The story of King Jeongjo, whose birth name was Yi San, the twenty-second king of the Joseon Dynasty in Korea, is deeply intertwined with the tragic events of his father, Prince Sado. This narrative is not only a story of power and politics, but also of filial love, tragedy and redemption.
Prince Sado, father of King Jeongjo, lived a life marked by dramatic circumstances. Born in 1735, Sado was the son of King Yeongjo. However, his relationship with his father was extremely complex and difficult. King Yeongjo, known for his severity, had very high expectations for his only son, but Sado suffered from mental problems that led to unpredictable and violent behavior.
Tensions between Sado and the king culminated in 1762, when Prince Sado was accused of acts of cruelty and madness. In a devastating decision, King Yeongjo ordered his son to be locked in a rice chest, where he died after eight days from lack of food and water. This traumatic event left an indelible mark on the royal family and on the young Prince Jeongjo, who was only 11 years old at the time of his father's death, who having witnessed the court plots to assassinate the next heir to the throne, grew up with the idea of being able to avenge him from the corrupt aristocracy and the cruelty of his grandfather Sovereign one day, restoring his Honor and Memory.
Jeongjo ascended the throne in 1776, determined to clear his father's name and reform the kingdom. His rise was viewed with suspicion by many, as he was the son of the disgraced prince. However, Jeongjo proved to be a capable and visionary ruler.
During his reign, King Jeongjo worked tirelessly to strengthen royal authority and promote cultural and scientific progress. He was an advocate of learning and founded the Gyujanggak Royal Library, which became a center of knowledge and research. Furthermore, he sought to reduce corruption and improve the living conditions of his people through administrative reforms.
Especially after ascending the throne, King Jeongjo never forgot the unjust fate that had befallen his father, Prince Sado. Determined to rehabilitate his father's memory, Jeongjo undertook a series of actions aimed at correcting perceptions and restoring Sado's honor.
King Jeongjo worked diligently to gain official recognition for his late father. This effort culminated in the issuing of a royal edict officially clearing Sado's name and recognizing the unjust circumstances of his death. To be closer to his memory, King Jeongjo created the Hwaseong fortress to guard his tomb, which has now become a UNESCO heritage site.
During his reign he celebrated and organized memorial ceremonies to honor Prince Sado, ensuring that his contributions and status were properly remembered.
Through promoting a new historical narrative, Jeongjo sought to change public perceptions of his father. This included commissioning literary and historical works that told the true story of Prince Sado, highlighting his positive qualities and the context of his personal difficulties. Furthermore, to commemorate the memory, he moved every year from the capital to the Suwon Fortress, moving a parade of millions of men, women, court ladies and royal dignitaries, in one of the largest and most majestic processions of the time, which was faithfully reported by historians of the time in the historical book, which I showed you above called Uigwe.
King Jeongjo also worked to reconcile members of the royal family, many of whom had been divided by the tensions and accusations against Prince Sado. This conciliation process aimed to unite the family and create a stronger and more cohesive front for the good of the Kingdom, towards the end of his years, he managed to arrange the marriage of his second son Sunjo, but he was unable to see his wedding in 1880, because he died in mysterious circumstances at the age of 47, there was a lot of speculation about the causes of his death and even today the truth is not known. He was buried with his wife Queen Hyoui in the Geonnung Royal Tomb in Hwaseong Fortress.
But historical chronicles report that his great and unfortunate love was his concubine Uibin Seong, who bore him 4 children and unfortunately during the pregnancy of their 5th child she died in childbirth. King Jeongjo dedicated a long epitaph to her where he recounted his pain and the love he felt for her and to honor her memory, he had more than twenty-six thousand trees planted in Hyochang Park, near Seoul, where her tomb is located.
Their love story is told in many Kdramas, one of which was recently released and is titled The Red Sleeve and I recommend you watch it:
https://www.viki.com/videos/1188172v
You can see the story of Prince Sado told in The Throne, a film that tells the story of his life and death.
Paola Pelissa