[K-Women Talk] At That Time, Joseon Was Queen Jeongsun Kim's Country

Emancipation of Public Slaves During Her Regency
Her Achievements as a Female Ruler Deserve Recognition

Queen Jeongsun Kim, the second wife of King Yeongjo and grandmother of King Jeongjo, is often portrayed in historical dramas as a villain who plotted against Jeongjo or destroyed all his achievements after his death. However, her great accomplishment of emancipating over 60,000 public slaves is frequently forgotten.

In 1759, fifteen-year-old Queen Jeongsun Kim married the fifty-six-year-old King Yeongjo. Although she was queen, Yeongjo already had many concubines. Crown Prince Sado, who was next in line for the throne, was ten years older than Queen Jeongsun and already had a son. Therefore, Queen Jeongsun merely filled the vacant queen’s position without any expectations.

Three years later, the Imo Incident occurred, in which Crown Prince Sado was confined and died in a rice chest. Even then, Queen Jeongsun was queen but could not exert any influence. Being young and childless, her position was weak. After Yeongjo’s death, she became Grand Queen Dowager and opposed King Jeongjo, but their relationship was not as deadly as often imagined, despite Jeongjo exiling and causing the death of Queen Jeongsun’s brother, Kim Gwijoo.

For example, in 1790, Jeongjo secretly brought his half-brother, Eun Eon-gun, who had been exiled for treason, to play with him. The ministers opposed this, saying it was dangerous for the king to associate with a criminal, even if he was his brother. Jeongjo refused, saying "No." He even taunted them, saying that while he was in a warm ondol-heated room, they were outside in the cold and should endure it.

Upon hearing this, Queen Jeongsun said, "Looking at His Majesty’s furrowed brows these days, it seems he is about to cause trouble," and took the drastic step of personally leaving the palace. Eventually, Jeongjo sent Eun Eon-gun back. From this, Queen Jeongsun seems less like a political rival and more like an older sister disciplining a troublesome younger brother.

Their parting was truly sorrowful. Contrary to rumors of poisoning, Jeongjo suffered from illness for a long time before dying. When Queen Jeongsun came to nurse him, she wept loudly upon seeing the dying king. Her crying was stopped by the ministers’ shouts: "With the king dead, the crown prince (Sunjo) is young, and the elders of the country are only Queen Jeongsun and Lady Hyegyeong, so do not become emotional." No matter how sad she was, she could not fully express her grief.

After Jeongjo’s death, Grand Queen Dowager Jeongsun took charge of the young King Sunjo’s regency. On January 28, 1801, she declared the abolition of public slaves. "Our predecessors wished to abolish internal and temple slaves, so I shall carry on this intention and abolish them entirely from now on."

Who were these predecessors? Yeongjo? Jeongjo? Either way, Joseon was Queen Jeongsun’s country. Joseon was a society with a rigid class system. Slaves were at the lowest social rank, paying annual tributes and sometimes being separated from their families. To show benevolence to the people like a parent, she abolished public slaves, freeing 66,067 slaves. Slave documents were burned outside Donhwamun Gate.

Of course, Queen Jeongsun did not accomplish all this alone. Other kings, including Yeongjo, had taken measures to reduce the tributes of slaves. But it was only after Queen Jeongsun’s intervention that abolition was finally achieved. For this alone, her achievements deserve high praise. She was not merely filling a vacant position but faithfully fulfilling the duties entrusted to her as a female ruler.

Writer Lee Han

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.