19th King of Goryeo (r. 1170–1197)
Myeongjong (8 November 1131 – 3 December 1202), personal name Wang Ho, was the 19th king of Korea's Goryeo dynasty. He was the third son of King Injong. His reign marked the beginning of the century-long military rule of Korea known as the Goryeo military regime.
Although it was intended that King Injong's second son should succeed his father, he was assassinated because Chŏng Chung-bu feared that he might become a threat to him in the future. Myeongjong was a weak puppet king, and was merely on the throne to show the general populace they still had a king, as the true rulers were the military leaders who had launched a coup d'état against Myeongjong's older brother and had established a military government.[1][2] Despite this, Myeongjong did attempt to play off the military leaders against each other to both secure his own survival but also in an attempt to regain royal authority.[3] His reign saw constant bloodshed as well as the deaths of the military rulers Chŏng Chung-bu, Yi Ŭi-bang, Kyŏng Tae-sŭng, and Yi Ŭi-min.
After twenty-seven years on the throne, he was sent into exile by the military ruler of the time, Ch'oe Ch'ung-hŏn. King Injong's fifth son, King Sinjong, was placed on the throne.
Family
- Father: Injong of Goryeo
- Mother: Queen Gongye
- Grandfather: Im Wŏn-hu (임원후)
- Grandmother: Grand Lady of Jinhan State of the Bupyeong Yi clan (진한국대부인 부평 이씨)
- Consort and their Respective issue(s):
- Queen Uijeong of the Kim clan half second cousin once removed.
- Crown Prince Wang Yŏng
- Princess Yeonhui
- Princess Suan
- Concubine Myeongchun (명춘; d. 1180)
- Concubine Sunju (순주; d. 1179)
- Unknown
- Little Prince Wang Sŏn-sa (소군 왕선사)
- Little Prince Wang Hong-gi (소군 왕홍기)
- Little Prince Wang Hong-ch'u (소군 왕홍추)
- Little Prince Wang Hong-gyu (소군 왕홍규)
- Little Prince Wang Hong-gyun (소군 왕홍균)
- Little Prince Wang Hong-gak (소군 왕홍각)
- Little Prince Wang Hong-i (소군 왕홍이)
- Royal Lady Wang (왕녀 왕씨) – married Yi Hwa-ryong (이화룡)
Popular culture
References
See also