Queen Jeongsun


Queen Jeongsun or Queen Jung-Soon also known as Queen Dowager Yesun was a Queen consort of Korea as married to King Yeongjo, and the regent of Korea from 1800 to 1805 as the guardian of her minor step great-grandson, Sunjo of Joseon. She was a member of the Gyeongju Kim clan.

Biography

Born in the wealthy sector of Yeoju County, Gyeonggi Province during the reign of King Yeongjo, the future Queen Jeongsun was the daughter of Kim Han-gu and Lady Won.

Queen

After the death of Yeongjo's first Queen Consort in 1757, she became Queen in 1759. She made an impression of wisdom early in her marriage with her verbal talent.
Because of the death of Crown Prince Sado in 1762, a son of Queen Jeongsun would have belonged to the required generation for inheriting the throne after the death of Yeongjo. But Queen Jeongsun had no children, and the throne was transmitted to the son of Sado who reigned as King Jeongjo from 1777 to 1800.

Regency

Upon the death of King Jeongjo in 1800, the only son of Jeongjo was 10 years old. He ascended the throne as King Sunjo. The Regency was given to Queen Jeongsun since she was the senior-most by generation over anybody else in the Palace. She exerted the power until she voluntarily gave it up in 1804. She departed from the policy of the late King, enforcing the Catholic Persecution of 1801 and favoring the Noron Byeokpa faction.

Death

Queen Jeongsun was buried with her husband King Yeongjo in the dynastic tombs at Donggureung - in the royal tomb of Wonneung in the city of Guri.

Family