The loneliest king in history, Danjong, is finally no longer alone.
On the August 6 broadcast of the SBS program "Tails of Tales," the show delved into the final chapters of the young king's life under the special historical episode subtitle "Hongwi, Nosan, Danjong: In Search of the King's Name."
Danjong stands out as one of the most tragic figures in the Joseon Dynasty. Born into a flawless royal lineage spanning two generations, he ascended the throne at the tender age of twelve, only to have his crown usurped by his uncle, Grand Prince Suyang, just three years into his reign.
After instigating the Gyeyu Jeongnan coup to seize power, Suyang appointed those who aided him as merits-based subjects, annihilated the faction of Kim Jong-seo, and sent Grand Prince Anpyeong into exile. Consequently, Danjong was reduced to a mere puppet king.
By the age of fifteen, Danjong realized that as long as he remained on the throne, he could not prevent the sacrifice of the people loyal to him, and he voluntarily stepped down. His uncle thus became King Sejo, the seventh monarch of Joseon. Following his ascension, Sejo mercilessly purged anyone who had supported Danjong.
In response, those attempting to protect the young king risked their lives to plot a coup. However, ominous signs emerged during the single month of May, including comets appearing eleven times and a food steamer wailing on its own. Ultimately, through the tactical maneuvering of Han Myeong-hoe, the coup was thwarted by Sejo.
Filled with anxiety, individuals preparing for the uprising eventually tipped off Sejo about its masterminds. Sejo personally led the interrogation. Yet Sung Sam-mun and Park Paeng-nyeon resisted to the very end. They continued to address Sejo as a mere lord rather than recognizing him as king, leaving every single coin of the stipends he granted them untouched. In retaliation, Sejo ordered the brutal execution known as "georyeohyeong," where the limbs and head of the condemned were tied to horse-drawn carts and pulled in opposite directions.
Those who remained loyal to Danjong until their deaths later became known as the Six Martyred Ministers. At the time, Sejo described the comets and other strange phenomena as celestial anomalies.
Eventually, Sejo ordered Danjong's exile under the pretext that the deposed king was behind a treasonous plot. Demoted from king emeritus to Prince Nosan, Danjong was no longer a king.
Sent into exile in Yeongwol, Gangwon Province, Danjong faced a complete separation from his wife. He sensed deeply that he would never leave Cheongnyeongpo alive.
Even in those dark times, someone remembered the king. Remembering King Munjong's plea not to leave his son alone, Grand Prince Geumseong plotted to restore Danjong to the throne. However, this plan was also discovered, and Grand Prince Geumseong was sentenced to poison.
Before drinking the fatal poison, when ordered to bow toward the king, he faced the northern direction where Danjong resided, offered a bow, and drank the poison, fulfilling his elder brother's request until his final moment.
The "Veritable Records of King Sejo" state that upon hearing this, Prince Nosan hanged himself, and that he was buried with appropriate courtesy. However, most surviving folktales in Gangwon Province state that he was killed by officials sent by Sejo.
Furthermore, the later historical text "Yeollyeosil Gisul" describes the death of Prince Nosan through Wang Bang-yeon, an official of the Uigeumbu who arrived carrying the fatal poison sent by Sejo.
Records also note, "A court attendant always served Nosan, volunteered to do the deed himself, tied a long cord to a bowstring, and pulled it from behind the window of his seating area."
Only the "Veritable Records of King Sejo" state that Danjong died by suicide. All other accounts describe his death as a homicide, and although the details vary slightly, they all agree that Sejo sent the poison.
History is written by the victors. Sifting through the records of the victors and unofficial histories to determine what came closest to the truth was left to historians.
The remains of the boy who was once the king of Joseon were later cast into the Donggang River. Eom Heung-do, who had cared for him in Yeongwol, stepped out of his house with his three sons early the next morning, recovered Danjong's body, held a funeral, and then parted ways with his sons.
Stating that he would gladly accept death for the sake of righteousness, he protected his king until the end.
Eom Heung-do was not the only one who protected the king. Even after Eom departed, the people of Yeongwol attentively tended to Nosan's tomb.
Danjong was eventually restored as king by Sukjong, the 19th monarch of Joseon, and was given the temple name Danjong. The name was given with the meaning that upholding propriety and embracing righteousness constitutes "Dan." This occurred 241 years after Danjong passed away.
With Danjong's reinstatement, history was rewritten: his wife Lady Song was posthumously honored as Queen Jeongsun, and the Six Martyred Ministers became symbols of absolute loyalty. Eom Heung-do received the official post of Minister of Public Works and was bestowed with the posthumous title Chunguiegong.
If 569 years after Danjong's death his life could be summed up in a single word, it would be the lonely king. Yet today, many people seek out his traces, remember him, and feel sorrow for him. It is hoped that from now on, he will never be lonely again.
Moreover, history must no longer repeat the tragedy where the vulnerable are unjustly sacrificed for someone else's ambitions.
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(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Hyo-jung)
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