A King who Became Cold-hearted for His Dynasty

Heolleung is the royal tomb of King Taejong and his wife Queen Wongyeong.

He was born as the fifth son to the founder of the Joseon Dynasty, and he played a crucial role in the process of revolution led by his father. However, after the new dynasty was established, he was excluded from the process of distributing honors. Instead, other participants in the revolution feared his will and capability. And they were right because the prince pulled off a coup and removed all the known political opponents.

The success of the coup brought him to the throne, and he gained all the power. He could become king right away if he wanted to, but he insisted that his elder brother should succeed his father.

Later, he became the third king of the dynasty. He purged all his political rivals to eliminate threats to the construction of a new kingdom, and his wife’s family was not an exception. In fact, his cold judgments and decisiveness helped the newly founded dynasty fast recover stability and authority.

He also adopted the administrative system of six ministries and divided the country by eight provinces. This system became the basis of the administrative divisions of Korea today. It was also during his reign that the dynasty began to make official historic records. It is called The Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, and is now registered in UNESCO’s Memory of the World in 1997. The systems and institutions established during his reign became a firm basis of the dramatic development during the reign of his son, King Sejong.