[K-Women Talk] The Smile of Crown Princess Kang Who Saved Joseon Prisoners

Her Deeds Remembered by the People
Posthumously Exonerated and Honored During King Sukjong’s Reign

The recognition of Sohyeon Seja-bin Kang, also known as Minhwoebin Kang, has not been around for very long. Decades ago, Sohyeon Seja was seen as a foolish person who was beaten to death by his father, King Injo, for coveting an expensive inkstone while the people suffered, and King Hyojong was regarded as a great monarch who advocated for a northern expedition to restore the nation's honor. In this narrative, there was no place for Minhwoebin Kang. However, through extensive research, the story of Minhwoebin Kang, who died unjustly and was sadly forgotten, has come to light.

Minhwoebin Kang was the daughter of Kang Seok-gi and married Sohyeon Seja at the age of 17, becoming the Crown Princess. Although this position was among the most honorable for women in the country, the Manchu invasion (Byeongjahoran) occurred, and Joseon was forced into a humiliating surrender to the Later Jin. Many people died or were taken captive. Kang was no exception. Although she was the Crown Princess, the Later Jin took Sohyeon Seja hostage and brought Kang along to their capital, Shenyang.

Being royalty might have made her situation somewhat better than others, but it likely caused her more suffering. Those dragged away as slaves were originally Joseon subjects, and their sorrow and anger would have been fully directed at the royal family. Additionally, Later Jin generals demanded that the Crown Princess leave her palanquin to ride a horse or pay respects to them personally.

However, the hardest part was simply surviving. Neither the Later Jin nor Joseon provided sufficient living expenses. While Kang’s activities were not recorded in detail compared to Sohyeon Seja, it is said that many people gathered like at a market in the Shenyang residence where the Crown Prince stayed. She raised funds by selling Joseon specialties and bought hundreds of enslaved Joseon people to work the fields. Thus, Kang likely played a crucial role in covering the living expenses of Sohyeon Seja, the redemption costs for the enslaved Joseon people, and the gift expenses required by Later Jin officials and merchants, as well as participating in Later Jin royal events and observing the campaign against the Ming dynasty.

In fact, it was common for yangban women to manage farms, oversee workers, and handle household finances, and the queen and Crown Princess were responsible for managing the royal household. Yet, in the harsh environment of a foreign land, Kang’s efforts to find the best path and save as many people as possible were undoubtedly her merit.

However, the day when her hard work was rewarded never came. After returning to Joseon eight years later, her husband Sohyeon Seja suddenly passed away, and Kang was accused of cursing So-yong Jo, who was favored by King Injo. Eventually, she was even charged with attempting to poison Injo. Even the ministers opposed these baseless accusations, but it was to no avail. Injo ordered Kang to be given poison, killed her family in her natal home, and exiled her young sons to Jeju Island.

Yet, on the day Kang left the palace, riding in a black palanquin toward death, countless people gathered and mourned. Even though the king branded her a traitor, the people remembered the Crown Princess who endured hardships in a distant land and saved the people. Although Injo and the next king, Hyojong, called her "Yeokgang" (traitor Kang), the people remembered and sympathized with her.

It was only during King Sukjong’s reign that Kang was posthumously reinstated and honored as Minhwoebin, and her memorial tablet was enshrined beside Sohyeon Seja. Though she died in sorrow due to false accusations, if her spirit remains, she might be smiling now, looking upon the descendants of the countless people she saved.

Lee Han, Novelist