[K-Women Talk] The Virtuous Women Hidden Behind Social Pressure in Late Joseon Society

Princess Hwasun, Who Defied the King for Virtue
A Powerful Act of Self-Determination Over Wealth and Power

Joseon was a nation rooted in Confucianism. The Confucian spirit guided and governed its people, and the most respected figures were loyal subjects, filial children, and virtuous women. While those who devoted themselves to their country and cared for their parents served as stepping stones for a better society, the case of virtuous women was somewhat different.

In the early Joseon period, a virtuous woman was someone who fought tigers to protect her family or remained chaste even though she could remarry. However, after periods of war, the definition shifted to women who took their own lives to preserve their chastity or followed their deceased husbands in death. As a result, many women died by suicide under social pressure, and sometimes even murders were disguised as acts of virtue.

Princess Hwasun was the daughter of King Yeongjo and the elder sister of Crown Prince Sado. Her mother was Royal Noble Consort Jeongbin Lee, the woman King Yeongjo first loved. After enduring many hardships, Yeongjo ascended the throne following his brother King Gyeongjong, but during that time, his mother Jeongbin and his elder son Crown Prince Hyojang died under suspicious circumstances, leaving only Princess Hwasun as the survivor.

Later, Yeongjo favored another woman, and many younger siblings were born. When Princess Hwasun came of age, she married Kim Hanshin, Lord of Wolseong. Although the couple had no children, it is said they had a harmonious marriage. When her husband passed away first, Princess Hwasun resolved to follow him in death and refused to eat. Upon hearing this, King Yeongjo personally visited his daughter’s home and ordered her to eat. Unable to defy the king’s command, Princess Hwasun forced herself to eat, but immediately vomited. Witnessing this, Yeongjo realized her resolve could not be changed, and Princess Hwasun died thirteen days later.

The royal court sought to honor Princess Hwasun as a virtuous woman, but King Yeongjo angrily opposed the idea. He argued that, no matter how virtuous, a child who disobeyed a parent’s wishes and died first had committed an act of filial impiety. In fact, in the late Joseon period, it became common for fathers to plead with their widowed daughters, “Please, do not die.” No matter how important virtue was, parents valued their children even more. Ultimately, Princess Hwasun was recognized as a virtuous woman only during the reign of her nephew, King Jeongjo.

Why, then, did Princess Hwasun choose to end her own life? As the king’s daughter, she enjoyed noble status, wealth, and power. Although her husband’s death was tragic, she could have adopted a son and continued to visit the palace, receiving her father’s care and protection.

Perhaps, for Princess Hwasun, death was the most active choice she could make. In this way, she lived a life entirely opposite to that of her younger sister, Princess Hwahwan. Princess Hwahwan also lost her husband around the same time but adopted the ambitious Jeong Hugyeom as her son and fiercely competed for power with her nephew, King Jeongjo. Ultimately, she was defeated, her adopted son was executed, and she lost her title and everything else, being exiled. Even after her death, she was known only as “Jeongcheo,” the wife of Jeong, never regaining her status as a royal princess.

In contrast, Princess Hwasun, who chose death, was not entangled in such turmoil, and after her passing, a red gate symbolizing virtuous women was erected in her honor, preserving her legacy. While one might question the value of posthumous glory, the fate of her sister Princess Hwahwan shows that dying well could be as important as living well.

Though born a king’s daughter, she could not hold public office, had no right to choose her spouse, and was forbidden to remarry. For her, ending her own life and attaining the immortal title of a virtuous woman may have been the most powerful act of self-determination. While Princess Hwasun’s death may be difficult for modern people to understand, she was truly a strong woman for defying her father’s command as a daughter and the king’s order as a subject, choosing death on her own terms.

Lee Han, Historical Writer