Book Reconstitutes Secret of Prince Sado’s Death

Crown Prince Sado was buried with his wife at the royal tomb of Yungneung in the city of Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province. The tragic prince was put to death in a rice chest by his own father, King Yeongjo. The novel ``Chungsin (Loyal Subjects)'' written by Marc Hampsink sheds a new light on the death of Crown Prince Sado. / Korea Times File

By Chung Ah-young
Staff Reporter

Crown Prince Sado (1735-1762) was a tragic royal heir who was locked in a large rice chest and left to die by his own father, King Yeongjo.

This widely known story is also fraught with wide speculation. Some say he was the victim of a conspiracy by his political rivals. Others say he was mentally ill and very erratic, and wantonly killed people.

But the novel ``Chungsin'' (Loyal Subjects) written by Marc Hampsink sheds new light on his death. Based on the presumption that the prince suffered from syphilis which drove him into dementia, the book weaves a mysterious story based on the historical fact that three high-state councilors who were aides to the prince killed themselves.

Hampsink overturns the conventional wisdom that the prince was sacrificed in a power struggle. He instead raises the issue that Sado contracted syphilis after having improper relations with court ladies and even incest with his sister Princess Hawan. This is what made King Yeongjo order him ― out of anger ― to be sealed into the rice chest.

Surprisingly the author, who penned the novel rich in details and imagination based on historical facts, is an adoptee who cannot speak Korean. Hampsink was born in Busan and adopted by a Belgian couple at the age of seven, and now works for a U.K. insurance company. He turned his eyes to the Joseon Kingdom of 250 years ago while working on a client's request. The client asked him to investigate the value of ``Jinamjib,'' a collection of writings by Lee Cheon-bo, the chief state councilor during the reign of King Yeongjo.

Cover of ``Chungsin (Loyal Subjects)'' by Marc Hampsin. It is translated by Lee Soo-young from Dutch to Korean (Munidang Publishing Company: 316 pp., 11,000 won)

They were found to be transcriptions, but he couldn't stop thinking about them. Lee was known to have killed himself, but following his death, he was honored as a ``Bulcheonwi'' ― an ancestor who is worshipped eternally by his descendants.

Not only Lee, but also two other state councilors Min Baek-sang and Lee Hu committed suicide. After uncovering the deaths of the three state councilors and the tragedy of the prince, the Belgian was enthralled by the fascinating mystery.

The story begins with a young historiographer who finds something missing in the records of a certain period during the reign of King Yeongjo. He tries to discover the missing parts.

His quest for the truth is connected with the midnight secret gathering of the three state councilors who were concerned about the prince's ever-worsening illness.

Lee Cheon-bo's son accidently eavesdrops on their conversation. Lee asks his son, Mun-won, to consult a court doctor about Sado's health condition, but he discovers him already dead in his house.

The doctor was the only person who knew of the prince's illness. While searching the doctor's house, Mun-won and his friends find out that he was murdered.

The state councilors try to find out the exact cause of the prince's abrupt disease which made him erratic and caused him pain, but the latter's servants refuse to assist in their efforts to find out what the prince's illness was.

The author portrays the prince's symptoms as very similar to those of syphilis. Sado was very smart and bright in his youth, but gradually became a disturbed man, easily agitated or depressed, and even killed his own servants.

Sado was also known to have had sexual relations with many concubines and Princess Hwawan. He was often accused of causing problems by the king's ministers. Yeongjo, concerned over this misconducts and persistent rumors, decided to kill him to conceal his illness and any possible scandal which strongly contradicted state rules and Confucianism.

Hampsink said that behind the prince's death, he chose syphilis as the main cause for the troubles with his father. ``I made a candidate list of possible diseases which cause both skin trouble and insanity. At the time, leprosy and syphilis were incurable diseases,'' he said in an interview with the publisher.

He consulted doctors about the disease and then reconstituted the story based on the then situation and their advice. ``It's not just a fictional imagination without any grounding. Of course, the disease is not the direct cause of the prince's death but it's a secret intentionally hidden by the king and others in political power,'' he added.

The author said that when he first found Lee Cheon-bo's death was related to the death of the prince in the ancient document, he felt as if his heart was frozen.

``This story is not a conspiracy theory happening in the royal court but a touching story which shows how subjects pursued their loyalty and fidelity at that time. It is not a big obstacle to overcome the time and space in human imagination. There is not a big barrier between Europe and Joseon and the 21st century and 18th century when it comes to literature,'' he said.

The book was mostly written in Dutch but some parts are written in Chinese and Greek and translated by his colleague, Lee Soo-young into Korean.

The author who also studied Chinese medicine shows much knowledge of Korean history and Oriental medicine in his meticulous descriptions of the acupuncture used in the story, which heightens the suspense.

chungay@koreatimes.co.kr