Women of Joseon

A red ceremonial robe of the Consort of Imperial Prince Yeong, early 20th century, silk / Courtesy of the National Palace Museum of Korea

By Kwon Ji-youn

To become a queen of the Joseon Dynasty, a five-century long regime that lasted from 1392 to 1897, one had to be aged eight to 20 and born into a family of a good lineage. Just as important were the crown princess-to-be’s appearance and womanly virtues.

During King Sejong’s rule ― the fourth king of Joseon ― the crown prince stayed away from his first crown princess, Royal Noble Consort Hwi of the Andong Kim clan, and this caused concern in the palace over fears of an unconsummated marriage.

On selecting his second crown princess, Royal Noble Consort Sun of the Ha-eum Bong clan, King Sejong stressed that beauty and charm were just as important as being from an esteemed family.

Consort of Imperial Prince Ui in ceremonial attire

Ironically, Royal Noble Consort Sun later became embroiled in an unseemly scandal with a court lady. In fact, because court ladies were punished, often with death, if they became involved in a romance with a person other than the king or crown prince, many engaged in same sex relationships.

In cultural productions featuring the Joseon Kingdom, women play supporting roles to the King, but Prof. Shin Myung-ho of Pukyong National University, with eight other writers, sheds new light on the grueling process of emerging as a queen in the book “Korean Court Ladies.”

When a crown prince began courting, all Joseon women were forbidden from marrying. Papers were examined on a first weed-out of candidates, and then three “interviews” took place to single out the most worthy women, usually one of the three who made the final round. Women were usually 15 when they married into the royal family and around 20 when they first gave birth.

Not all women hoped to marry the crown prince. Some hoped to avoid the expensive wedding costs, and other hoped not to get caught up in royal politics.

The book also details the lives of ladies-in-waiting, who were indispensible to the king, queen and consorts, as well as the attire and cosmetics of royalty.

In chapter nine, the writer takes the “Memoirs of Lady Hyegyeong,” an autobiographical manuscript written by Lady Hyegyeong, the wife of Crown Prince Sado and mother of King Jeongjo, to recount the more intriguing stories of court ladies. The manuscript lays out her recollections from when she was crowned princess at age nine until she died at 81.

Prof. Shin opens with a chapter about the different women who lived in the royal palace, followed by a section on the royal weddings that marked the coming of a new queen.

Further chapters detail the pregnancies and births of young crown princes and princesses, while later chapters depict the economic roles court ladies took on.

A total of 273 children were born into the Joseon royal family. King Taejong had 29 children, and King Sejong’s first queen, Queen Soheon, gave birth to 10 ― eight sons and two daughters.

Court ladies endured arduous existences while living in the royal palace, serving the royal family 12 hours at a time, night and day. Upper court ladies received generous pay, and often extra rice, beans and dried Pollack.

A book that begins and ends with women. Compiled by the National Palace Museum of Korea. 484 pages. 26,000 won.

Follow Kwon Ji-youn on Twitter @jennajykwon