Taejong of Joseon

Taejong (16 May 1367 – 10 May 1422), personal name Yi Bang-won, was the third monarch of the Joseon dynasty of Korea and the father of Sejong the Great. He was the fifth son of King Taejo, the founder of the dynasty. Before ascending to the throne, he was known as Prince Jeongan.

Early life and founding of Joseon
Born in 1367 as the fifth son of Yi Song-gye and his first wife Lady Han, Yi Bang-won qualified as an official in 1382. He studied under Confucian scholars such as Won Cheon-seok. During his early years, he assisted his father in gathering the support of the commoners and of many influential figures in the government; Yi Bang-won also helped in the founding of Joseon by assassinating powerful officials who remained loyal to Goryeo, most prominently Chŏng Mong-ju.

Strifes of Princes
After contributing heavily to the overthrowing of the previous dynasty and the establishment of Joseon, he expected to be appointed as successor to the throne. However, his father and Chief State Councillor Jeong Do-jeon favored Taejo's eighth son and Yi Bang-won's youngest half-brother (second son of Queen Sindeok), Yi Bang-seok. This conflict arose chiefly because Jeong Do-jeon, as the principal architect of the ideological, institutional and legal foundations of the new dynasty, saw Joseon as a kingdom led by its ministers by virtue of the king's appointment. In contrast, Yi Bang-won sought direct rule through an absolute monarchy. These differences ultimately contributed to an environment of deep political tension.

In 1398, following the sudden death of Queen Sindeok, Yi Bang-won led a coup d'état while King Taejo was still in mourning for his second wife. This event led to the deaths of Jeong Do-jeon and his supporters, as well as the deaths of the late Queen Sindeok's two sons, including the crown prince. The incident became known as the "First Strife of Princes". Aghast at the fact that his sons were willing to kill each other for the crown, and psychologically exhausted by the death of his second wife, Taejo abdicated; his eldest surviving son, Yi Bang-gwa (posthumously King Jeongjong), immediately became the new ruler.

Yi Bang-won quickly emerged as the real force behind the throne and was soon in conflict with his disgruntled elder brother, Yi Bang-gan, who also yearned for power. In 1400, General Park Bo, who found the rewards for his deeds during the First Strife of Princes lacking, allied with Yi Bang-gan and rebelled in what came to be known as the "Second Strife of Princes". Yi Bang-won successfully defeated his brother's forces, then executed Park Bo and exiled Yi Bang-gan. King Jeongjong, now fearful of his formidable younger brother, named Yi Bang-won his successor and abdicated in the same year. At long last, Yi Bang-won (posthumously King Taejong), assumed the throne of Joseon and became the dynasty's third monarch.

Consolidation of royal power
One of Taejong's first acts as king was to abolish the privilege to maintain private armies which was enjoyed by the aristocracy and the upper echelons of the government. His revoking of the right to keep independent forces effectively severed the upper class' ability to muster large-scale revolts, and drastically increased the number of soldiers employed by the national army.

Taejong's next act was to revise the existing legislation concerning land taxation. With the discovery of previously hidden land, national wealth increased twofold.

In addition, Taejong created a strong central government. In 1400, before taking the throne, he had played a key role in eradicating the Dopyeong Assembly, a branch of the old administration that had monopolized the executive power during the waning years of Goryeo, in favor of the Privy Council; during Taejong's reign, the Privy Council was replaced by the State Council. Taejong also issued a decree according to which all decisions passed by the State Council could only come into effect with the approval of the king. This ended the custom of court ministers making decisions through debate and negotiations among themselves, and thus brought the royal authority to new heights.

Shortly thereafter, Taejong installed a new department known as the Sinmun Office, to hear cases in which aggrieved subjects felt that they had been exploited or treated unjustly by officials or aristocrats.

Reforms and policies
Depite being the one responsible for Chŏng Mong-ju's assassination, Taejong posthumously honored him as Chief State Councillor, leading to a great irony — Jeong Do-jeon, whose policies governed Joseon for five centuries, was vilified throughout the dynasty, while Chŏng Mong-ju was revered in spite of his opposition to its founding.

Taejong promoted Confucianism as the state ideology, thus demoting Buddhism, which consequently never recovered the glory and great power it had enjoyed during the Goryeo period. He closed many Buddhist temples; their vast possessions were seized and added to the national treasury.

In foreign policy, he was a straight hardliner — he attacked the Jurchens at the northern border and the Japanese pirates on the southern coast. Taejong is also remembered for being the initiator behind the Ōei Invasion of Tsushima Island in 1419.

He set up the system of hopae, an early form of identification which consisted of tags recording the bearer's name and residence; those tags were used to control the movements of the population.

In 1403, Taejong ordered 100,000 pieces of metal type and two complete fonts. Predating Gutenberg and Laurens Janszoon by several decades, he accomplished the metal movable type.

He promoted press, commerce, and education, and also reformed the Sapyeongsunwibu, Joseon's early military and law enforcement agency, and separated the Uigeumbu as Joseon's law enforcement agency but without military functions.

Later life and death
In 1418, Taejong abdicated in favor of his third legitimate son, Yi Do (posthumously King Sejong, commonly known as Sejong the Great), but continued to rule with an iron fist and decide on important matters.

Along the years, as a means to strengthen royal authority and subdue corruption, he executed or exiled some of the supporters who helped him ascend to the throne; he also executed the four brothers of his wife Queen Wongyeong, as well as Sejong's father-in-law Shim On and his younger brother Shim Jeong, in order to limit the influence of in-laws and powerful clans.

King Taejong died four years after his abdication, on 10 May 1422, in Sugang Palace. He was buried alongside Queen Wongyeong at Heonneung, part of the Heonineung burial ground, in present-day Seocho District, Seoul, South Korea.

Legacy
Taejong remains a controversial figure in Korean history who eliminated many of his rivals (such as Chŏng Mong-ju and Jeong Do-jeon) and yet ruled effectively to improve the populace's lives, strengthen national defense, and lay down a solid foundation for his successor's reign.

Family
Consort(s) and their respective issue
 * Father: King Taejo of Joseon (11 October 1335 – 24 May 1408)
 * Grandfather: Yi Cha-chun, King Hwanjo of Joseon (1315 – 18 April 1360)
 * Grandmother: Queen Uihye of the Yeongheung Choe clan (1304 – ?)
 * Mother: Queen Sinui of the Cheongju Han clan (4 September 1337 – 23 September 1391)
 * Grandfather: Han Gyeong, Internal Prince Ancheon
 * Grandmother: Lady Shin of the Saknyeong Shin clan, Grand Madame of Samhan State
 * Queen Wongyeong of the Yeoheung Min clan (11 July 1365 – 10 July 1420)
 * Princess Jeongsun (1385 – 25 August 1460), first daughter
 * Princess Gyeongjeong (1387 – 6 June 1455), second daughter
 * First son
 * Second son
 * Third son
 * Princess Gyeongan (1393 – 22 April 1415), third daughter
 * Yi Je, Grand Prince Yangnyeong (1394 – 7 September 1462), first (fourth) son
 * Yi Bo, Grand Prince Hyoryeong (11 December 1395 – 11 May 1486), second (fifth) son
 * Yi Do, Grand Prince Chungnyeong (10 April 1397 – 17 February 1450), third (sixth) son
 * Princess Jeongseon (1404 – 25 January 1424), fourth (fifth) daughter
 * Yi Jong, Grand Prince Seongnyeong (9 July 1405 – 4 February 1418), sixth (eleventh) son
 * Eleventh (sixteenth) son (1412–1412)
 * Royal Noble Consort Myeong of the (old) Andong Kim clan (? – 1479)
 * Royal Noble Consort Ui of the Andong Kwon clan (1384 – ?)
 * Princess Jeonghye (? – 6 October 1424), fifth (sixth) daughter
 * Royal Noble Consort Hyo of the Cheongpung Kim clan (? – 26 February 1454)
 * Yi Bi, Prince Gyeongnyeong (13 December 1402 – 9 September 1458), fourth (ninth) son
 * Royal Noble Consort Shin of the Yeongwol Shin clan (1377 – 2 February 1435)
 * Yi In, Prince Hamnyeong (26 December 1402 – 30 September 1467), fifth (tenth) son
 * Yi Jeong, Prince Onnyeong (1407 – 12 May 1454), seventh (twelfth) son
 * Princess Jeongshin (? – 26 September 1452), sixth (seventh) daughter
 * Princess Jeongjeong (1410 – 28 February 1456), seventh (eighth) daughter
 * Princess Sukjeong, eighth (ninth) daughter
 * Princess Suknyeong, tenth (twelfth) daughter
 * Princess Soshin (? – 16 June 1437), eleventh (thirteenth) daughter
 * Princess Sosuk (? – 12 November 1456), thirteenth (fifteenth) daughter
 * Princess Sukgyeong (1420–1494), sixteenth (eighteenth) daughter
 * Royal Noble Consort Seon of the Sunheung Ahn clan (? – 17 June 1468)
 * Yi Ji, Prince Hyeryeong (1407 – 25 June 1440), eighth (thirteenth) son
 * Yi Chi, Prince Iknyeong (1422 – 10 July 1464), thirteenth (eighteenth) son
 * Princess Gyeongshin, twelfth (fourteenth) daughter
 * Princess Sukan (? – 12 May 1464), fourteenth (sixteenth) daughter
 * Royal Noble Consort So of the Jangyeon No clan (? – 23 October 1479)
 * Princess Sukhye (1413 – 19 July 1464), ninth (eleventh) daughter
 * Royal Noble Consort Jeong of the Go clan (? – 13 July 1426)
 * Yi Nong, Prince Geunnyeong (1411 – 15 November 1461), ninth (fourteenth) son
 * Royal Consort Sug-ui of the Choe clan
 * Yi Ta, Prince Huiryeong (1412 – 7 July 1465), tenth (fifteenth) son
 * Royal Consort Sug-ui of the Yi clan
 * Yi Gan, Prince Hunyeong (1419 – 6 October 1450), twelfth (seventeenth) son
 * Royal Princess Sukgong of the Cheongdo Gim clan
 * Royal Princess Uijeong of the Hanyang Jo clan (? – 1454)
 * Royal Princess Hyesun of the Goseong Yi clan (? – 5 March 1438)
 * Royal Princess Shinsun of the Seongju Yi clan (1390 – ?)
 * Princess Deoksuk of the Yi clan
 * Princess Hyeseon of the Hong clan
 * Princess Sunhye of the Andong Jang clan (? – 26 July 1423)
 * Princess Seogyeong
 * Concubine Gim
 * Princess Sukgeun (? – 1 August 1450), fifteenth (seventeenth) daughter
 * Lady Yi
 * Princess Suksun (1421 – c. 1481), seventeenth (nineteenth) daughter
 * Unknown
 * Fourth daughter (1400–1402)
 * Seventh son (1400–1401)
 * Eighth son (1402–1404)
 * Tenth daughter (1412–1414)

In popular culture

 * Im Hyuk-joo in the 1983 KBS1 TV series Foundation of the Kingdom.
 * Lee Jung-gil in the 1983 MBC TV series The King of Chudong Palace.
 * Yoo Dong-geun in the 1996–1998 KBS1 TV series Tears of the Dragon.
 * Kim Yeong-cheol in the 2008 KBS TV series The Great King, Sejong and the 2016 KBS1 TV series Jang Yeong-sil.
 * Baek Yoon-sik in the 2011 SBS TV series Deep Rooted Tree.
 * Choi Tae-joon in the 2012–2013 SBS TV series The Great Seer.
 * Park Yeong-gyu in the 2012 film I Am the King.
 * Ahn Jae-mo in the 2014 KBS1 TV series Jeong Do-jeon.
 * Ahn Nae-sang in the 2015 JTBC TV series More Than a Maid.
 * Jang Hyuk in the 2015 film Empire of Lust and the 2019 JTBC TV series My Country: The New Age.
 * Nam Da-reum and Yoo Ah-in in the 2015–2016 SBS TV series Six Flying Dragons.
 * Kam Woo-sung in the 2021 SBS TV series Joseon Exorcist.
 * Joo Sang-wook in the 2021–2022 KBS1 TV series The King of Tears, Lee Bang-won.