King Seonjo who Endured the Darkest Period of the Joseon Dynasty

The occupant of Mongneung is King Seonjo, who ruled the dynasty during the late 16th century. He came to the throne at the age of sixteen, following the untimely death of his predecessor, King Myeongjong. As he was young and born to a minor royal, the teenage king tried hard to establish his own power base by recruiting new, talented officials. Actually, some of the greatest historic figures in Korean history were produced during this period.

Unfortunately, his reign was also one of the most challenging, turbulent years in the entire history of the dynasty. The hard times began in 1592 when several tens of thousands of Japanese troops arrived at the southeastern part of Joseon. It was the start of the seven year war. The formidable invaders were armed with advanced weapons like matchlock guns, and the miserably unprepared land troops of Joseon lost almost all the early battles. However, the Japanese invasion ended in failure, owing to the rise of civilian fighters and the support from the Ming Dynasty of China. More than anything else, Admiral Yi Sun-sin led the impossible victories in all the battles fought in the seas.

After the war, King Seonjo tried his utmost to rebuild the devastated country and boost people’s morale. He restored government documents burnt during the war, and awarded prizes to people who accomplished distinguished achievements.