Queen Chŏngan

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Queen Chŏngan (Korean: 정안왕후 김씨, 30 January 1355 – 11 August 1412[a]) or Queen Anjŏng (안정왕후), of the Gyeongju Kim clan, was a posthumous name bestowed to the wife and queen consort of King Jeongjong, the second king of Joseon. She was queen consort of Joseon from 1398 and was honoured as Queen Tŏk (덕비) until her husband's abdication in 1400 after which she was honoured as Queen Dowager Sundŏk (순덕왕대비).

Lady Kim was born during King Gongmin of Goyreo's 4th year of reign on 30 January 1355 into the Gyeongju Kim clan as the eldest daughter of Kim Ch'ŏnsŏ and Lady Yi of the Damyang Lee clan. Lady Kim had two older brothers and five younger siblings.

Lady Kim is descended from the Silla Dynasty's Gyeongju Kim clan. During the reign of King Shinjong of Goryeo, her grandfather, Kim Pongmo (김봉모; 金鳳毛; ?–1209), served as P'yŏngjangsa (평장사; 平章事) and received the posthumous title of Chŏngp'yŏng (정평; 靖平). He later established the P'yŏngjangsa Branch (평장사공파) of the clan.

Through her 6th great-grandfather, Lady Kim was a 12th great-granddaughter of King Gyeongsun of Silla and Princess Nakrang through their second son, Kim Ŭnyŏl. She and Queen Jeongsun are distantly related as they share Kim Chŏnggu (김정구; 金正矩; 973–1057) as their last common ancestor, and was also the grandson of Kim Ŭnyŏl.

Through her great-great-grandmother, Lady Kim was a fourth cousin twice removed of Queen Wŏn'gyŏng as they shared Min Yŏngmo as their ancestor, and would eventually become her sister-in-law through marriage.

It is unknown what year she married Yi Panggwa, the second son of Yi Seong-gye and Lady Han.

In 1398, at the age of 42-43, she became Crown Princess Consort Tŏk when her husband, Prince Yŏngan (the future King Jeongjong), became Crown Prince. Her father was given the royal title of "Internal Prince Wŏlsŏng, Kim Ch'ŏnsŏ" (월성부원군 김천서; 月城府院君 金天瑞), and her mother was given the royal title of "Internal Princess Consort Samhanguk of the Damyang Lee clan" (삼한국대부인 담양 이씨; 三韓國大夫人 潭陽 李氏).

She was then referred as "Queen Consort Tŏk" (덕비; lit. Virtuous Consort) from the 5 September 1398 until her husband's abdication.

In the aftermath of the Second Strife of the Princes [ko], when her husband abdicated in favor of his younger brother, Prince Chŏngan on 28 November 1400, along with him being bestowed the courtesy title of "King Emeritus Inmungongye" (인문공예상왕), she was bestowed the courtesy title of "Queen Dowager Sundŏk" (순덕왕대비) by her royal brother-in-law.

Queen Tŏk later died on 11 August 1412 during her brother-in-law's, King Taejong, reign. Her husband outlived her by seven years and both are buried within Hureung in Yeongjeong-ri, Kaepung County, North Hwanghae Province, North Korea. She had no issue with King Jeongjong.[1]

She was given the posthumous title of Queen Chŏngan (정안왕후; 定安王后) after her death, but was also given another lesser-known posthumous title "Queen Anjŏng" (안정왕후; 安定王后) during King Yeonsan's 10th year of reign and King Gwanghae's 1st year of reign.

In 1681, 270 years after her death, King Sukjong added Onmyŏngjangŭi (온명장의; 溫明莊懿) to her posthumous title.

Parent

• Father — Kim Ch'ŏnsŏ (김천서; 金天瑞)
• Mother — Internal Princess Consort Samhanguk of the Damyang Lee clan (삼한국대부인 담양 이씨; 三韓國大夫人 潭陽 李氏)

Sibling

• Older brother — Kim Sŏkjun (김석준; 金釋俊; 1336–?)
• Older brother — Kim Su, Prince Wolseong, Duke Jeongho (월성군 정호공 김수; 金需; 1338–1409)
• Younger brother — Kim Samwŏn (김삼원; 金三原; 1357–?)
• Younger sister — Lady Kim of the Gyeongju Kim clan (경주 김씨; 慶州 金氏; 1359–?)
• Younger brother - Kim Ŭiyŏl (김의열; 金義烈; 1360–?)
• Younger sister — Lady Kim of the Gyeongju Kim clan (경주 김씨; 慶州 金氏; 1361–?)
• Younger sister — Lady Kim of the Gyeongju Kim clan (경주 김씨; 慶州 金氏; 1382–?)

Consort

• Husband — King Jeongjong of Joseon (조선 정종; 18 July 1357 – 15 October 1419) — No issue.

• Portrayed by Kim Hae-sook in the 1983 MBC TV series The King of Chudong Palace.
• Portrayed by Park Yun-seon in the 1996–1998 KBS TV series Tears of the Dragon.
• Portrayed by Kim Seo-yeon in the 2021–2022 KBS TV series The King of Tears, Lee Bang-won

• 정안왕후 (in Korean). Doosan Encyclopedia.