Queen Jeongsun (Wonjong)

Queen Jeongsun of the Jeonju Kim clan (Korean정순왕후 김씨; Hanja靜順王后 金氏; 1222 – 29 July 1237) or known as Queen Gyeongsun (Korean경순왕후; Hanja敬順王后) and formally called as Queen Dowager Sungyeong (Korean순경태후; Hanja順敬太后), was the first and primary wife of Wonjong of Goryeo who became the mother of his successor, Chungnyeol of Goryeo.[citation needed]

Queen Jeongsun
정순왕후
Grand Queen Dowager Sungyeong
(순경왕태후, 順敬王太后)
Crown Princess of Goryeo
Tenure1235–1237
Coronation1235
PredecessorCrown Princess Im
SuccessorCrown Princess Yu
Born1222
Goryeo
Died29 July 1237 (1237-07-30) (aged 15)
Sadang-ri, Ganghwa-gun, Goryeo
Burial1244
Gareung tomb[a]
San 16–2, Neungnae-ri, Yangdo-myeon, Ganghwa-gun, Incheon
Spouse
(m. 1235⁠–⁠1237)
IssueChungnyeol of Goryeo
an unnamed daughter
Regnal name
Worthy Consort Gyeongmok (경목현비, 敬穆賢妃; given in 1235)
Posthumous name
HouseJeonju Kim clan
FatherKim Yak-sŏn
MotherLady Ch'oe of the Ubong Ch'oe clan
ReligionBuddhism

Biography edit

Early life edit

The future Queen Jeongsun was born in 1222 into the Jeonju Kim clan[b] as the daughter of Kim Yak-sŏn who was a descendant of Kim Al-ji. She was the granddaughter of Goryeo military dictator Ch'oe U, as her mother was Lady Ch'oe (최씨), the eldest daughter of Ch'oe U. Through her paternal uncle, Lady Kim eventually became a first cousin twice removed to the future Queen Jeongan, wife of King Jeongjong of Joseon.

Marriage and death edit

In 1235, she married Crown Prince Wang Chŏng, given the royal title of Worthy Consort Gyeongmok (경목현비; 敬穆賢妃) and became his consort (황자비; 太子妃) not long after his appointment as a Crown Prince. A year later, she gave birth into their eldest son (the future King Chungnyeol) but eventually died only at 15 years old on 29 July 1237 after gave birth to a daughter who believed to died young as no records since then. After her husband ascended the throne, she was given a posthumous name of Queen Jeongsun (정순왕후; 靜順王后) in 1262[1] and after their son ascended the throne, King Chungnyeol bestowed the name of Queen Dowager Sungyeong (순경태후; 順敬太后) towards his mother in 1274.[2]

In 1310, by the new order (제서; 制書) from Emperor Wuzong of Yuan, Kim was titled as Queen Consort of Goryeo (고려왕비; 高麗王妃) since she was the grandmother of the reign king and was said by Wuzong to be clean and prudent in her behavior, gentle and beautiful in the Dharma, praised her diligence and modesty. Due to this, she became the last queen who received posthumous names like her predecessors in the early Goryeo period.

Tomb edit

In 1244 (31st year reign of her father-in-law, King Gojong), she was buried in "Gareung tomb" (가릉; 嘉陵) located at Neungnae-ri, Yangdo-myeon, Ganghwa-gun, Incheon-si which becomes one of the Goryeo Royal Tombs located in South Korea. In 1992, it was designated as "Incheon Historic Site no. 370".[3]

Family edit

  • Father: Kim Yak-sŏn
  • Mother: Lady Ch'oe of the Ubong Ch'oe clan (우봉 최씨)
    • Grandfather: Ch'oe U (최우; 1166 – 10 December 1249)
    • Grandmother: Grand Lady Pyŏn of the Hadong Chŏng clan (변한국대부인 하동 정씨; d. 1231)
  • Sibling(s)
    • Older brother: Kim Mi (김미; 金敉)
    • Older brother: Kim Wi-hang (김위항)
    • Older brother: Kim P'il-yŏng (김필영)
  • Husband: King Wonjong of Goryeo (1219–1274)
  • Issue

In popular culture edit

  • Portrayed by Choi Da-eun and Bang Joon-su in the 2012 MBC TV Series God of War.

Notes edit

  1. ^ One of the four Goryeo Royal Tombs who left in South Korea, along with:
    • Seokneung Tomb (석릉, 碩陵) – her first cousin twice removed in-law, King Huijong's tomb.[1]
    • Golleung Tomb (곤릉, 坤陵) – her grandmother-in-law, Queen Wondeok's tomb.[2]
    • Hongneung Tomb (홍릉, 洪陵) – her father-in-law, King Gojong's tomb.[3]
  2. ^ The clan was branched under the Gyeongju Kim clan

References edit

  1. ^ "경목현비를 정순왕후로 추봉하다". Goryeosa (in Korean). Retrieved January 4, 2022.
  2. ^ "왕의 모친 정순왕후를 순경태후로 추존하다". Goryeosa (in Korean). Retrieved January 4, 2022.
  3. ^ "사적 강화 가릉 (江華 嘉陵)". National Cultural Heritage (in Korean). Retrieved January 4, 2022.

External links edit