Gongyang of Goryeo

Last King of Goryeo (r. 1389–1392)

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Royal Consort Sun

(before 1389)

IssuePrince Jeongseong
Princess Suknyeong
Princess Jeongsin
Princess Gyeonghwa

Regnal name
Before ascended the throne: Prince Jeongchang (정창군; 定昌君) Internal Prince Jeongchang (정창부원군; 定昌府院君) After dethroned and ended of the Goryeo period: Prince Gongyang (공양군; 恭讓君) In the exile place: King Ganseong (간성왕; 杆城王) After Yi Bang-won ascended the throne: King Gongyang (공양왕; 恭讓王)
Posthumous name
King Gongyang The Great 공양대왕 恭讓大王

HouseWangFatherWang Gyun, Internal Prince JeongwonMotherGrand Consort Wang of Samhan StateReligionBuddhism

Birth name
Gongyang of Goryeo
Hangul	공양왕
Hanja	恭讓王
Revised Romanization	Gongyang Wang
McCune–Reischauer	Kongyang Wang
Hangul	왕요
Hanja	王瑤
Revised Romanization	Wang Yo
McCune–Reischauer	Wang Yo

Gongyang of Goryeo (9 March 1345 – 17 May 1394)^[1] was the 34th and final ruler of the Goryeo Dynasty of Korea. He was the descendant of Duke Yangyang, brother of King Huijong. He was deposed by Yi Seong-gye, who then established the new Joseon Dynasty.^[2]

Biography

Background and early life

He was born as the second and youngest son of Wang Gyun, 6th-generation descendant of King Sinjong from his youngest son, Duke Yangyang. His mother was Princess Boknyeong, a great-granddaughter of King Chungnyeol. He had an older brother, Wang U, Prince Jeongyang. Due to this, the future King had the Goryeo royal family's bloods from both of paternal and maternal line.

At a young age, he was honoured as Prince Jeongchang (정창군; 定昌君) and then married the daughter of No Chaek, Internal Prince Changseong from the Gyoha No clan. His niece, Lady Kang, married Yi Seong-gye as his second wife.

Reign

Although he did everything to prove that he had no political ambitions, Yi Seong-gye's faction used him as a bloodless propaganda tool. In 1389, Yi's supporters forced King Chang from the throne and enthroned King Gongyang in his stead.^[3] This faction went on to oversee the events of King Gongyang's brief reign, including the assassinations of King U and King Chang. After the murder of Jeong Mong-ju, the last major supporter of the Goryeo kings, King Gongyang was deposed in 1392 by Yi Seong-gye, his son (Yi Bang-won), Jeong Do-jeon and others, which brought the Goryeo dynasty to an end.^[4]

Life after deposition

The former king was initially exiled to Wonju and granted the title of Prince Gongyang (공양군; 恭讓君), but was later moved to Samcheok, where he was assassinated via strangulation in 1394 alongside his son, Crown Prince Wang Seok in Gungchon.^[5] In 1416, King Taejong honored him as King Gongyang (공양왕; 恭讓王) and sent an envoy to inspect his tomb.

Family

Parents

Father: Wang Gyun, Internal Prince Jeongwon (정원부원군 왕균)
- Grandfather: Wang Yu, Marquess Sunhwa (순화후 왕유; d.1360)
- Grandmother: Consort Myeongye of the Mahan State, of the Shin clan (마한국명예비 신씨)
Mother: Grand Consort Wang of Samhan State (삼한국대비 왕씨)
- Grandfather: Wang Hun, Grand Prince Yeondeok (연덕부원대군 왕훈)
- Grandmother: Consort Ahn, of the Jo clan (안의비 조씨)

Consorts and their respective issue(s):

Royal Consort Sun of the Gyoha No clan (순비 노씨; d. 1394)
- Crown Prince Wang Seok (세자 왕석; d. 1394)
- Princess Suknyeong (숙녕궁주)
- Princess Jeongsin (정신궁주)
- Princess Gyeonghwa (경화궁주)
- Prince Wang (왕자 왕씨; d. 1394?)^[6]
- Prince Wang An (왕자 왕안;d.1416)

Goryeo
Monarchs of Korea
Taejo 918–943 Hyejong 943–945 Jeongjong (定宗) 945–949 Gwangjong 949–975 Gyeongjong 975–981 Seongjong 981–997 Mokjong 997–1009 Hyeonjong 1009–1031 Deokjong 1031–1034 Jeongjong (靖宗) 1034–1046 Munjong 1046–1083 Sunjong 1083 Seonjong 1083–1094 Heonjong 1094–1095 Sukjong 1095–1105 Yejong 1105–1122 Injong 1122–1146 Uijong 1146–1170 Myeongjong 1170–1197 Sinjong 1197–1204 Huijong 1204–1211 Gangjong 1211–1213 Gojong 1213–1259 Wonjong 1259–1274 Chungnyeol 1274–1308 Chungseon 1308–1313 Chungsuk 1313–1330; 1332–1339 Chunghye 1330–1332; 1339–1344 Chungmok 1344–1348 Chungjeong 1348–1351 Gongmin 1351–1374 U 1374–1388 Chang 1388–1389 Gongyang 1389–1392
v t e

Ancestry

Ancestors of Gongyang of Goryeo

Wang Bun, Marquess Ikyang
익양후 왕분

Wang Yu, Marquess Sunhwa
순화후 왕유

Lady, of the Miryang Bak clan
부인 밀양박씨

Wang Gyun, Internal Prince Jeongwon
정원부원군 왕균

Lady, of the Icheon Sin clan
부인 이천신씨

Wang Yo, King Gongyang
공양왕 왕요

Wang Ja, Duke Gangyang
강양공 왕자

Wang Hun, Grand Prince Yeondeok
연덕부원대군 왕훈

Grand Consort Wang of Samhan State
삼한국대비 왕씨

Lady Jo
조씨

In popular culture

Portrayed by Kim Jin-hae in the 1983 KBS TV series Foundation of the Kingdom.
Portrayed by Kim Woong-chul in the 1983 MBC TV series The King of Chudong Palace.
Portrayed by Kim Young-sun in the 1996–1998 KBS TV series Tears of the Dragon.
Portrayed by Kim Byung-choon in the 2012–2013 SBS TV series The Great Seer.
Portrayed by Nam Sung-jin in the 2014 KBS TV series Jeong Do-jeon.
Portrayed by Lee Do-yup in the 2015–2016 SBS TV series Six Flying Dragons.
Portrayed by Park Hyung-joon in the 2021 KBS1 TV series The King of Tears, Lee Bang-won.

References

^ In Lunar calendar, he was born on 5th days 2nd months 1345 and died on 17th days 4th months 1394.
^ Kim, Joo Won (June 23, 2021). "King Gongyang, the last king of Goryeo and Yi Seong-gye, founder of Joseon". Radio Free Asia. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
^ Kim, Joo Won (June 23, 2021). "King Gongyang, the last king of Goryeo and Yi Seong-gye, founder of Joseon". Radio Free Asia. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
^ Kim, Joo Won (June 23, 2021). "King Gongyang, the last king of Goryeo and Yi Seong-gye, founder of Joseon". Radio Free Asia. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
^ Park, Eugene Y. (2019). A Genealogy of Dissent: The Progeny of Fallen Royals in Chosŏn Korea. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press. pp. 22–23. ISBN 978-1503602083.
^ There are debates about this unnamed son. Goryeosa Biographies vol. 91 has it that King Gongyang just had 1 son, Wang Seok. But Taejo Sillok vol. 5 says that King Gongyang had 2 sons whom were killed in 1394 under King Taejo's command.

공양왕 (in Korean). Doosan Encyclopedia.

Regnal titles
Gongyang of Goryeo House of Wang Born: 9 March 1345 Died: 17 May 1394
Preceded by King Chang	King of Goryeo 1389–1392	Succeeded by none