Cheoljong of Joseon
King of Joseon Dynasty in Korean history (1831-1864)
Cheoljong (Korean: 철종; Hanja: 哲宗; 25 July 1831 – 16 January 1864), personal name Yi Won-beom, later changed to Yi Byeon, was the 25th monarch of Joseon. A great-great-grandson of King Yeongjo, he was adopted by Queen Sunwon and ascended to the throne upon the death of his nominal nephew, the childless King Heonjong. Following the establishment of the Korean Empire, he was honored as Emperor Jang.
Cheoljong grew up in poverty; even after becoming king, he had little political influence, and the power to govern was held mainly by the Andong Kim clan, the paternal family of Queen Sunwon. The Andong Kim clan's monopoly caused nationwide corruption, resulting in a series of peasant revolts. As Cheoljong's sons all died in infancy, he was also succeeded by a distant relative.
Biography
Early life
Cheoljong was born Yi Won-beom (이원범), the 3rd and youngest son of Yi Gwang (Jeongye Daewongun), a great-grandson of King Yeongjo of Joseon. His mother was a concubine, and she was a daughter of Yeom Seong-hwa (염성화), a commoner, descended from the Yongdam Yeom clan (용담 염씨).
Prince Euneon was Cheoljong's grandfather and a younger half-brother of Jeongjo of Joseon; in 1786, accused of treason, he and his family was exiled to Ganghwa Island. Prince Euneon was killed during the Catholic Persecution of 1801, as his wife and daughter-in-law became Catholic, which was illegal in Joseon at that time; his children remained in confinement on the island until King Sunjo decided to pardon them in 1822.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Cheoljong of Joseon” is king of Joseon Dynasty in Korean history (1831-1864). The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Cheoljong, Joseon and King, not as a finished interpretation.
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The entry’s evidential value lies in the named roles, institutions and publications that can be tested against primary documentation. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 30, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q482850. VIAF identifies the subject as 6502969. The Library of Congress control number is n88284775. 2 of 4 selected statements include explicit references; 2 carry qualifiers and 1 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1831, 1864, 1786 and 1801.
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