# Grand Prince Yangnyeong

Grand Prince Yangnyeong (Korean: 양녕대군; Hanja: 讓寧大君; 1394 – 8 October 1462) was the former Crown Prince of the Korean Joseon Dynasty. He was the first son of King Taejong and his wife, Queen Wongyeong. Yangnyeong was the elder brother of Sejong the Great, and an ancestor of Syngman Rhee, an independence activist and the first President of South Korea.

## Biography

He was born as Yi Che (이제; 李禔) in 1394. Originally his father appointed him as crown prince but he eventually executed Queen Wongyeong's brothers and in the 18th year of his reign replaced Prince Yangnyeong with his third son Prince Chungnyeong as heir apparent. Known for his literature and calligraphy skills, the former crown prince lacked in the requisite skills for kingship and acted extremely rude in court. On May 1415, he caused a scandal when he had an affair with Chogungjang, the kisaeng of his uncle and former king, Jeongjong. Yangnyeong was unaware that Chogungjang was his uncle's woman. On 15 February 1417, Yangnyeong secretly brought in Eori, the concubine of Gwak Seon, into the palace. Angered, Taejong banished Yangnyeong from the royal palace to the residence of Yangnyeong's father-in-law, Kim Han-ro. However, Kim Han-ro arranged a rendezvous between Yangnyeong and Eori, and Eori bore the crown prince's child. For a while, Taejong did not fault Yangnyeong for his libertine proclivities but instead held his father-in-law, Kim Han-ro, accountable for Crown Prince Yangnyeong's improprieties.
The final event that sealed Yangnyeong's fate was a letter he wrote to Taejong, accusing Taejong of hypocrisy. Yangnyeong criticized his father for punishing him over his affair with Eori, while Taejong himself maintained ten concubines, in direct violation of the Confucian virtue of highest importance: filial piety. Due to Yangnyeong's continued lack of remorse, Taejong deposed Yangnyeong as crown prince on 3 June 1418. Sorrowful, Taejong asked two officials who had been sent to inform Yangnyeong of his deposition about Yangnyeong's reaction. They reported back to Taejong that Yangnyeong neither cried nor showed signs of sadness. Grand Prince Hyoryeong, Yangnyeong's second brother, had similar feelings about Chungyeong being king, and so he became a monk in a Buddhist temple. Yangnyeong was banished from the palace and relocated to Gwangju. Taejong initially considered to create two sons of Yangnyeong his new heir, but finally chose his own third son Grand Prince Chungnyeong, the later Sejong.
After Sejong became king, the relationship between the brothers strengthened, with Sejong often inviting Yangnyeong to the palace. During Sejo's reign, Yangnyeong enjoyed the status of the eldest royal family member, and Sejo often invited Yangnyeong to the palace for court revelries.
Yangnyeong died in 1462, the eighth year of Sejo's reign, at the age of 68.
The tomb of Prince Yangnyeong reopened in 2018 to the public after 18 years of closure.

## Family

* Father: King Taejong of Joseon (조선 태종; 13 June 1367 – 30 May 1422)
** Grandfather: King Taejo of Joseon (조선 태조; 27 October 1335 – 18 June 1408)
** Grandmother: Queen Shinui of the Anbyeon Han clan (신의왕후 한씨; 1337 – 21 October 1391)
* Mother: Queen Wongyeong of the Yeoheung Min clan (원경왕후 민씨; 29 July 1365 – 18 August 1420)
* Consorts and their respective issue:
* Princess Consort Suseong of the Gwangsan Kim clan (수성군부인 김씨) (1395 - 1456)
** Princess Jaeryeong (재령군주) or Princess Jeonui (전의현주; 1405 – 1444)
** Princess Yangcheon (영천군주; 1412 – 5 April 1502)
** Yi Gae, Prince Sunseong (이개 순성군; 1414 – 2 September 1462)
** Yi Po, Prince Hamyang (이포 함양군; 1416 – 21 June 1475)
** Yi Hye, Prince Seosan (이혜 서산군; 1422 – 10 April 1451)
** Princess Yeongpyeong (영평현주) (1424 - ?)
** Princess Yi of the Jeonju Yi clan (현주 이씨) (1426 - ?)
** Princess Yi of the Jeonju Yi clan (현주 이씨) (1432 - ?)
* Kisaeng Bong Ji-ryeon (기생 봉지련)
* Unknown concubine (1400 - ?)
** Yi Sim (이심) (1409 - ?)
** Lady Yi (1420 - ?)
** Yi Sun (이순) (1445 - 1509)
** Lady Yi (1445 - ?)
** Lady Yi (1447 - ?)
** Lady Yi (1449 - ?)
** Yi Sun (이순) (1445 - 1509)
** Yi Gwang-seok (이광석) (1449 - ?)
** Yi Gwang-geun (이광근) (1451 - ?)
* Kisaeng Eori (기생 어리) (1398 - ?)
** Princess Yi Ae-jung (현주 이애중) (1414 - ?)
* Kisaeng Cho Gung-jang (기생 초궁장) (1385 - ?)
* Kisaeng Jeonghyang (기생 정향)
* Kisaeng Chil Jeom-saeng (기생 칠점생)
* Unknown concubine (1410 - ?)
** Yi Gyeom (이겸) (1434 - ?)
** Yi Heun (이흔) (1438 - ?)
** Yi Seong (이성) (1439 - ?)
** Lady Yi (1440 - ?)
* Unknown slave (1435 - ?)
** Lady Yi
** Princess Yi Gu-ji (현주 이구지) (1457 - ?)
* Unknown concubine (1437 - ?)
** Lady Yi (1454 - ?)
** Lady Yi (1456 - ?)
** Lady Yi (1458 - 1509)
** Princess Yi Geon-yi (현주 이건이) (1460 - ?)
** Lady Yi (1465 - ?)

## Popular culture

* Portrayed by Song Ki-yoon in the 1983 MBC TV series The King of Chudong Palace.
* Portrayed by Lee Min-woo in the 1996–1998 KBS1 TV series Tears of the Dragon.
* Portrayed by Park Sang-min, Jung Chan-woo and Lee In in the 2008 KBS2 TV series King Sejong the Great.
* Portrayed by Park Woong in the 2011 JTBC TV series Insu, The Queen Mother.
* Portrayed by Baek Do-bin in the 2012 film I Am the King.
* Portrayed by Lee Byung-wook in the 2016 KBS1 TV series Jang Yeong-sil.
* Portrayed by Lee Tae-ri, Kim Joon-ui and Kim In-woo in the 2021-2022 KBS1 TV series The King of Tears, Lee Bang-won.