The Ups and Downs Of Korean Princesses’s Life Throughout History!
In this article we will share to you the ups and downs of south korean princesses’s life throughout all of korean history. While some of us might think that royal family life would be easy and awesome, truth of the matter is it’s not as simple as we ought to think it is. It’s complicated and sometimes depressing to be a royal family. Let’s dive right to each one of these princesses’s life.
Princess Pyeonggang
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Princess Pyeonggang was one of the great princess living in Goguryeo kingdom era. She was known as “The Weeping Princess”, because she often weep since she was young, according to the History of the Three Kingdom (Tale of Ondal in Samguksagi). So the king often teased her that he would marry her off to Ondal the fool, which became true when she grew up.
When she turned 16, the king wanted to marry her to the son of a nobleman named Go in Sang, but she refused, saying that since the king had always said she was going marry Ondal, she would do so. Even though Pyeongwon said that those just a jokes, she thought that the king should never break his word.
She ended up go to Ondal’s house and convince Ondal and his mother that she will marry him. She take care of her blind mother in law and taught martial arts to Ondal that cause him to became a great general of Goguryeo. Korean dramas River when The Moon Rises (2021) depicted the love story between Princess Pyeonggang and General Ondal during Goguryeo era.
Lady Sobi
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Lady Sobi was the daughter of King Seong, the princess of Baekje Kingdom. King Seong marry her with King Jinheung from Silla Kingdom as soon as Silla Kingdom taken the areas below Han River from Baekje Kingdom.
She ended up became the Queen of Silla Kingdom after married King Jinheung in October 553. However, their marriage didn’t stop the war between Baekje and Silla Kingdom. One year after they got married, she lost both her father and her husband due to the battle over Gwansanseong Fortress between Baekje and Silla.
Princess Seonhwa
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Princess Seonhwa is the famous protagonist princess during Three Kingdom’s history. Princess Seonhwa was the third daughter of King Jinpyeong of Silla Kingdom and have a really beautiful appearance.
Prince Seodong of Baekje fell in love with her and later on make a strategy to get her by making childrens sing a nursery rhyme which made by himself while provided Korean yams for them in reward for good performance of it.
The children’s song is called Seo Dong Yo (서동요), which tells a secret love story of a Princess Seonhwa sneaking out to get together with Seodong every night.
Not long after the King’s heard that song, Princess Seonhwa was kicked out of the palace and met Prince Seodong just as was planned. Later on, Prince Seodong ascended to the throne of Baekje and became King Mu of Baekje. Together they build Mireuksa temple site stone pagoda in Iksan which became Korea’s National Treasure No.11, the largest and the oldest stone pagoda in korea.
Princess Deokman
Princess Deokman is actually much well known as Queen Seondeok, Silla’s first queen. She ascended to the throne after King Jinpyeong, her father died without having any son to continue his throne. She was the one build the wooden pagoda at Hwangnyeongsa temple and Cheomseongdae, the oldest astronomical observatory in the world.
She also known for her generosity to the her people, she once announced a whole year of tax exemption for the peasants and reduced the tax for the middle class. Her generosity won people’s heart that makes her position strong in Silla’s kingdom against male aristocracy. Later on in her life, she was sick with an unspecified sickness that cause her death.
Hwangbo Yeowon
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Hwangbo Yeowon is a princess of Goryeo, she was called a “beautiful dokcho” (poisonous plant), as she was known for her beautiful appearance, wisdom and her extraordinary ambitions.
She only thinks about protecting the dynasty and the royal family, to the point that she wishes to be born as a prince so that she can be a king.
In order to gain the throne, she married her own half-brother, Wang So. She actually don’t really wish to be the Queen, but she wants to make her brother the next king.
Princess Supreme Noguk
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Princess Supreme Noguk is well known for her love story with king Gongmin. She is a really faithful women, eventhough she was from Yuan Dynasty and King Gongmin from Goryeo, she always protected the king until the end of her life. Unfortunately, she died after giving birth to a baby.
King Gongmin fell into a great despair after her death and gave the authority to the national preceptor Sin Don and later on he was murdered.
The love between King Gongmin and Queen Noguk can still be seen today over 700 years later. The Twin Royal Tomb is the only tomb holding a married couple in the royal tombs of Goryeo.
Princess Uisun
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Princess Uisun is one of the bad luck princess during korea history. Earlier in her life, she was sent to Qing Dynasty due to pressure from the prince of the Qing dynasty. However, after Byeongjahoran (Qing Invasion of Joseon in 1636), she was able to return to her hometown and so she was called “hwanhyangnyeo” which means the women who returned. Eventhough she was able to get back to her hometown, people looked down on her as a women who had lost her virtue.
Princess Sookmyung
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Princess Sookmyung is famous as a cat lover Joseon Princess. The letters that she exchanged with her family’s, Sookmyung Shinhanchup, are designated as Treasure No.1947. From the letters we learn how she really love cats and her family even nagged her to focus on her marriage and relationship life rather than cats.
Princess Deokon
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Princess Deokon is the last princess of Joseon known for her love for study and reading books. Later on, she married Yun Eui seon and adopted Yoon Yong gu. However, Princess Deokon died at really young age of 21 years old, exactly 7 years after her marriage. Some said that she lost her life after giving birth to her daughter, who also died soon after her death.
Princess Deokhye
While Princess Deokon was the last princess of Joseon Dynasty, Princess Deokhye was the last princess of Korean Empire. She was the youngest and the loveliest daughter of King Gojong and his concubine. However, she got mental health problem after being forced to study to Japan and her mother’s death.
She was forced to marry with a Japanese nobleman Takeyuki eventhough she wasn’t mentally healthy and got a daughter named Masae. Masae got stressed out by people pressure because of her dual bloodline Korea and Japan, and choose to end her life later on. After World War II ended, Japanese nobleman lost all of their power and wealth, including her husband Takeyuki which later on divorced her due to hardship.
After 38 years, She was brought back to Korea by the help of Kim Eul Han and passed away in 1989 at Changdeokgung Palace.
Korean Princesses's Throughout Korean History
How do you think about Royal family? Do you want to be one of the royal family? Which life story you think is the best princess life story? Let us know in the comment sections below!
