Princess Jeonghwa

Wang To-in
Princess Jeonghwa
(정화택주; 靜和宅主)
SpouseCh'oe Ch'ung-hŏn[1]
IssueCh'oe Ku
Unnamed son (became a Buddhist monk)
HouseWang
FatherWang O, King Gangjong
ReligionBuddhism
Korean name
Hangul
정화택주
Hanja
Revised RomanizationJeonghwa-taekju
McCune–ReischauerCh'ŏngh'wa-taekju
Birth name
Hangul
왕도인
Hanja
王道人
Revised RomanizationWang Doin
McCune–ReischauerWang To'in

Wang To-in, known by her title of Princess Jeonghwa, was the illegitimate daughter of Gangjong of Goryeo and the second wife of Ch'oe Ch'ung-hŏn.[2] According to Goryeosa, her existence can be confirmed by the record: "Ch'oe Ch'ung-hŏn accepted King Gangjong's illegitimate daughter as his second wife".[3] After marriage in 1214, she was given the title of Taekju (택주; 宅主) which could only used for princesses.[4]

Despite being the King's daughter, she was not recognized or treated accordingly due to her mother's status. Her father was expelled to Ganghwa-do until his re-recognition by Ch'oe in 1211 at the age of 60 years old. She was forced to marry her family's enemy Ch'oe, who was 3 years older than her father Gangjong. After marriage, she lived with the pain of her paternal families, a husband who wielded uncontrollable power and an attempt to kill her. This was presumed to be the reason for her devout belief in Buddhism. After Ch'oe's death, she continued to practice meditation, became a Buddhist nun.

  1. ^ "최충헌". Terms Naver (in Korean). Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  2. ^ 최충헌이 거란의 침입을 막아내지 못하다. Goryeosa (in Korean). Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  3. ^ 《고려사》권129〈열전〉42-반역3 [《History of Goryeo》 Vol. 129〈Biographies〉 42-Treason3]
  4. ^ For her husband's other wife who was not a princess, were only given the title of Suseongtaekju (수성택주; 綏成宅主).