Deposed Crown Princess Bong

In this Korean name, the family name is Bong.

Deposed Crown Princess Bong
Crown Princess of Joseon
Tenure	20 November 1429 – 13 December 1436
Predecessor	Crown Princess Kim
Successor	Crown Princess Gwon
Born	after 1410 Joseon
Died	after 1436 Joseon
Spouse	Crown Prince Hyang (later King Munjong) ​ ​ (m. 1429; dep. 1436)​
Clan	Haeum Bong (by birth) Jeonju Yi (by marriage)
Dynasty	Yi
Father	Bong Ryeo
Korean name
Hangul	폐빈 봉씨
Hanja	廢嬪 奉氏
RR	Pyebin Bongssi
MR	P'yebin Pongssi

Deposed Crown Princess Bong (Korean: 폐빈 봉씨; Hanja: 廢嬪 奉氏), of the Haeum Bong clan, also known as Crown Princess Sun, was the second wife of Crown Prince Hyang (King Munjong), later the fifth monarch of Joseon. She was demoted to commoner status and banished from the palace following the discovery of her homosexual affair with one of her maids.

Biography

Early life

Lady Kim was most likely born during the reign of King Taejong, but the exact date and year of birth are unknown. Her father was Bong Ryeo, who served as vice minister of personnel (이조 참판), and she had at least two younger brothers.

Her niece married Prince Buwon (부원군), a great-grandson of King Taejong through the legitimate second son of Grand Prince Yangnyeong.

Her first cousin, Bong Yeo-hae (봉여해), who married the youngest sister of Park Paeng-nyeon, was later executed for participating in the six martyred ministers' plot to restore King Danjong.

One of her great-great-grandfathers was a brother of Empress Gi and Gi Cheol.

Life in the palace

Lady Bong was invested as crown princess in 1429, a few months after Crown Princess Kim was deposed for practicing witchcraft.

The Veritable Records of the Joseon Dynasty mention that she was chosen as crown princess because both King Sejong and the officials in charge of the selection were satisfied with her appearance, irrespective of lineage and wifely virtue. Therefore, she is one of the few Joseon royal consorts to be officially recorded as a beautiful woman.

However, like her predecessor, Lady Bong also failed to have a harmonious marital relationship, with Crown Prince Hyang once telling his father, "If I favor her, she will become jealous and fierce, and will not hesitate to wield even a blade; if things go her way, even Empress Lü of old could not surpass her." So regardless of whether he was physically attracted to Lady Bong, Crown Prince Hyang viewed her character as lacking.

Getting drunk was a common occurrence for her, even during her father's mourning period; while inebriated, she would sometimes have her maids carry her on their backs around the courtyard. She often publicly bemoaned the crown prince's lack of enthusiasm toward her, and out of jealousy, she would personally beat palace ladies for minor offenses, driving some of them to the brink of death.

In 1431, as the crown prince continued to remain childless, three new consorts were brought into the palace, which caused Lady Bong to harbor resentment for a long time. When Seunghwi Gwon announced her pregnancy in 1433, Lady Bong was indignant; she believed she would be removed from her position if the child was male and her laments would occasionally spread throughout the palace, prompting King Sejong to admonish her. Nevertheless, King Sejong also advised the crown prince to spend more time with his wife because having a legitimate son was preferable. Lady Bong thus briefly enjoyed a closer relationship with her husband and reportedly became pregnant, but before long, she claimed to have suffered a miscarriage. While it was eventually revealed that she had never been pregnant, it is unclear whether she suffered from a phantom pregnancy or simply lied to garner attention.

Downfall

In late 1435, Lady Bong began sleeping with a maid named So-ssang (소쌍). The prevailing view today is that it was a coercive relationship as So-ssang later testified dreading Lady Bong's summons and declining her advances, only to be intimidated into sexual contact. Moreover, So-ssang already had a romantic attachment to another maid named Dan-ji (단지), and Lady Bong's constant surveillance kept them apart.

Rumors ultimately reached King Sejong and after investigation, Lady Bong was demoted to commoner status on 13 December 1436. However, the edict for her deposition excluded any mention of the homosexual affair and instead focused on matters such as Lady Bong's sending palace supplies to her natal home, as well as her inability to bear children, jealousy, and vulgar behavior.

There are no surviving records about Lady Bong's life after her banishment from the palace; as such, it remains unknown when she died and where her tomb is located.

Titles

• During the reign of King Taejong (r. 1400–1418):
  • Lady, of the Haeum Bong clan (하음 봉씨; 河陰奉氏)
    • Bong Ryeo's daughter (봉려의 딸)
    • Lady Bong (봉씨; 奉氏)
• During the reign of King Sejong (r. 1418–1450):
  • Crown Princess Sun (순빈; 純嬪; from 20 November 1429)
  • Crown Princess (왕세자빈; 王世子嬪; from 19 June 1432)
  • Commoner (서인; 庶人; from 13 December 1436)

Family

• Father: Bong Ryeo (봉려; 1375–1436)
• Mother: Lady, of a certain clan (모씨)
• Sibling(s)
  • Brother: Bong Geuk-hwa (봉극화; 1420–?)
  • Brother: Bong Guk-yu (봉극유)
• Husband: King Munjong (문종대왕; 15 November 1414 – 10 June 1452) — No issue.
  • Father-in-law: King Sejong (세종대왕; 15 May 1397 – 8 April 1450)
  • Mother-in-law: Queen Soheon (소헌왕후), of the Cheongsong Shim clan (청송 심씨; 20 October 1395 – 28 April 1446)

Ancestry

Bong Yu-rye (봉유례)

Gi Won (기원)

Lady, of the Haengju Gi clan (행주 기씨)

Bong Ryeo (봉려)

Deposed Crown Princess Bong

In popular culture

• Portrayed by Yeo Min-joo in the 2008 KBS2 TV series The Great King, Sejong.
• Portrayed by Jung Da-eun in the KBS Drama Special episode "The Palace".

See also

• History of Korea
• Styles and titles in Joseon

References

Works cited

• 世宗實錄 [Veritable Records of Sejong]. 1454.