Myeongjong of Joseon

13th king of Joseon from 1545 to 1567

Myeongjong (hangul=명종; 13 July 1534 – 12 August 1567), personal name Yi Hwan (hangul=이환), was the 13th monarch of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. He was the second son of King Jungjong, born to Queen Munjeong. He ascended to the throne in 1545 at the age of 12 following the death of his elder half brother, King Injong. Since he was too young to govern, his mother became regent.

There were two political factions at the time Myeongjong came to power; Greater Yun, headed by Yun Im, Injong's maternal uncle, and Lesser Yun, headed by Myeongjong's maternal uncles, Yun Won hyeong and Yun Wonro. (Yun Im and Yun Brothers were close relatives by that period's standards Yun Im was a third cousin once removed of Yun Brothers.) Greater Yun took power in 1544, when Injong succeeded Jungjong; but they failed to wipe out their opposition, since Queen Munjeong protected the Lesser Yun faction and other opposition officials. After the death of Injong in 1545, Lesser Yun replaced Greater Yun as the majority in the royal court and brutally ousted their adversaries in the Fourth Literati Purge of 1545. Yun Im was executed, as were many of his followers.

The Lesser Yun faction continued to attack their opposition. In 1546, Yun Won hyeong impeached his older brother, Yun Won ro, who was executed a few days later along with his followers. Facing no opposition from the government, Yun Won hyeong became Minister of Personnel 이조판서 in 1548, Left State Councilor in 1551 and ultimately Chief State Councilor 영의정 in 1563. Despite Yun Won hyeong's violent rule, Queen Munjeong was an effective administrator, distributing to the common people land formerly owned by the nobility. However, she held on to rule even after the king reached his majority at the age of 20.

After the death of Queen Munjeong in 1565, the king decided to rule the kingdom by himself and had his uncle, Yun Won hyeong, put to death, along with his second wife Jeong Nan jeong, who also rose to power due to her close friendship and being the second sister in law to Queen Munjeong. Yun Won hyeong allowed corruption to flourish in the government. And while the kingdom was unstable, Jurchens, Japanese, and rebellious troops rampaged at will and threatened the government itself. Rebel leader Im Kkeok jeong was arrested and executed in 1552, but outside invasion continued; the Joseon Dynasty had to re mobilize its army and navy along to protect its borders.

Myeongjong tried to reform the government after taking power into his own hands by recalling and reinstating Sarim scholars who were exiled in the purge, but died only two years later without any male issue. Yi Gyun, Prince Haseong (later known as Yi Yeon, Seonjo of Joseon), his half nephew from his older half brother Grand Internal Prince Deokheung, was adopted by his wife, the now Queen Dowager Uiseong, to succeed the throne in 1567.

Portrayed by Seo Dong hyun in the 2013 KBS2 TV series The Fugitive of Joseon. Portrayed by Lee David in the 2016 JTBC TV series Mirror of the Witch. Portrayed by Seo Ha joon in the 2016 MBC TV series The Flower in Prison.