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On July 25, 1849, King Heonjeong, Joseon's 24th monarch, died. His death left the nation in a horrible state. Although he had ruled (in name) for some 15 years, he was only 21 at his death and had no heir to pass on the monarchy. There was only one option, for the Dowager Queen to adopt a distant relative and proclaim him king.
The choice fell upon a distant relative – a 19-year-old boy who would come to be known as King Cheoljong. The decision was based mainly upon the boy's illiteracy and lack of grace – a perfect tool for the Dowager Queen to continue to rule the country.
But before he could be crowned, he had to be found. Politics in the Joseon era was dangerous and so, for their own protection, the boy's family had moved away into obscurity on Ganghwa Island.
In secrecy the prime minister made his way to Ganghwa Island where he found the future-king plowing a field, "his hair in a queue down his back and his face tanned by the sun."
He was quickly taken back to Seoul where he was proclaimed king and quickly married to the daughter of one of the strongest families in the capital. Despite the extravagance and wealth around him, he was a rather simple man who could not hide his past.
Even within the Western community of Shanghai, Cheoljong's austere past was known. When Monsieur de Montigny, the French consul, and a group of Westerners traveled to Korea in 1851 to help rescue a group of shipwrecked French whalers they noted:
"The newly ascended King whose designation is Jin-ho (Sun-fire) is said to have sprung from a very humble position in society, he who is now a King, being actually said to have been once a beggar!"
Cheoljong's rule was not without its strife. In 1862, Yi Ha-jon, another member of the royal family, felt he would be a better king than Cheoljong and decided to take matters into his own hands and seize the throne. His coup failed in its infancy and he paid for his transgression with his life. Rather than be ignobly executed, he was allowed to end
his life in a more dignified manner – with poison.
But Cheoljong, who was quite fond of food and drink, did not live very long. On Jan. 16, 1864, he died, a victim of his own excesses. Like the previous king, he had no male heirs. Despite siring five sons and six daughters only one child, a daughter, lived past infancy and the Korean court found itself in the same position it had been when he had ascended the throne.
Usually, when a king dies, especially one so young, there are rumors of conspiracies and assassinations. Cheoljong's death was no different. William Franklin Sands, an American advisor, claimed that as the king was dying, Yi Ha-eung (who would later became known as Heungseon Daewongun) rushed into the room and "by threats and violence drove out the timid eunuchs and palace women from the room." Shortly afterwards Yi emerged from the room and declared that the king had died but prior to his death he had pronounced Yi's 12-year-old son (later known as Gojong) the 26th king of Joseon. He also noted that Yi was to be Gojong's regent until the young king came of age.
Sands, who got his information second-hand, claimed that there were ugly rumors "that the king, though dying had died a little hastily on the arrival of [Yi Ha-eung]; a trifle sooner, perhaps, than in the course of nature."
Sands' description of the events appears to have been less-than-accurate and possibly colored by his own feelings of distaste for Heungseon Daewongun. However, it is a fact, that Gojong was the last child-king – and for that matter, king – of Korea.
Robert Neff is a contributing writer for The Korea Times.
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