| Myeongjong 명종 明宗 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| King of Goryeo | |||||||||
| Reign | 1170–1197 | ||||||||
| Coronation | 1170 | ||||||||
| Predecessor | Uijong of Goryeo | ||||||||
| Successor | Sinjong of Goryeo | ||||||||
| Regent | Yi Ŭi-bang (1170–1174) Chŏng Chung-bu (1174–1179) Kyŏng Tae-sŭng (1179–1183) Yi Ŭi-min (1183–1196) Ch'oe Ch'ung-hŏn (1196–1197) | ||||||||
| Born | Wang Hŭn 8 November 1131 Yeondeok Palace?, Gaegyeong, Goryeo | ||||||||
| Died | 3 December 1202 (aged 71) Disputed between: Changrak Palace or Yanghwa Palace, Gaegyeong, Goryeo | ||||||||
| Burial | Jireung (지릉; 智陵) | ||||||||
| Spouse | |||||||||
| Concubine | Lady Myeongchun Lady Sunju | ||||||||
| Issue |
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| House | Wang | ||||||||
| Dynasty | Goryeo | ||||||||
| Father | Injong of Goryeo | ||||||||
| Mother | Queen Gongye | ||||||||
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 명종 |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 明宗 |
| Revised Romanization | Myeongjong |
| McCune–Reischauer | Myŏngjong |
| Birth name | |
| Hangul | 왕흔, later 왕호 |
| Hanja | 王昕, later 王晧 |
| Revised Romanization | Wang Heun, later Wang Ho |
| McCune–Reischauer | Wang Hŭn, later Wang Ho |
| Courtesy name | |
| Hangul | 지단 |
| Hanja | 之旦 |
| Revised Romanization | Jidan |
| McCune–Reischauer | Chidan |
| Posthumous name | |
| Hangul | 광효대왕 |
| Hanja | |
| Revised Romanization | Gwanghyo Daewang |
| McCune–Reischauer | Kwanghyo Taewang |
Myeongjong (8 November 1131 – 3 December 1202), personal name Wang Ho, was the 19th king of Korea's Goryeo dynasty. He was the third son of King Injong. His reign marked the beginning of the century-long military rule of Korea known as the Goryeo military regime.
Although it was intended that King Injong's second son should succeed his father, he was assassinated because Chŏng Chung-bu feared that he might become a threat to him in the future. Myeongjong was a weak puppet king, and was merely on the throne to show the general populace they still had a king, as the true rulers were the military leaders who had launched a coup d'état against Myeongjong's older brother and had established a military government.[1][2] Despite this, Myeongjong did attempt to play off the military leaders against each other to both secure his own survival but also in an attempt to regain royal authority.[3] His reign saw constant bloodshed as well as the deaths of the military rulers Chŏng Chung-bu, Yi Ŭi-bang, Kyŏng Tae-sŭng, and Yi Ŭi-min.
After twenty-seven years on the throne, he was sent into exile by the military ruler of the time, Ch'oe Ch'ung-hŏn. King Injong's fifth son, King Sinjong, was placed on the throne.