[K-Women Talk] The Cinderella Who Became a Buddhist Nun

The Story of Lady Kim, Royal Consort Shinbin of King Sejong

Han Lee, historian and writer

People love the story of 'Cinderella.' It is because it tells of a journey from the lowest position to the highest. At first, she was treated with such contempt that she was called a child covered in ash. By chance, she attends a ball, meets the prince, falls in love, and eventually gets married to live happily ever after.

Among the many women of the Joseon Dynasty, some might choose Jang Huibin as the figure closest to Cinderella. However, Jang Huibin ultimately fell from grace and was sentenced to death by poison, so her story does not have a truly happy ending. In that sense, perhaps the person who fits the role of Cinderella best is Lady Shinbin Kim.

Originally, Lady Shinbin Kim was said to have been of slave status. However, Queen Wongyeong Min brought Kim into the palace as a court lady and sent her to serve her daughter-in-law, Queen Soheon. Kim became Queen Soheon's jimilnain, which essentially meant she was the queen's secretary. As the head of the Naemyeongbu (the palace women's quarters), the queen had many duties. She had to manage the vast household of the palace, oversee numerous royal family members and relatives, give birth to and raise children, and maintain constant communication with everyone. Unlike the Oemyeongbu, whose members could resign or retire, the Naemyeongbu required service for life unless one died, making the two women more than just superior and subordinate—they were colleagues, regardless of their social status.

Lady Shinbin Kim received King Sejong's deep favor and became his concubine, giving birth to eight children. Queen Soheon, as a human being, could hardly have felt comfortable sharing her husband with another woman. However, rather than being bound by jealousy, the bond between Queen Soheon and Lady Shinbin Kim seemed to be one of camaraderie, or perhaps even stronger—friendship. Queen Soheon entrusted the upbringing of her youngest son, Prince Yeongeung, to Lady Shinbin Kim. It would be difficult to find another example in Joseon history of such a close relationship between a queen and a royal concubine.

Yet sorrow also found its way to Lady Shinbin Kim. Both of her daughters died at a young age, before they were even able to receive the title of princess. Then, Queen Soheon and King Sejong both passed away in succession. To make matters worse, Lady Shinbin Kim's youngest son, Prince Damyang, died prematurely at the age of twelve. Lady Shinbin Kim lived to witness the death of her beloved youngest son and, overcome with grief, sought to create a Buddhist scripture to pray for his soul. Even though King Munjong faced criticism for using the national treasury for Buddhism, he nevertheless assisted Lady Shinbin Kim.

In the end, however, Lady Shinbin Kim cut her hair, became a Buddhist nun, and left the secular world. Later, the king (King Danjong) ordered her to return to secular life, but she refused until the end. While Lady Shinbin Kim may have wished to live quietly, praying for the souls of King Sejong and Queen Soheon, her sons who remained in the world were swept up in the political turmoil that followed. Lady Shinbin Kim's first son, Prince Geyang; her second, Prince Uichang; and her fourth, Prince Ikhyeon, all died before their mother in their thirties. It is said that excessive drinking led to their illnesses and early deaths.

Their half-brother, King Sejo, claimed that their drinking habits were the fault of the eldest, Prince Geyang, but was that really the case? Lady Shinbin Kim's sons, who were half-brothers to Prince Anpyeong and Prince Geumseong, saw these siblings exiled or killed one after another. This was due to the Gyeyujeongnan coup and the movement to restore King Danjong. Lady Shinbin Kim’s children survived and enjoyed power by siding with King Sejo, but perhaps their emotional wounds were too deep, driving them to drink. After losing her four sons, Lady Shinbin Kim passed away in 1464. She lived diligently, was recognized for it, received the king's affection, and enjoyed happiness to the fullest, but the turbulent era never allowed her peace. Though her story began like Cinderella's, it did not end as a fairy tale.

Han Lee, historian and writer

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