29 Facts About Queen Munjeong

Queen Munjeong, of the Papyeong Yun clan, was a posthumous name bestowed to the third wife and queen consort of Yi Yeok, King Jungjong.

Queen Munjeong was queen consort of Joseon from 1517 until her husband's death in 1544, after which she was honoured as Queen Dowager Seongryeol during the reign of her step-son, Yi Ho, King Injong.

Queen Munjeong was honored as Grand Queen Dowager Seongryeol during the reign of her son, Yi Hwan, King Myeongjong.

Queen Munjeong acted as regent during the minority of her son between 1545 and 1553 when she stepped down from the position formally but retained enough power to become the de-facto ruler of the Joseon Empire for nearly 20 years She was an effective administrator and the most influential supporter of Buddhism during the early Joseon dynasty.

Queen Munjeong gave out the land to the common people that had been formerly owned by the nobility.

Queen Munjeong's mother was member of the Jeonui Lee clan.

Queen Munjeong was a 12th great-granddaughter of Yun Kwan, a Goryeo Dynasty general.

Queen Munjeong was a 5th cousin once removed of Queen Janggyeong, the second spouse of her future husband.

At the age of 11, Queen Munjeong had to cope with the death of her mother and took on the task of caring for her younger siblings.

Queen Munjeong was considered a pretty and thoughtful girl in her youth.

Queen Munjeong's reign was marked by a tumultuous struggle among various conservative factions, each of them backed by one of the King's consorts.

Queen Munjeong was now the most influential elder in the Palace by official rank and seemed confident that she could protect herself.

Jungjong on the other hand had seemingly grown concerned with Kim Allo's political influence as the Queen Munjeong had made it seem that the high ranking officials were loyal to him and not the King of the country.

Kim Allo had more than once influenced a series of discreet political decisions and kept some affairs secret from the King, the Queen Munjeong triumphed in creating an irreparable rift between her husband and Kim.

Additionally, none had appeared to foresee the possibility that the Queen Munjeong would be a more reliable protector, since to them, she was no different from a naive woman.

The Annals of the Joseon Dynasty tells the story of the Queen Munjeong who threatened the Crown Prince to not to kill her brothers and her own son.

Queen Munjeong's hostility was not only because her ambition, but from Yun Im's and late Kim Allo's manipulation to get rid of the Queen.

The Queen Munjeong had consequently become a calculative woman who was perceptive of State affairs and acted with great caution in all matters.

The Queen Munjeong's insecurity peaked as she started to strengthen her own power by arranging the Royal marriages of her daughters that she started to become actively involved in politics of the country; influencing her husband's decision to raise her brothers' positions and appoint officials from her clan.

Queen Munjeong pressured Injong's Queen Consort to stand up to her legal mother in law and Seongryeol expressed her intense dissatisfaction in many aspects, but Injong either ignored her formal beseech or postponed matters regarding to her well being.

Queen Munjeong punished those who spoke up against Yun Im hoping to pacify him in exchange for Queen Dowager Seongryeol's life while the Queen Dowager couldn't directly confront Yun Im who was exercising immense power at the time.

Yun Won-ro, who was more sympathetic to the Sarim faction, censured his brother whose actions he believed had gone too far that the Queen Munjeong Mother allied herself with Yun Won-hyeong, and had him impeached and finally executed a few days later along with his followers in 1546 in return.

The blood shed by Queen Munjeong's brother resulted into Myeongjong's political influence being curtailed as Grand Queen Dowager Seongryeol centralized all political, social and economic power to herself.

Queen Munjeong was the final Court of Appeal, arbitrator of bureaucratic disputes, High governess of the Royal Court and Supreme Head of the Royal House.

Queen Munjeong continued distributing to the common people land formerly owned by the nobility and astonishingly, she was the most influential supporter of Buddhism during the early dynasty.

Queen Munjeong commissioned 400 Buddhist artworks and the aim of the commission was to commemorate the opening of Hoeam Temple.

Queen Munjeong revived an official system of training and selecting monks in both the Seon and Gyo sects of Korean Buddhism.

Queen Munjeong had wanted to be buried at Jeongneung along with her husband, but the land around Jeongneung was low and prone to flooding and she was buried instead in the Taeneung Royal Tomb.

Queen Munjeong was exiled from the capital and unable to make a political comeback, he and his second wife, Jeong Nan-jeong, committed suicide by poison as Myeongjong readmitted the Sarim into the Royal Court.