Jeongye Daewongun or Grand Internal Prince Jeongye was a royal family member of the Korean Joseon dynasty. He was the biological father of King Cheoljong of Joseon also King Cheoljong was his third illegitimate son, also he was illegitimate son of his fathers. His real name was Yi Kwang, his Chinese name was Changgang, first real name was Kwae-deuk, Hae-dong.
Life
On March 21, 1785, he was born in Ganghwa-do. His birth name was Kwae-deuk; later it changed from Kwae-deuk to Haedong; after some years his name changed again from Haedong to Gwang. He was an illegitimate son of Prince Euneon by his concubine Lady Lee of Jeonsan. His father Prince Euneon was an illegitimate son of Crown Prince Sado; Sado himself was an illegitimate son of the 21st King Yeongjo of Joseon. This made Jeongye the half-nephew of the 22nd King Jeongjo of Joseon; but during his life he did not receive treatment as a member of the royal family. Also he was one bastard of royal family and he was implication to his elder half-brother Prince Sanggye, Prince Sanggye was have Crown prince affairs by Hong Guk-yeong. He was one of several illegitimate sons of Prince Euneon, and the second of two sons of his mother Lady Lee of Jeonsan. The first son of Lady Lee of Jeonsan had an early death. In 1801, his father Prince Euneon was executed as a prisoner of implication of wife Lady Song of Sangsan and his daughter-in-law Lady Sin of Sanggye. Lady Song of Sangsan and Lady Sin of Sanggye had been baptized into the Roman Catholic church. The Joseon dynasty's state religion was Neo-Confucianism, so Lady Song of Sangsan and Lady Sin of Sanggye were executed and his father Prince Euneon was implicated and executed. In 1801 son of Prince Euneon and some illegitimate son of Prince Euneon were deported to Ganghwa-do, also he was deported to Ganghwa-do, the name of crime is implication of apostate. after he was lifetime was poor farmers. This time, his second eldest brother had a terrible fever and nobody helped him, but he alone helped to his second eldest brothers. In February 1812, Lee Chin-chae and Chung Wu-moon, Park Chong-il, Han Kwang-wu was attempt coup d'état and failure. On February 21 there were arrests for Uigeumbu. Uigeumbu was interrogated for them, there was selected king to one son of Prince Euneon. Lee Chin-chae, Chung Wu-moon, Park Chong-il, Han Kwang-wu and some rebel rebellion was choose to son of Prince Euneon is unknown. but high government official of Joseon dynastys demands was childs of Prince Euneon was all punishment according to law, but King Sunjo of Joseon was refusal and answers. this time, Prince Jeongye and his half-brother Yi Seong-deuk, other half-brother Yi Dang and other his some half-brothers was avoid danger of execution and have a near-death experience. In 1822, specially unprison for King Sunjo. A family of Prince Jeongye and family of Jeongye's was despised to some newly appointed County-governor of Ganghwa and some newly appointed government official of Ganghwa County. In 1831 there was a release of some prisoners, also his family also released by special order of King Sunjo, his half-cousins. He went to Gyeonghaeng-borough in Hanseong. On November 2, 1841, he died at his home Gyeonghaeng-borough in Hanseong at age 56; the cause of death was unknown.
After death
In August 1841, Min Jin-yong, Lee Won-deok was plot a coup d'état and crown as king to Yi Won-gyeong, primogeniture and legitimate of Jeongye Daewongun. Yi Won-gyeong was the second cousin of King Heonjong of Joseon and great-great grandson of 21st King Yeongjo of Joseon, but Min Jin-yong, Lee Won-deok was plot a coup d'état was detected and there was executions. So his first son Yi Won-gyeong was executed. His only boode and sole survivors were two illegitimate sons, Yi Kyung-eung and Yi Won-beom, who were deported to Ganghwa-do. In 1849, his third illegitimate son Won-beom became King of the Joseon dynasty. The title Daewongun was posthumously conferred on Prince Jeongye, making his full name Jeongye Daewongun. King Cheoljong was born of a concubine Grand Lady Yeom of Yongsung. His burial and first grave was at Jingwan, Eunpyeong-gu in Seoul, Point 30° degrees northwest of his father Prince Euneon's graves. Later his grave was moved to Yeoju. After August 1851, his grave was moved again to Seondan-ri, Pocheon-eup in county Pocheon, near Wangbang Mountain.
