Prince Eunsin


Prince Eunsin was a royal family member of the Joseon dynasty. His name was Yi Jin, and he was by birth the fourth son of Crown Prince Sado and later the heir to Prince Yeonryeong, the younger half-brother of King Gyeongjong and Yeongjo.

Life

Prince Eunsin was the second illegitimate son of Crown Prince Sado, born from the Royal Noble Consort Suk of the Buan Im clan. He was the younger brother of Prince Euneon and half-brother of Crown Prince Uiso, King Jeongjo, and Prince Eunjeon. In 1762, when his father was executed by King Yeongjo for treason, he was left unprotected and in poverty. He and his brother, Prince Euneon, had to borrow money from merchants and Hong Bong-han, and overtime gained a substantial debt. On February 2, 1771, King Yeongjo sent him to exile in Daejeong town in Jeju Island. On March 29, 1771, he became sick from an epidemic and died in Jeju, at the age of 16.
Prince Eunsin married in 1769 to Lady Hong of the Nanyang Hong clan, daughter of an official Hong Dae-hyeon; they had no issue.

Aftermath

As of 1776, according to the will of King Yeongjo, King Jeongjo, the prince's eldest brother, posthumously appointed him to be the heir to Prince Yeonryeong, who was his great uncle. Whereas being the successor of Prince Yeonryeong, Prince Eunsin was not regarded as the adopted son of Prince Nakcheon, who used to be the heir to Prince Yeonryeong but the status was deprived during the reign of Jeongjo. On December 12, 1779, he was posthumously given the posthumous name "Somin" ; it was later changed to "Chungheon" on February 28, 1871.
During the reign of King Sunjo, Yi Chae-jung, a 5-great-grandson of King Injo, was appointed to be the adopted son in 1815; Yi Chae-jung was given a new name Yi Gu and received the title Prince Namyeon. Prince Namyeon was, through his fourth son Heungseon Daewongun, the biological grandfather of Emperor Gojong of Korea.