Myeongjong of Goryeo
| Myeongjong 명종 明宗 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| King of Goryeo | |||||||||
| Reign | 1170–1197 | ||||||||
| Coronation | 1170 | ||||||||
| Predecessor | Uijong of Goryeo | ||||||||
| Successor | Sinjong of Goryeo | ||||||||
| Regent | Yi Ŭi-bang (1170–1174) Chŏng Chung-bu (1174–1179) Kyŏng Tae-sŭng (1179–1183) Yi Ŭi-min (1183–1196) Ch'oe Ch'ung-hŏn (1196–1197) | ||||||||
| Born | Wang Hŭn 8 November 1131 Yeondeok Palace?, Gaegyeong, Goryeo | ||||||||
| Died | 3 December 1202 (aged 71) Disputed between: Changrak Palace or Yanghwa Palace, Gaegyeong, Goryeo | ||||||||
| Burial | Jireung (지릉; 智陵) | ||||||||
| Spouse | |||||||||
| Concubine | Lady Myeongchun Lady Sunju | ||||||||
| Issue |
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| House | Wang | ||||||||
| Dynasty | Goryeo | ||||||||
| Father | Injong of Goryeo | ||||||||
| Mother | Queen Gongye | ||||||||
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 명종 |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 明宗 |
| Revised Romanization | Myeongjong |
| McCune–Reischauer | Myŏngjong |
| Birth name | |
| Hangul | 왕흔, later 왕호 |
| Hanja | 王昕, later 王晧 |
| Revised Romanization | Wang Heun, later Wang Ho |
| McCune–Reischauer | Wang Hŭn, later Wang Ho |
| Courtesy name | |
| Hangul | 지단 |
| Hanja | 之旦 |
| Revised Romanization | Jidan |
| McCune–Reischauer | Chidan |
| Posthumous name | |
| Hangul | 광효대왕 |
| Hanja | 光孝大王 |
| Revised Romanization | Gwanghyo Daewang |
| McCune–Reischauer | Kwanghyo Taewang |
Myeongjong (8 November 1131 – 3 December 1202), personal name Wang Ho, was the 19th king of Korea's Goryeo dynasty. He was the third son of King Injong. His reign marked the beginning of the century-long military rule of Korea known as the Goryeo military regime.
Although it was intended that King Injong's second son should succeed his father, he was assassinated because Chŏng Chung-bu feared that he might become a threat to him in the future. Myeongjong was a weak puppet king, and was merely on the throne to show the general populace they still had a king, as the true rulers were the military leaders who had launched a coup d'état against Myeongjong's older brother and had established a military government. Despite this, Myeongjong did attempt to play off the military leaders against each other to both secure his own survival but also in an attempt to regain royal authority. His reign saw constant bloodshed as well as the deaths of the military rulers Chŏng Chung-bu, Yi Ŭi-bang, Kyŏng Tae-sŭng, and Yi Ŭi-min.
After twenty-seven years on the throne, he was sent into exile by the military ruler of the time, Ch'oe Ch'ung-hŏn. King Injong's fifth son, King Sinjong, was placed on the throne.