|  |  |

| Jo Man-yeong|

|  |  |  |  |

|  |

|  |  |

| Queen Sinjeong of the Pungyang Jo Clan|

|  |  |  |  |  |  |

|  |

|  |  |

| Lady Seong|

|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |

## See also[edit]

* List of Rulers of Korea
* Joseon Dynasty
* History of Korea

## References[edit]

1. ^ 헌종 대왕 행장(行狀)
2. ^ Kim, Hyung-eun. "New life for the palace of sighs". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
3. ^ Kim, Hyung-eun. "New life for the palace of sighs". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
4. ^ "Donggureung Tombs, Gyeonggi, South Korea - 동구릉 (東九陵), 경기 구리시". Asian Historical Architecture. Retrieved 2 September 2013.

Heonjong of Joseon

House of Yi

Born: 8 September 1827 Died: 25 July 1849

Regnal titles
Preceded by

Sunjo

|  King of Joseon
1834–1849
with Queen Sunwon (1834–1841) | Succeeded by

Cheoljong

* v
* t
* e

House of Yi

* List of Monarchs
* Kings of Joseon
* Emperor of Korea
* King Yi
* Genealogy
* Jeonju Yi clan
* Royal Family Association

* Kingdom of Joseon and Korean Empire (1392–1910)

Posthumous[note 1]|

* Mokjo (1392)
* Ikjo (1392)
* Dojo (1392)
* Hwanjo (1392)
* Deokjong (1475)
* Wonjong (1634)
* Jinjong (1776)
* Jangjo (1899)
* Munjo (1834)

King of Joseon
(1392–1897)|

* Taejo (1392–1398)
* Jeongjong (1398–1400)
* Taejong (1400–1418)
* Sejong (1418–1450)
* Munjong (1450–1452)
* Danjong (1452–1455)
* Sejo (1455–1468)
* Yejong (1468–1469)
* Seongjong (1469–1494)
* Yeonsan# (1494–1506)
* Jungjong (1506–1544)
* Injong (1544–1545)
* Myeongjong (1545–1569)
* Seonjo (1569–1608)
* Gwanghae# (1608–1623)
* Injo (1623–1649)
* Hyojong (1649–1659)
* Hyeonjong (1659–1674)
* Sukjong (1674–1720)
* Gyeongjong (1720–1724)
* Yeongjo (1724–1776)
* Jeongjo (1776–1800)
* Sunjo (1800–1834)
* Heonjong (1834–1849)
* Cheoljong (1849–1864)
* Gojong (1864–1897)

Emperor of Korea
(1897–1910)|

* Gojong (1897–1907)
* Sunjong (1907–1910)

Crown Prince[note 2]|

* Yi Bang-seok (1392–1398)
* Grand Prince Yangnyeong (1404–1418)
* Uigyeong (1455–1457)
* Yi Hwang (1502–1506)
* Sunhoe (1557–1563)
* Yi Ji (1608–1623)
* Sohyeon (1625–1645)
* Hyojang (1725–1728)
* Sado (1736–1762)
* Uiso (1751–1752)
* Munhyo (1784–1786)
* Hyomyeong (1812–1830)
* Uimin (1907–1910)

Daewongun[note 3]|

* Deokheung (1569)
* Jeongye (1849)
* Heungseon (1864)

Rival king|

* Heungan (1624)

* Korea under Japanese rule (1910–1945)

King Yi[note 4]
(1910–1947)|

| King Emeritus
(Deoksugung)|

* Yi Hui (1910–1919)

|

King
(Changdeokgung)|

* Yi Cheok (1910–1926)
* Yi Un (1926–1947)

Crown Prince|

* Yi Un (1910)
* Yi Ku (1931)

* Post-World War II (1945–present)

Director of the
Royal Family Association
(1957–)|

| In office|

* Yi Un (1966)
* Yi Ku (1973)
* Yi Won (2007)

|

Posthumous
recognition|

* Yi Kang

Pretenders|

* Yi Seok (2005–present)
* Yi Hae-won (2006–2020)

* # denotes that the king was deposed and never received a temple name.

1. ^ Those who were listed were not reigning monarchs but posthumously recognized; the year following means the year of recognition.
2. ^ Only the crown princes that didn't become the king were listed; the former year indicates when one officially became the heir and the latter one is that when one died/deposed. Those who ascended to the throne were excluded in the list for simplification.
3. ^ The title given to the biological father, who never reigned, of the kings who were adopted as the heir to a precedent king.
4. ^ The de jure monarch of Korea during the era was the Emperor of Japan, while the former Korean emperors were given nobility title "King Yi" instead.

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