[K-Women Talk] Queen Sohye Han, Author of the Royal Women's Educational Book 'Naehun'

"The Rise and Fall of a Nation Depends on Women's Virtue"
Proficient in Classical Chinese, She Advocated for Women's Education
A Life of Turmoil Remembered as the Grandmother of Yeonsangun

Lee Han, historian and writer

Queen Sohye Han. Many people are more familiar with her other name, ‘Insudaebi’. Queen Sohye herself probably never imagined that she would be remembered as the grandmother of Yeonsangun. In fact, she lived a life full of unpredictable twists and turns.

Queen Sohye Han was the daughter of Han Hwak, a powerful figure in Joseon, and she was proficient in Classical Chinese, able to read and write freely. This was very unusual at a time when Classical Chinese education was strictly reserved for men and daughters were deliberately not taught to read or write. Queen Sohye was evidently very intelligent.

However, there was another reason behind this. Han Hwak’s older sister, Lady Han, was sent as a tribute woman (gongnyeo) to the Ming Dynasty in China and was favored by the Yongle Emperor. But after Yongle’s death, she was forcibly hanged and buried alive as a sacrificial victim. Despite this tragic fate, Han Hwak enjoyed immense power and even offered his younger sister as a tribute woman to Seondeokje, the grandson of the Yongle Emperor.

Thus, the elder sister was buried alive, and the younger sister was turned into a living corpse, yet Han Hwak’s family wielded tremendous power spanning both Ming China and Joseon. Was Queen Sohye Han’s literacy due to her intelligence, or was it gifted education in preparation for being sent as a tribute woman? The exact circumstances are unknown, but Han Hwak, who held overwhelming authority, established marital ties with the Joseon royal family. Queen Sohye married the eldest son of Prince Suyang (the future Crown Prince Uigyeong) and eventually became the Crown Princess.

However, her husband died young at the age of 20. At that time, rumors circulated that King Sejo had caused misfortune by killing his nephew, but regardless, Queen Sohye Han had to endure unhappiness without any fault of her own. She bore two sons, but Sejo chose his second son as heir instead of her young grandson, and Queen Sohye had to leave the palace with her children.

She might have become a tribute woman to Ming or possibly a queen of Joseon, but all those fates eluded Queen Sohye Han. Her subsequent life must have been very unstable and precarious. The lives of royal family members who did not become kings were extremely miserable. However, her brother-in-law, King Yejong, died just one year after ascending the throne, and the next king was Queen Sohye’s second son, Prince Jaseulsan, later King Seongjong. It is likely that the marriage between the powerful figure Han Myeonghoe’s daughter and Prince Jaseulsan played a significant role.

Thus, Queen Sohye returned to the palace after 12 years. Although her mother-in-law Queen Jeonghui acted as regent, she said, "I do not know how to read, but Subin (Queen Sohye) knows how to read and also understands reason," showing that Queen Sohye Han was capable and intelligent.

As the senior matriarch of the royal family, Queen Sohye wrote an educational book for women called ‘Naehun’. It was a compilation of classical texts selected for women, and she explained the reason for creating the book as follows: "The governance, security, and prosperity of a country depend on the wisdom or folly of men, but also on the virtue or vice of women. Therefore, women must be educated as well."

In those old times, women were regarded as inferior even to men. Queen Sohye Han and her aunts could not live freely. Yet Queen Sohye advocated education for women, probably because of her own life experiences. Although Queen Sohye’s final days were marred by her grandson’s impiety, her descendants became kings of the Joseon dynasty, and Naehun became a must-read book for royal women.

Lee Han, Historical Writer