Naemyŏngbu

Although regulations concerning court ladies were introduced under King Taejo, detailed definitions of ranks, titles, and duties were outlined in the State Code of Joseon promulgated under King Seongjong, where the term naemyŏngbu appears.^[2]

Naemyŏngbu comprised women serving and/or living within the palace, but excluded the queen and the queens dowager who were beyond rank and oversaw the court ladies.^[1] By contrast, kungnyŏ refers to all court ladies below the senior fifth rank.^[2]

Within the Naemyŏngbu, the naegwan (내관; 內官) consisted of the royal consorts from the senior first rank to the junior fourth rank.

Court ladies from the senior fifth rank to the junior ninth rank were called kunggwan (궁관; 宮官; lit. ''palace official''), or alternatively yŏgwan (여관; 女官; lit. ''female official'').^[2] They were responsible for various palace chores depending on their position and might work in the royal chambers, kitchen, or laundry department.^[1]

During the Joseon period, the hierarchy between queens was determined by their familial relation with the reigning king.

The queen (왕비; 王妃; wangbi) was the principal consort of the reigning king.

The queen dowager (왕대비; 王大妃; wangdaebi) was the widow of the previous king; she was usually, but not always, the mother of the reigning king.

The grand queen dowager (대왕대비; 大王大妃; taewangdaebi) was the most senior widowed queen; she was usually the grandmother of the reigning king.

During the reign of King Cheoljong, the position of daebi (대비; 大妃) was created for the most junior dowager queen due to the presence in the palace of the widows of three kings. It was held by two women: Queen Hyojeong (second wife of King Heonjong; during Cheoljong's reign) and Queen Cheorin (wife of King Cheoljong; during Gojong's reign).

Earlier, Queen Sohye (commonly known as Queen Insu) and Queen Ansun had shared the position of queen dowager during the reign of King Seongjong (their biological and adoptive son, respectively), and that of grand queen dowager during the reign of Seongjong's son, Yeonsangun. Nevertheless, Queen Sohye was considered superior to Queen Ansun as her husband had been the elder brother and their father-in-law, King Sejo, had entrusted her with the task of protecting King Yejong (Queen Ansun's husband).

In the absence of a queen, the most senior dowager queen would serve as head of the Internal Court. However, even if the Queen headed the harem and the Inner Court, the presence of the elderly widows implied that as they could not be subject to the Queen because of their Senior rank. Instead they supervised her activities and ensured that she was governing the ladies of the Palace efficiently. In fact, it was chiefly the influence of the Dowager Queen that challenged a Queen Consort's hegemony as they were able to have the latter Deposed if her behaviour was deemed inappropriate or even elevated to the position of a Dowager Queen or the Queen Consortship, however, she could not appoint a Dowager Queen or Depose her.

If the Queen Consort did not produce a male heir, similar formal procedures as those used to select the Queen were followed to recruit royal concubines. Women thus selected entered the palace with the junior 2nd rank at the minimum, and they would be granted a special title if they had a son who became Crown Prince.^[3] Royal concubines were sometimes selected from women up to the age of 20.^[4]

Court ladies of the senior 5th to junior 9th ranks were recruited through various processes depending on the role. They were originally selected from among female servants who worked for public offices or the daughters of gisaeng, but gradually daughters of respectable families came to be recruited. To avoid their daughters being taken into the palace, many such families married off their daughters very young, leading to a revision to the State Code that girls born to good families would not be recruited.^[9] However, Lee Bae-yong suggests that this rule probably only applied to court ladies of the lower ranks, whereas those working closely with the King or Queen potentially continued to be recruited from good families.^[10]

Girls were recruited between ages 4 to 10, and successful candidates were bound to live their entire lives in the palace. The young girls were trained in their duties and taught to write in Korean vernacular script, as well as some Chinese characters. They began formally working around ages 11 to 12, with a coming-of-age ceremony held when they turned 18.^[10]

A woman only became eligible to hold the rank of sanggung (senior 5th) after 35 years of service.^[1] Both the head sanggung as well as the sanggung who personally attended the King or Queen could hold tremendous influence and power, but they typically lost it if a new monarch or consort was installed.^[10]

At the top was the queen dowager ("wangtaebi") or in some instances the grand queen dowager ("taewangtaebi"). The queen (jungjeon; 중전) was considered a junior to the queen(s) dowager, but was the one who controlled the Internal Court. She was immediately followed by four ranks of official royal consorts, with two levels each: senior (정; jeong) and junior (종; jong).

For the rank of bin, the king or queen would attach a prefix in association with the character/personality of the royal consort, such as hui (splendid), suk (pure), ui (proper), and so forth.

Senior 5th sanggung (상궁; 尙宮) and sangui (상의; 尙儀) were the court ladies who served directly under the royal family members, or the head manager of their assigned department. Depending on their role and department, there would be internal ranking within the sanggung. For example, a sanggung who served the queen has higher authority and ranking than a sanggung who serves a prince, princess, and/or royal consort.

A court lady who received the king's favor would become a "special court lady" (seungeun gungnyeo); however, they would not be considered a member of the royal family or part of the naegwan. On some occasions, special court ladies were promoted to the rank of sugwon.

Officially selected royal consorts would start from the rank of sugui. Favored royal consorts would start from the rank of sugwon. The most notable case is Huibin Jang (or Concubine Hui).

• Mingfu
• Myōbu
• Concubine
• Polygamy
• Styles and titles in the Joseon dynasty
• Women in the Joseon Dynasty
• Gungnyeo
• Naehun