Crown Prince Hyomyeong


Crown Prince Hyomyeong, born Yi Yeong, or Lee Yeong, and posthumously called King Munjo, was a prince of the Joseon Dynasty.

Life and death

The prince was the eldest son of King Sunjo, husband of Queen Sinjeong and father of King Heonjong.
In 1817, the prince was admitted to the Sungkyunkwan. In 1819, he was titled Crown Prince of Joseon. A genius in literature and the arts, he created several court dances and used court ritual and the arts to validate and augment the King's control over the government.
Hyomyeong first became active in politics when he was only 18, due to his father being ill.
Known to have pursued various political reforms, the prince served as Regent in 1827 until his death 3 years later at age 20.
He did have some enemies amongst his maternal relatives, but avoided nepotism and was a talented writer, composer and choreographer.

Legacy

The prince was commemorated in an album of six scenes created to celebrate the commencement of his learning at the Songgyungwan, one of a number of documentary paintings of the Joseon dynasty.
Among 53 Joseon jeongjaes or court dances which remain, 26 are his works. His "Chunaengjeon" is the best known and most beloved traditional court dance for its gentle and poetic movements. He was one of the most important people in Korean Court ritual history, along with King Sejong.

Ancestry

  1. Queen Sinjeong of the Pungyang Jo clan
  2. #King Heonjong of Joseon

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