Queen Sindeok

Queen Sindeok (12 July 1356 – 15 September 1396), of the Goksan Kang clan, was a posthumous name bestowed to the second wife and queen consort of Yi Dan, King Taejo; the first monarch of the Korean Joseon Dynasty. She was queen consort of Joseon and was honoured as Queen Hyeon from 1392 until her death in 1396. She was a political advisor of King Taejo and had a great influence on the founding of Joseon. She was posthumously called as Sindeok, the Dignified Empress.

Early life
Lady Kang was born in Goksan County, Seohae Province (modern-day Goksan County, Hwanghae Province) on 12 July 1356, during the reign of King Chunghye of Goryeo, to Kang Yun-sŏng of the Goksan Kang clan and his wife, Lady Kang of the Jinju Kang clan.

Lady Kang's uncle, Kang Yun-chung, was Taejo's uncle-in-law and son-in-law of Hwanjo's older brother, Yi Ja-heung, Grand Prince Wanchang (King Dojo’s eldest son). Through this relationship, she was able to come into contact with Yi Seong-gye and soon became his second wife during his time on the battlefield.

Meeting and marriage
According to legends, Yi Seong-gye's first meeting with Lady Kang was that one day, while hunting a tiger, Yi Seong-gye got thirsty and found a well, and there was a woman at the well. When Yi Seong-gye asked the woman to pour him some of her water, she poured water into a gourd and then floated a handful of her willow leaves on top of the water. At this, Yi Seong-gye rebuked her, saying, “What kind of evil is this?” The woman replied shyly that she had to rush because he was thirsty, and if Yi drank the cold water, he would get sick.

After hearing this, Yi Seong-gye, who was deeply moved by this, looked carefully at the woman, and her outstanding beauty. For a while, Yi Seong-gye was mesmerized by the woman's wisdom and beauty. The woman at the well was Lady Kang. This story is the same as the story of the meeting between King Taejo of Goryeo and Queen Janghwa. Queen Janghwa and Queen Sindeok are the second wives of the founder of the country, respectively, and are misleading in that they are the daughters of powerful local nobles, or the willow leaf tale handed down from many provinces is related to Yi Seong-gye, or that it may have been.

Lady Kang was eventually arranged to marry Yi Seong-gye prior to or in 1371. At the time of the marriage, Lady Kang was around 21 years younger than Yi. Because Lady Han had died in 1391, Lady Kang raised Lady Han's children as her own despite them being around her age.

In March 1392, in the lunar calendar, when Yi Seong-gye fell and was seriously injured while riding a horse in Haeju, Chŏng Mong-ju had tried to assassinate him. Lady Kang had them sent Yi Bang-won, who was living beside the tomb of his birth mother, Lady Han, to Haeju in haste and get Yi Seong-gye safely to Haeju.

Lady Kang was also the one to mitigate the relationship between Yi Seong-gye and his fifth son, Yi Bang-won, from his first marriage. It was said that Lady Kang suppressed the anger of Yi Seong-gye, who severely rebuked Yi Bang-won for killing Chŏng Mong-ju by sending an assassin in April of that year. This is a symbol of Lady Kang's resourcefulness and determination, and it can be said that it shows the serenity to do anything for her purpose of establishing a new country.

With the founding of Joseon, Lady Kang eventually became the first Queen Consort of Joseon on August 25 in 1392 (the 7th day of the 8th lunar month) and was given the title of Queen Hyeon (현비, 顯妃; Hyeonbi meaning Illustrious Consort). She was also known by other titles such as Queen Kang (강비, 康妃; Kangbi) and Princess Boryeong (보령택주, 保寧宅主; Boryeong Taekju).

Involvement in royal politics
Queen Hyeon tried to pass over the position of Crown Prince from the grown up princes of the deceased Queen Sinui, and pass on the throne onto one of her sons. To make her son successor to the throne, she made a political alliance with Jeong Do-jeon, who met her willingly, and successfully convinced Taejo to have her second son, Yi Bang-seok, Grand Prince Uian, as the next crown prince.

However, it was not the eldest son or the sons and daughters of Queen Sinui. Yi Bang-won, Prince Jeongan could not accept the fact that the second son of his father's second consort would become the crown prince. However, Yi Seong-gye still appointed Queen Hyeon's son, Yi Bang-seok as the next heir. Yi Bang-won, the most politically ambitious, was outraged.

Death and aftermath
Queen Hyeon soon died on 15 September 1396 after appointing her second son as crown prince.

Her death affected King Taejo immensely and held a mourning rite. The king built a small hermitage next to her tomb to pray for the Queen's happiness, and had offered incense and tea every morning and evening. As soon as the Heungcheonsa Temple was completed, it became a daily routine for King Taejo to visit the tomb of his wife and temple. After visiting the tomb and temple, the king would spend the evenings with the remaining sons of Queen Sindeok, and would wait to hear the sound of the bell from the temple to put ashes on Queen Sindeok's tomb before going to bed.

Not only that, but during the Sura era, it was only after hearing the sutras pray for Queen Shindeok's happiness that King Taejo finally lifted a spoon and ate, showing sincerity and recovery to his wife.

Prime minister Jeong Do-jeon, planned to kill the sons of Queen Shinui to protect his position in the court and the position of the Crown Prince. Yi Bang-won, having heard about the plan and with the help with his wife, Princess Jeongnyeong, he came to palace where he killed Jeong Do-jeon and Queen Sindeok's two sons. The Prince also killed his younger half-sister's husband, Yi Je, and those who supported the prime minister. Princess Gyeongsun was soon forced by her older half-brother to become a nun.

The anger of the princes and princesses of Queen Sinui fought against Queen Hyeon and her children where it reached a climax. In the end, that anger continued even after the Queen's death, and later became the cause of Taejong's institutionalization of the Seo-eol ban and the Jeok-seo discrimination. This event is known as First Strife of Princes.

The Queen bore Taejo three children; two sons who died in the strife and a daughter who lived to her twenties or thirties.

Family

 * Father — Kang Yun-seong (1302 – December 1358)
 * Mother — Internal Princess Consort Jinsan of the Jinju Kang clan (1305–1380)
 * Siblings
 * Older brother - Kang Deuk-ryong (1324–1400)
 * Older brother - Kang Sun-ryong (1324–1398)
 * Older sister - Lady Kang of the Goksan Kang clan (1328–?)
 * Older brother - Kang Yun-gwon (1335–1420)
 * Older brother - Kang Gye-gwon, Internal Prince Sangsan (1356–1413)

Consort
 * Husband — Yi Dan, King Taejo of Joseon (27 October 1335 – 18 June 1408)

Issue


 * Daughter — Princess Gyeongsun (1375 – 8 September 1407)
 * Son-in-law - Yi Je (1365–1398)
 * Granddaughter - Lady Yi of the Seongju Yi clan
 * Adoptive grandson - Yi Yun (1398 - 1456)
 * Son — Yi Bang-beon, Grand Prince Muan (1381 – 14 October 1398)
 * Daughter-in-law - Grand Princess Consort Samhanguk of the Kaesong Wang clan (1378 - 1419)
 * Adoptive grandson - Yi Hyo-sun, Prince Pungan (1403–1463)
 * Son — Yi Bang-seok, Grand Prince Uian (1382 – 14 October 1398)
 * Daughter-in-law - Deposed Crown Princess Hyeon of the Yu clan (1384 - ?)
 * Daughter-in-law - Crown Princess Hyeon of the Buyu Sim clan (1380–1448)
 * Grandson - Yi Won-sun (25 May 1398 – 26 August 1398)

In popular culture

 * Portrayed by Ha Mi-hye in the 1983 KBS TV series Foundation of the Kingdom.
 * Portrayed by Kim Jeong-yeon in the 1983 MBC TV series The King of Chudong Palace.
 * Portrayed by Kim Young-ran in the 1996–1998 KBS TV series Tears of the Dragon.
 * Portrayed by Yoon Joo-hee in the 2012–2013 SBS TV series The Great Seer.
 * Portrayed by Lee Il-hwa in the 2014 KBS1 TV series Jeong Do-Jeon.
 * Portrayed by Kim Hee-jung in the 2015–2016 SBS TV series Six Flying Dragons.
 * Portrayed by Park Ye-jin in the 2019 JTBC TV series My Country.
 * Portrayed by Ye Ji-won in the 2021–2022 KBS1 TV series The King of Tears, Lee Bang-won.