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Jungjong of Joseon

Type Figure Region Korean Peninsula Time 1488–1544 Also known as Jungjong

Jungjong of Joseon, Yi Yeok (1488–1544), eleventh monarch of the Joseon dynasty, ascended the throne in 1506 after the literati-faction coup that dep…

Timeline

  1. 1511–1515Hanseong · Joseon dynastyAfter acceding, Jungjong gradually appointed sarim officials, tidied up administration, curbed the power of meritorious kin, and supported the printing of Confucian classics such as the Complete Works of Zhu Xi, seeking to consolidate royal authority through statecraft learning.
  2. 1515–1519Hanseong · Joseon dynastyAs sarim leaders like Cho Kwangjo grew in power, the meritorious kin and old-guard officials struck back; Jungjong wavered between reform and stability, and court factional strife intensified, laying the groundwork for subsequent sahwa purges.
  3. 1519–1520Hanseong · Joseon dynastyIn 1519 the sarim were impeached over the 'saengmyeonjin' frame-up case, and the Gyeongja sahwa erupted in 1520; Jungjong finally approved the execution of sarim leaders including Cho Kwangjo, dealing a devastating blow to the reformists and restoring royal power to the conservative meritorious-kin order.

Sources