King Jeongjo and the Renaissance of Late Joseon

Jeongjo

The 22nd king of the Joseon Dynasty, reigning from 1776 to 1800. The grandson of the 21st king, Yeongjo, he was born as the second son of Crown Prince Sado and Lady Hyegyeong. Having experienced the 1762 incident where his father Crown Prince Sado died after being locked in a rice chest, he worked toward restoring his father's honor after ascending the throne. Aiming to strengthen royal authority and ease factional conflict, he established Kyujanggak, the royal library and research institution, recruiting talented individuals and fostering scholarship and culture. He also promoted reforms in commercial policy, military organization, and the construction of Suwon Hwaseong Fortress. He is praised as a king who supported Silhak (Practical Learning) scholars and drove cultural development in the late Joseon period. Meanwhile, conflict with conservative factions and political tensions surrounding the throne persisted.

Timeline

Category
Element

Year	Jeongjo
1592	Imjin War (Japanese invasions of Korea, Age: 160 years before birth, Period: 1592–1598, Location: Entire Korean Peninsula, Especially Hanseong (Modern Seoul), Pyongyang, Busan, Ulsan, etc.)
1627	First Manchu Invasion of Korea (Dingmao Horan, Age: 125 years before birth, Period: 1627, Location: Northern Korean Peninsula, Yalu River Basin to Around Pyongyang)
1636	Second Manchu Invasion of Korea (Byeongja Horan, Age: 116 years before birth, Period: December 1636 - February 1637, Location: Korean Peninsula, Especially Hanseong (Modern Seoul) and Namhansanseong)
1752	Birth of Jeongjo (Period: October 28, 1752, Location: Seoul, South Korea (Hanseong at the time, Changgyeonggung Palace))
1762	Death of Crown Prince Sado (Im-o Hwabeon, Age: 9 years old, Period: 1762, Location: Changgyeonggung in Hanseong (present-day Seoul)) Marriage (King Jeongjo and Queen Hyoui of the Kim clan, Age: 9 years old, Period: 1762, Location: Hanseong (present-day Seoul))
1776	Assassination plots surrounding the accession of King Jeongjo (Age: 23 years old, Period: 1776, Location: Royal palace in Hanseong (present-day Seoul)) Establishment of Kyujanggak (Royal Library, Age: 23 years old, Period: From 1776 onwards, Location: Court in Hanseong (present-day Seoul)) Promotion of the Tangpyeong (Impartiality) Policy (Age: 23 years old, Period: 1776–1800, Location: Court of the Joseon Dynasty) Accession as the 22nd king (Age: 23 years old, Period: April 1776, Location: Gyeonghuigung in Hanseong (present-day Seoul))
1789	Relocation of Crown Prince Sado's tomb and posthumous honoring (Age: 36 years old, Period: From 1789 onwards, Location: Around present-day Suwon, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea)
1790	Establishment of the Jangyongyeong (Royal Guard Units, Age: 37 years old, Period: Preparations in 1785, expansion in the 1790s, Location: Hanseong (present-day Seoul) and Suwon)
1791	Implementation of the Sinhai Tonggong (Commercial Reform of 1791, Age: 38 years old, Period: 1791, Location: Markets in Hanseong (present-day Seoul)) Commercial reform through Sinhai Tonggong (Age: 38 years old, Period: 1791, Location: Hanseong (present-day Seoul))
1794	Construction of Suwon Hwaseong Fortress (Age: 41 years old, Period: 1794–1796, Location: Suwon, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea)
1800	Death of Jeongjo (Age: 47 years old, Period: August 18, 1800) Death of King Jeongjo and succession of King Sunjo (Age: 47 years old, Period: August 18, 1800, Location: Changgyeonggung in Hanseong (present-day Seoul))
Unknown	Munche Banjeong (Literary Style Reform, Period: Latter half of the 18th century, reign of King Jeongjo, Location: Government court and academic institutions in Hanseong (present-day Seoul))

Map

Category
Element

Asia World

Group	List
Ming and Qing Emperors	Yongle Emperor Hongxi Emperor Xuande Emperor Emperor Yingzong of Ming Hongzhi Emperor Wanli Emperor Chongzhen Emperor Hongwu Emperor Hong Taiji Shunzhi Emperor Kangxi Emperor Yongzheng Emperor Qianlong Emperor
Late Ming period	Nurhaci Dorgon Li Zicheng Zhang Xianzhong Wu Sangui Zheng Chenggong Zhu Youlang Yuan Chonghuan Qi Jiguang Yue Fei
Maritime trade	Zheng He Wang Jinghong Wang Dayuan Matteo Ricci Johann Adam Schall von Bell Ferdinand Verbiest William Adams Jan Joosten
Joseon Dynasty	Taejong Sejong Sejo Seongjong Jungjong Seonjo Gwanghaegun Injo Sukjong Yeongjo Jeongjo Jo Gwang-jo Yu Seong-ryong Heo Jun

People Timeline

King Jeongjo and the Renaissance of Late Joseon

Jeongjo

Timeline

Map

Related Links

Other Languages

Comments

About

Other Languages