Queen Inmok
인목왕후
Grand queen dowager of Joseon
Tenure1624 – 1632
PredecessorGrand Queen Dowager Seongryeol
SuccessorGrand Queen Dowager Jaui
Queen dowager of Joseon
Tenure1608 – 1618
1623 – 1624
Predecessor
SuccessorQueen Dowager Jaui
Queen consort of Joseon
Tenure1602 – 1608
PredecessorQueen Uiin
SuccessorQueen Hyejang
Born5 December 1584
Bansongbang District, Hanseong, Kingdom of Joseon
Died3 August 1632 (1632-08-04) (aged 47)
Heummyeong Hall, Ingyeong Palace, Kingdom of Joseon
Burial
Mokneung
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1602⁠–⁠1608)​
Issue
Posthumous name
소성정의명렬광숙장정정숙인목왕후
HouseYeonan Kim
FatherKim Je-Nam
MotherInternal Princess Consort Gwangsan of the Gwangju No clan

Queen Inmok (인목왕후 김씨, 仁穆王后 金氏; 5 December 1584 – 3 August 1632[1]), of the Yeonan Kim clan, was a posthumous name bestowed to the wife and second queen consort of Yi Yeon, King Seonjo, the 14th Joseon monarch. She was queen consort of Joseon from 1602 until her husband's death in 1608, after which she was honoured as Queen Dowager Soseong (소성왕대비) during the reign of her step-son Yi Hon, King Gwanghae and as Grand Queen Dowager Myeongryeol (명렬대왕대비) during the reign of her step-grandson Yi Jong, King Injo.

Biography

Early life

The future queen was born on 5 December 1584, Hansongbang, Hanseong, during the reign of King Seonjo. Her father, Kim Je-nam, was member of the Yeonan Kim clan and her mother was member of the Gwangju No clan.

In both sides of her family’s, Lady Kim had distant royal relations. Through her paternal step grandmother, she was a maternal 6th step great-granddaughter of Princess Jeongui and a maternal 7th step great-granddaughter of Queen Soheon and King Sejong. Princess Jeongui was the older sister of King Munjong, King Sejo, and Grand Prince Imyeong.

Through her mother, she was also the maternal 7th great-granddaughter of King Sejong and Queen Soheon through her 6th great-grandfather, Grand Prince Imyeong. Through her paternal grandmother, she was also a 4th great-granddaughter of Grand Prince Imyeong.

Lady No was a paternal cousin of Crown Princess Minhoe’s maternal grandmother; making Lady Kim a first cousin two times removed of the princess consort.

Through her paternal great-great-great-grandfather, Lady Kim was a first cousin thrice removed of Kim Ahn-ro and also became the 8th great-grandaunt of Kim Su-deok, Prince Kang’s wife, through her younger brother, Kim Gyu.

Life as queen consort

Lady Kim was later chosen and arranged to marry King Seonjo to become his Queen Consort in 1602 at age of 19 after King Seonjo’s first Queen consort, Queen Uiin died in 1600. The king himself at the time was 32 years her senior and was older than her parents; her mother being 5 years and her father being 10 years his juniors. This marriage was considered the second oldest marriage with Queen Jeongsun’s and King Yeongjo’s having a 51 year age gap being the first.

After becoming Queen, her father was given the royal title, Internal Prince Yeonheung (연흥부원군, Yeonheung Buwongun), and her mother was given the royal title, Internal Princess Consort Gwangsan (광산부부인, Gwangsan Bubuin).

By the time she was named Queen Consort, her husband had already appointed Prince Gwanghae as his Heir to the throne as Queen Uiin died without issue. Gwanghae was the second son of Seonjo, born to Royal Noble Consort Gong of the Gimhae Kim clan, the King's senior 1st rank concubine. Gwanghae acted as the de facto ruler of the Joseon Dynasty during Japanese invasions of Korea from 1592 until 1598.

In 1603, the Queen gave birth to Princess Jeongmyeong. She birthed another princess in 1604 but that child died in infancy that same year. In 1606, the Queen gave birth to a son, Yi Ui, later honoured as Grand Prince Yeongchang. According to Gyechuk Ilgi, Gwanghae and his in-laws were greatly agitated because they believe Gwanghae's position as heir to the throne was threatened, because according to the law, the Queen's son had higher rank and better claim in the succession than a concubine's son. Seonjo and a few of his supporters had plans to push his legitimate son as heir, but Gwanghae soon found out and Seonjo was unable to enact this change due to his unexpected death.

Gwanghaegun's reign

After Seonjo died in 1608, Gwanghae ascended to the throne as the fifteenth king of the Joseon Dynasty and the Queen was honoured as Queen Dowager Soseong. During his reign, Gwanghae persecuted Soseong and Yeongchang relentlessly. Soseong resisted the King's insistent demands that she turn over Yeongchang to him. Eventually, she handed Yeongchang over to Gwanghae so he could be raised and educated in the palace as a Royal Prince. Unfortunately, Yeongchang was exiled to Ganghwa Island along with the Queen Dowager's father, Kim Je-nam, her brothers and brother-in-law who were all facing investigation. In 1613, the King sentenced Kim Je-Nam, her brothers and her brother-in-law to death.

In 1614, her son, Yeongchang was also sentenced to death by poisoning.

Soseong herself was deposed and confined to Gyeongun Palace with Princess Jeongmyeong. Her attendants diminished year by year through betrayal, desertion and death.

Later life

Her confinement ended when Gwanghae was deposed in 1623 and replaced by her step-grandson, Gwanghae's nephew, King Injo. She and her daughter were also granted permission to live within Changdeok Palace with their titles and positions being reinstated; she was later honoured as Grand Queen Dowager Myeongryeol in 1624.

During Kim Injo’s enthronement, her 21 year-old daughter, Princess Jeongmyeong, was considered too old to marry. So the Princess was to quickly be married off to someone who was younger than her rather than them being older or of similar age. There isn’t a explanation as to why the marriage selection of Princess Jeongmyeong was delayed, but it was said that it might have been the fear and worry the Grand Queen Dowager held towards her daughter living outside of the palace during Gwanghaegun’s reign.

Her daughter later married Hong Ju-won in 1623, who was 3 years her junior, and eventually had 7 sons and 1 daughter during their marriage. One of her grandsons became the great-great-grandfather of Lady Hyegyeong; the future wife of her step great-great-great-great-great-grandson, Crown Prince Sado.

The Grand Queen Dowager died during King Injo’s 9th year of reign at the age of 47 on 3 August 1632, and is buried in Mokneung, Guri, Gyeonggi, with her husband and his first queen consort, Queen Uiin. She was posthumously honoured as Queen Inmok.

Prior to her death, Queen Inmok had made and given a note to her family regarding the life of a royal. She stated and pleaded to not have family relatives from her clan to marry within the royal family as she suffered from carrying the burden as one. This note would eventually pass down to her 8th great-grandniece, Kim Su-deok, who would also suffer an unhappy arranged marriage.[2]

Gyechuk Ilgi

Gyechuk Ilgi (Diary of the Year Gyechuk, 1613) was diary supposedly composed by unnamed court lady intimate with and devoted to Queen Inmok and written from Queen Inmok's perspective, though its diary format accords it the appearance of documentary objectivity. In the Yujeomsa Temple on Mountain Geumgang, a part of Bomungyeong written by Queen Inmok remains.

Kim Yongsuk, one of the best informed scholars on premodern Korean women and women writers, after carefully sifting the pertinent historical records, concludes that the picture of Gwanghae given in Gyechuk Ilgi deviates markedly from the account of him in contemporary historical records. Gwanghae, writes Professor Kim, was in fact "a wise and good king." Despite his best efforts, he couldn't save his own elder brother or his half-brother or finally himself from the political factionalism that raged during his reign.

She suggests several reasons for the gross distortions in the diary. First, it was composed after Gwanghae was overthrown. Second, it was probably the work of a court lady loyal to Queen Inmok. Third, following the pattern of extreme opposition between good and evil already established in traditional fiction of the Joseon period, the work distorts, simplifies, and exaggerates more complex situations involving Gwanghae, his brother and half-brother, and Queen Inmok.

Family

Parent

  • Father − Kim Je-nam (1562 – 1 June 1613) (김제남, 金悌男)
    • 1) Grandfather − Kim Oh (1526 – 1570) (김오, 金祦)
      • 2) Great-Grandfather − Kim Ahn-do (김안도, 金安道) (1481 - 1535)[3][4][5][6]
        • 3) Great-Great-Grandfather - Kim Jeon (김전, 金詮) (1458 - 1523)[7]
          • 4) Great-Great-Great-Grandfather - Kim Woo-shin (김우신, 金友臣) (1424 - 1511)[8]
          • 4) Great-Great-Great-Grandmother - Lady Lee of the Incheon Lee clan (이천 이씨) (1424 - 1473); eldest daughter of Yi Gye-chung (이계충, 李繼忠; 1408 - ?)
        • 3) Great-Great-Grandmother - Lady No of the Pungcheon No clan (풍천 노씨) (1461 - ?); eldest daughter of No Yun (노윤, 盧昀; 1433 - ?)
      • 2) Great-Grandmother − Lady Seong of the Changnyeong Seong clan (창녕 성씨, 昌寧 成氏) (1481 - 1526); youngest daughter of Seong Se-tong (성세통, 成世通; 1460 - ?), Kim Ahn-do’s second wife
    • 1) Grandmother − Gwon Seong-bok (권성복, 權成福), Lady Gwon of the Andong Gwon clan (안동 권씨) (1530 - ?)[9]; daughter of Kwon Sang (권상, 權常; 1503 - ?)
  • Mother − Internal Princess Consort Gwangsan of the Gwangju No clan (1557 – 1637) (광산부부인 노씨, 光山府夫人 盧氏)[10]
    • 1) Grandfather − No Gye (1534 – 1569) (노계)
    • 1) Grandmother − Lady Han of the Cheongju Han clan (청주 한씨) (1534 - ?)

Siblings

  • Older brother − Kim Nae (김내, 金琜) (1576 - 1 June 1613)
    • Sister-in-law − Lady Jeong of the Chogye Jeong clan (초계 정씨, 草溪 鄭氏) (1575 - 1640)
      • Niece − Lady Kim of the Yeonan Kim clan (1596 - 1633)
        • Nephew-in-law - Kim Gwang-chan (김광찬, 金光燦) (1597 - 24 February 1668)[11]
          • Grandniece - Kim Bok-hui (김복희, 金復喜), Lady Kim of the Andong Kim clan (1614 - ?)
          • Grandniece - Kim Gye-hui (김계희, 金繼喜), Lady Kim of the Andong Kim clan (1616 - ?)
          • Grandniece - Kim Yeong-hui (김영희, 金永喜), Lady Kim of the Andong Kim clan (1620 - ?)
          • Grandnephew - Kim Su-jeung (김수증, 金壽增) (1624 - 1701)
          • Grandnephew - Kim Su-heung (김수흥, 金壽興) (1626 - 1690)
          • Grandnephew - Kim Su-hang (김수항, 金壽恒) (1629 - 1689)[12]
          • Grandniece - Kim Tae-hui (김태희, 金兌喜), Lady Kim of the Andong Kim clan (1632 - ?)
          • Grandniece - Kim Myo-hyeon (김묘현, 金妙賢), Lady Kim of the Andong Kim clan (1633 - ?)
      • Nephew − Kim Cheon-seok (김천석, 金天錫) (1604 - 1673)
      • Niece − Lady Kim of the Yeonan Kim clan (1604 - ?)
        • Nephew-in-law - Choi Geuk-ryang (최극량)
      • Nephew - Kim Gun-seok (김군석, 金君錫) (1605 - 1686); became the adoptive son of Kim Seon (김선, 金瑄)
      • Niece - Lady Kim of the Yeonan Kim clan (1606 - ?)
        • Nephew-in-law - Yi Hu-yeon (이후연)
  • Older sister − Lady Kim of the Yeonan Kim clan (1581 - 1604)
    • Brother-in-law − Sim Jeong-se (심정세, 沈挺世) (1579 - 1 June 1613)[13][14]
      • Nephew - Sim Jin (심진, 沈榗) (1602 - 1690)
      • Niece - Lady Sim of the Cheongsong Sim clan (1604 - ?)
        • Nephew-in-law - Baek Hong-il (백홍일) (1603 - 1584)
  • Younger brother − Kim Gyu (김규, 金珪) (1596 - 1 June 1613)[15]
    • Sister-in-law − Seo Mi-saeng (서미생, 徐楣生), Lady Seo of the Daegu Seo clan (본관: 대구 서씨) (1597 - 1666)[16]
      • Nephew − Kim Hong-seok (김홍석, 金弘錫) (1612 - ?)[17]
  • Younger brother − Kim Seon (김선, 金瑄) (1599 - 1 June 1613)
    • Adoptive nephew − Kim Gun-seok (김군석, 金君錫); son of Kim Nae (김내)

Consort

Issue

  • Daughter − Princess Jeongmyeong (정명공주) (27 June 1603 – 8 September 1685)[18]
  • Son-in-law − Hong Ju-Won (홍주원) (1606 – 1672)
    • Grandson − Hong Man-yong (홍만용, 洪萬容) (1631 - 1692)[19]
  • Unnamed daughter (1604); died prematurely
  • Son − Yi Ui, Grand Prince Yeongchang (이의 영창대군) (12 April 1606 – 19 March 1614)
    • Adoptive grandson − Prince Changseong (창성군 필, 昌城君 佖) (1627 - 1689)[20]

Drama

Webtoon

  • Portrayed in the 2019 KakaoPage Webtoon series Finally, the Blue Flame (마침내 푸른 불꽃이).

References

  • 인목왕후 (in Korean). Doosan Encyclopedia.
  • Kim Kichung (16 September 2016). An Introduction to Classical Korean Literature: From Hyangga to P'ansori. Routledge. ISBN 9781315285153.

Notes

  1. ↑ In lunar calendar, the Queen was born on 14 November 1584 and died on 28 June 1632
  2. ↑ "李堈夫人金氏". Retrieved 8 July 2020. 仁穆大妃懲國婚之禍作，書遺本家，世世勿連姻王室，至是思濬上之，后愛金氏容德堅不許，……堈旣出閤，驕侈好貨賄，……干訟徵債如追贜…… (After the disastrous events due to her marriage, Queen Inmok left a note to her family, hoping them never marry the royalties again; the note was given by Kim Sa-joon to Queen Min, but she liked the virtue of his daughter and persisted her decision. ...After he married, Yi Kang started to live luxuriously and accept bribes,... lawsuits and those who came for debt collection appeared as if they were recovering loots... )
  3. ↑ His younger brother, Kim Ahn-soo (김안수, 金安遂), was the father-in-law to Yun Won-hyeong (the younger brother of Queen Munjeong) as he was married to his daughter. She later died by poisoning from his concubine, Jeong Nan-jeong
  4. ↑ Became the 11th great-grandfather of Kim Su-deok
  5. ↑ He is a cousin of Kim Ahn-ro
  6. ↑ He is a maternal great-great-grandson of Princess Jeongui and a maternal great-great-great-grandson of Queen Soheon and King Sejong. (Sejong—>Princess Jeongui—>Ahn Yeo-dal—>Lady Ahn—>Lady Song—>Kim Ahn-do)
  7. ↑ He was the uncle of Kim Ahn-ro through his older brother, Kim Heun (김흔, 金訢)
  8. ↑ The grandfather of Kim Ahn-ro
  9. ↑ She was a great-great-granddaughter of Grand Prince Imyeong (Grand Prince Imyeong —> Lady Yi —> Gwon Jil —> Gwon Sang —> Lady Gwon)
  10. ↑ She was a paternal cousin of Crown Princess Minhoe’s maternal grandmother
  11. ↑ He and his wife are the 5th great-grandparents of Queen Sunwon and the 6th great-grandparents of Queen Cheorin and Queen Hyohyeon
  12. ↑ The 4th great-grandfather of Queen Sunwon, and the 5th great-grandfather of Queen Hyohyeon and Queen Cheorin
  13. ↑ He is the maternal grandson of Gu Sa-maeng (Queen Inheon’s father) and the older cousin of King Injo
  14. ↑ He is a paternal grandson of Sim Ui-gyeom; the younger brother of Queen Insun
  15. ↑ Became the 8th great-grandfather of Kim Su-deok
  16. ↑ She is the eldest daughter of Princess Jeongshin (정신옹주) (1582/1583 - 1653), (a daughter of King Seonjo and younger sister of Prince Jeongwon), and Seo Gwang-jo (서경주, 徐景霌) (1579 - 1643)
  17. ↑ Became the 7th great-grandfather of Kim Su-deok, the wife of Prince Yi Kang.
  18. ↑ Great-great-grandmother of Hong Bong-han, father of Lady Hyegyeong and maternal grandfather of Jeongjo of Joseon
  19. ↑ His younger brother, Hong Man-hyeong, married Queen Inhyeon's aunt (her father's younger sister).
  20. ↑ Prince Gyeongchang's fourth son and King Seonjo's biological grandson
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