The Renaissance King of Korea

Just recently I purchased a Roku box, which allows me to stream content on my TV from the internet. I discovered the Cruncyroll.com application and started watching Korean drama programs. The first program I wastched was "Princess Hours," a fictional what if... What if the Korean Monarchy was still in place? What if a common girl was married to the crown prince? It was fun and interesting and ended after 24 episodes. It piqued my curiosity and I found I really liked this kind of stuff. So I then plunged into the 60 episode historical drama "Dong Yi." What fun that was! I was totally taken by the costumes and the portrayals of life in a completely different culture. I could tell this was highly fictionalized, but it was fun anyway. I followed up with "Jewel In The Palace." And then I took a deep breath and launched into the 77 episodes of "Yi San," based on the life of King Jeungjo, or Chungso - depending on which translator is spellling it.

Once again I was completely enthralled with the pageantry, the costumes, the high emotional drama and court complications and wondered how much of it was true. I wanted to know more about King Jeungjo. He ascended the throne in 1776 and died in 1800 at the age of 48 years.

I want to know more about this king, because he seemed to be quite a visionary. His early years were marred by the death of his father, Crown Prince Sado, at the hands of his father, King Yungjo. Yet, he became one of the few Korean kings given the honorific, "great." (http://www.transparent.com/korean/korean-princes-and-kings/)

King Jeungjo apparently worked very hard at reforming the royal court and Korean society. He seemed to take to heart his title, "Father of the Country," paying attention not only to the nobles and wealthy merchants, but to the lower classes as well. In what I have been able to find out, he cared more about a person being smart and capable than their birth status, and he worked hard to make life more bearable for the lower classes, the people who had no priveleges at all.

Innovative, reformative and hard-working, he is considered one of the most effective rulers of the Josean Dynasty. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeongjo_of_Joseon)

And here is what I find remarkable. On the other side of the world, in 1776, the same year King Jeungjo took the throne, there was a shot heard round the world that he knew nothing of. The world was changing and a new experiment in government was being undertaking during those same years, 1776 to 1800. Our founding fathers in the Americas were struggling to find a way to stop exploitation, to give people a chance to improve their lot in life, to allow them to achieve great things by their own will, courage and ability.

And there, in this tiny country, with no great influence, a tributary to China, stood a king who struggled to do the same thing, stop exploitation, give people a chance to improve their lot in life and allow them to achieve great things by their own will, courage and ability.

How remarkable is that?

I have no illusions. King Jeungjo was not perfect. He was no King Benjamin and his reign had it's own share of treachery and blood, but I believe he was a king who tried, and he came at a time when the world was changing. He was just one step ahead.

And I just find that interesting.