[K-Women Talk]Princess Gyeonghye, A Life Harder Than Death

Princess Gyeonghye was born in 1436 as the eldest legitimate daughter of King Munjong. When she was five years old, her younger brother, Crown Prince Danjong, was born, and she suffered the sorrow of losing her mother, Queen Hyeondeok, almost at once. Even so, she grew up surrounded by the deep affection of her father, King Munjong. In 1450, Princess Gyeonghye married Jeong Jong, the Lord of Yeongyangwi. King Munjong cherished his daughter so much that he even defied his officials' opposition to build her a large and splendid residence.

However, when King Munjong passed away and the young Danjong ascended the throne, the tragedy began. Grand Prince Suyang, under the pretext of eliminating treacherous courtiers around the king, staged the Gyeyu Coup, killing countless people and seizing power. He then set his sights even further. In the end, Princess Gyeonghye's husband, Jeong Jong, was exiled to Gwangju in Jeolla Province on the grounds that he was Danjong's closest confidant. Princess Gyeonghye followed him into exile, lived with her husband, and gave birth to their son Jeong Misu and a daughter, preserving their bond as husband and wife.

The raging storm of the times swallowed up this family's happiness. Grand Prince Suyang took the throne from Danjong, demoted him to Prince Nosan, sent him to Yeongwol, and had him killed. Jeong Jong, branded a traitor, was executed by a gruesome punishment that tore his body apart. Princess Gyeonghye was stripped of everything and reduced to the status of a slave. According to unofficial historical accounts, even after becoming a slave, Princess Gyeonghye cried out, "I am the king's daughter," and resisted the unjust demands of the local authorities.

This was not all that the princess lost. Her mother, Queen Hyeondeok of the Gwon clan, was posthumously stripped of her title and reduced to a commoner, and her tomb was dug up. In the midst of such a world-upending catastrophe, what kept Princess Gyeonghye alive were her two children. At one time, she became a Buddhist nun and withdrew from the secular world, but four years later she returned to the world of King Sejo. It was to protect her children. Princess Gyeonghye sent Jeong Misu to Queen Jeonghui, the consort of King Sejo, likely because their extreme poverty played a part, and also because she knew it was the only way to save her child's life. Fortunately, Queen Jeonghui took pity on her nephew's plight, brought Jeong Misu into the palace, and raised him there, and thanks to this, King Sejo was lenient toward Jeong Misu. King Sejo returned clothing, farmland, and the properties that had been confiscated to Princess Gyeonghye.

Yet perhaps the long years of sorrow had turned into illness in her body, for in 1473 the princess died at the young age of 36. In the property distribution document (a deed of inheritance) that Princess Gyeonghye left three days before her death, there is contained the heartrending heart of a mother who, struck by sudden illness, closes her eyes without being able to see her son's marriage. The red seal clearly stamped at the end of the document, reading "Seal of Princess Gyeonghye (Gyeonghye Gongju In)," shows that, although she had once fallen to the status of a slave, she never let go of her position as a princess of Joseon until the very end.

Even so, Princess Gyeonghye lived on in the era of King Sejo. She received his stipends and lived under the benefits he bestowed. The sense of humiliation at having to bow her head to the man who had slaughtered her family so cruelly and insulted her must have been something she herself felt more acutely than anyone else. Yet Princess Gyeonghye chose life instead of death. It was the best way to protect her surviving family, her children.

However, Jeong Misu left no children, and although her daughter, Lady Jeong of Haeju, married, the absence of detailed records suggests that she too left no heirs. Even so, the very existence of Princess Gyeonghye and her children was a symbol of the crimes committed by King Sejo and his powerful retainers. When one stands at a crossroads in history, should one live, or should one die? It may not be clear which choice is more noble or better upholds integrity, but Princess Gyeonghye undoubtedly chose a life that was harder than death. The red seal that Princess Gyeonghye left behind still bears witness to the resilient life force of a woman who overcame humiliation and went on living.

Lee Han, historical writer