Royal_Consort_Wonbi_Kim
Royal Consort Wonbi Kim
Goryeo consort (fl. 13th century)
Lady Kim of the Eonyang Kim clan was a widow who became a concubine during the Goryeo dynasty, first serving King Chungnyeol and later his son, King Chungseon.[1] She was known as Won-bi (Korean: 원비; Hanja: 院妃; lit. Primary Consort) during Chungnyeol's reign, and Suk-bi (숙비; 淑妃; lit. Pure Consort) during Chungseon's reign.[2]
| Lady Sukchang | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal consort of Goryeo Won-bi (원비, 院妃) | |||||
| Monarch | King Chungnyeol | ||||
| Royal consort of Goryeo Suk-bi (숙비, 淑妃) | |||||
| Monarch | King Chungseon | ||||
| Spouse | Choe Mun Chungnyeol of Goryeo Chungseon of Goryeo | ||||
| |||||
| House | Eonyang Kim (by birth) | ||||
| Father | Kim Yang-gam | ||||
| Mother | Lady, of the Jeongju Jeong clan | ||||
| Religion | Buddhism | ||||
| Korean name | |||||
| Hangul | 숙창원비 언양김씨 | ||||
| Hanja | |||||
| Revised Romanization | Sukchang-wonbi Eonyanggimssi | ||||
| McCune–Reischauer | Sukch'ang-wonbi Ŏnyang'kimssh'i | ||||
Early life and relatives
The future Lady Sukchang, who was an outstanding beauty during her lifetime, was born into the Eonyang Kim clan, as the seventh child of Kim Yang-gam and Lady Jeong, the great-granddaughter of Jeong Mun-cheong from the Jeongju Jeong clan.[1] She had three older brothers (Kim Gwang-gye, Kim Gwang-yeon and Kim Mun-yeon, Prince Eonyang),[3] three older sisters and one younger sister.
| Ancestors of Royal Consort Wonbi Kim | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Marriage and palace life
First marriage
Lady Kim firstly married Choi Mun (최문; 崔文). However, they produced no children and he died early, making her a widow at a young age.[2] But considering the social customs of that time, her widowhood wasn't a big problem.[1]
Second marriage
After Crown Prince Won killed one of the consorts of King Chungnyeol, he gave Lady Kim to his father.[5] In 1297, she was honoured with the title of Won-bi (원비; 院妃).[1] She had no children with Chungnyeol.
Third marriage
After King Chungnyeol's death in 1308, Lady Kim formed a good relationship with King Chungseon, who frequently visited Kim Mun-yeon's house.[6] She was given the title of Suk-bi (숙비; 淑妃). Kim Mun-yeon was elevated to Cheomuisirangchanseongsa (첨의시랑찬성사), an official of the second rank.
While this happened, the inspector general, U Tak, and some of the officials, disproved of the King of having a relationship with his late father's concubine, so they then went to the palace and raised the Jibusangso (지부상소; 持斧上疏) for the King to reconsider his actions.[1] It was speculated that King Chungseon took Lady Kim as a wife by following the Mongolian custom, where it was acceptable for the son to take his father's concubines, except for his biological mother and his father's primary wife.[7] The Goryeosa, written by Joseon Confucian scholars, criticized the conduct of the King in taking Lady Kim as his consort.[5]
Because Chungseon was greatly favoured by Yuan's Empress, he asked her to gift Lady Kim a gogo (고고), a unique Mongolian headdress. It is said that after receiving the gift, Lady Kim held a banquet for the Mongol envoy.
To honour her mother, Lady Jeong, Suk-bi held a banquet attended by ministers. When she held another banquet at Eunjawon (은자원), the ministers participated again.[2]
The clothes she usually wore were no different from that of the Queen.[1] She did not have a good relationship with the King's sixth consort, Heo Sun-bi, since Lady Heo had also received a gogo from Yuan.[8] During a banquet, the two women changed their outfits five times to show off their luxurious clothes and gogo.[1]
In 1312 (Chungseon's 4th year of reign), the King built a private house for Lady Kim in Samhyeon (삼현),[2] and 13 years later, while the King's body was transferred from Yuan to Goryeo, his mortuary was also set up in Suk-bi's palace.
There are no records left about the date of Lady Kim's death or the location of her tomb. She was posthumously honoured as Lady Sukchang, Royal Consort Won of the Eonyang Kim clan (숙창원비 언양 김씨; 淑昌院妃 彦陽 金氏).[1]
- "충렬왕 후비 숙창원비 김씨". Goryeosa (in Korean). Retrieved September 15, 2021.
- "고려시대 대표적인 자유부인 숙창원비(淑昌院妃) 김씨(金氏)". CultureContent (in Korean). Retrieved September 15, 2021.
- "[Why][이한우의 역사속 WHY] 충선왕과 밀통후 후궁된 충렬왕의 후궁 숙창원비". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). 4 August 2020. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
- Yun, Peter (2006). "Popularization of Mongol Language and Culture in the Late Koryŏ Period" (PDF). International Journal of Korean History. 10 (1): 27–28. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
- 《고려사》권33〈세가〉권33 – 충선왕 복위년 10월 – 왕이 숙창원비와 오랜 시간을 보내다
- 《한권으로 읽는 고려왕조실록》. 들녘. 415쪽. ISBN 89-7527-154-4.
- 《고려사》권89〈열전〉권2 – 순비 허씨
- Lady Sukchang on the Encyclopedia of Korean Culture (in Korean).
- Lady Sukchang on EToday News (in Korean).