Do you know the movie “The King and the Clown”? It was released last December and became very popular. It recorded the highest box office score in Korean history. The king of the movie is Prince Yeonsan. Prince Yeonsan is the most famous tyrant among the kings of the Joseon Dynasty. He appears not only in that movie, but also in dramas, novels, and theater productions. Many people are very curious about his secret story because his story is very interesting.
Prince Yeonsan (1476~1506) was born the first son of King Sungjong (1457~ 1494) in Seoul. He ascended to the throne at the age of 19. He was the tenth king of the Joseon Dynasty. He was king, but he is called a prince. He has not granted the title of king by future generations. Prince Yeonsan was not a tyrant in his early days.
Prince Yeonsan's mother had beauty and intelligence and won the love of King Sungjong. Therefore, the king's mother and the royal concubines hated her. They waited for an opportunity to remove her. One day, she accidentally made a superficial scratch on the king's face. Her action incurred the anger of the king's mother. Many servants and royal concubines did not forgive her. Finally, she was ousted from her position. The king's mother even poisoned her with a drug and she died a miserable death. Prince Yeonsan knew very little about his mother, but he knew about her from his maternal grandmother.
After that, Prince Yeonsan started to change into a tyrant. He held a party for himself almost every day. He drew gisaeng (singing and dancing girls) to his palace. He even committed many outrages against married woman. The servants advised to him not to do that, but he didn't listen to their advice. He abolished or changed some systems related to politics to suit himself and he killed outspoken servants. Also, he changed a facility into a tavern, and a temple into a stable. Besides that, he demolished a private house to establish a hunting place. He didn't have the slightest bit of remorse.
Prince Yeonsan had complete authority by despotism. Many people were terrified of him, so they started a revolution. He was ousted from his post by the revolutionaries. He was demoted from king to prince. He was exiled to Ganghwa Island for twelve years, but died within two months due to illness.
His emotional and sensitive features which caused his bad behaviors can be found in his more than 130 poems. He liked to write poems. Prince Yeonsan wrote more poetry than the other kings of the Joseon Dynasty. These poems were included in his diary.
He became a tyrant because he yearned for his mother. He was sensitive by nature and expressed himself through poetry. Modern people see him from various points of view. Many try to understand him as a weak man.
