Queen Jeonghui

Early life

The future Queen Jeonghui was born during the reign of King Sejong, as the youngest daughter and ninth child among three sons and seven daughters. Her father was Yun Beon and her mother was a lady from the Incheon Yi clan.

Lady Yun's eldest sister married the maternal uncle of her daughter-in-law, Queen Insu.

Her elder brother, Yun Sa-yun, became the great-grandfather of Queen Janggyeong and Yun Im.

Her younger brother, Yun Sa-heun, became the great-great-grandfather of Queen Munjeong, Yun Won-hyeong, and Yun Won-ryang (윤원량; father of King Injong's consort, Concubine Suk).

Lady Yun was a first cousin once removed of two of King Munjong's consorts, Concubine Suk and Soyong Yun (소용 윤씨), as well as Yun U (윤우) and Yun Am (윤암), the husbands of Princess Suknyong (숙녕옹주) and Princess Sukkyong (숙경옹주), King Taejong's 10th and 16th daughters, respectively.

Another first cousin once removed, Yun Gon (윤곤), married Han Myeong-hoe's aunt; they were the great-grandparents of Queen Jeonghyeon.

Her paternal grandmother was a niece of Empress Gwon (권황후), the wife of Biligtü Khan.

Her maternal grandmother was a niece of Consort Geun, making Lady Yun a first cousin twice times removed of King Chang of Goryeo.

Through her great-great-great-grandfather, she was a first cousin three times removed of Consort Hui and a second cousin twice removed of her son, King Chungjeong of Goryeo.

Marriage

In 1428, shortly before her tenth birthday, Lady Yun married 11-year-old Grand Prince Suyang (then known as Grand Prince Jinpyeong), the second son of King Sejong and Queen Soheon. According to the unofficial history Songwa Japseol (송와잡설) compiled by Yi Gi (이기; 1522–1600), it was one of Lady Yun's elder sisters who was originally chosen as royal bride.

Lady Yun was greatly favored by her parents-in-law, and in 1438, she was allowed to give birth in the palace to her first son, Yi Jang. In 1441, a daughter was born, followed by a second son, Yi Hwang, in 1450. However, upon Queen Soheon's death, records note that Suyang had "one son and two daughters", so it is presumed that Lady Yun had given birth to another daughter before 1446.

Her father-in-law, King Sejong, died in 1450, and her brother-in-law, King Munjong, followed two years later. Consequently, Suyang's nephew, the 11-year-old King Danjong, acceded to the throne in 1452.

In 1453, Suyang launched a coup d'état that came to be known as the Gyeyu Purge (계유정난). It is said that when information regarding the coup leaked, Grand Prince Suyang hesitated to continue; it was Lady Yun who personally helped him put on his armor and encouraged him to proceed with his plans. He then eliminated Hwangbo In and Kim Jong-seo, and installed himself as chief state councilor.

In 1455, Suyang forced the young and weak King Danjong to abdicate, and acceded to the throne himself (posthumously King Sejo). Lady Yun thus became queen. This power shift paved the way for the Papyeong Yun clan's future uncontested influence.

As queen

Lady Yun was regarded as intelligent, with knowledge of affairs within and outside the palace. During her tenure, order returned to the Internal Court for the first time since the death of Queen Soheon a decade earlier.

Tragically, only two years after Sejo's accession, their elder son, Yi Jang (posthumously Crown Prince Uigyeong), suddenly perished. Lady Yun then orchestrated a number of schemes in order to convince Sejo to choose their younger son, 8-year-old Yi Hwang, as his successor.

This move strained the relationship between Lady Yun and her daughter-in-law, Lady Han (commonly known as Queen Insu), whose firm belief was that her and Crown Prince Uigyeong's son, Yi Chong, was the best choice for the position of heir.

Widowhood and regency

In 1468, as his health deteriorated, Sejo abdicated in favor of his second son, Yi Hwang (posthumously King Yejong), and Lady Yun became queen dowager. Sejo died a day later.

Because Yejong was frail and sickly, the officials supported Lady Yun in taking over governing. She oversaw all civil and military matters on behalf of the king, which allowed her to appoint her own people to important positions. She was the third woman since the founding of the dynasty to wield such tremendous power after Queen Sindeok and Queen Wongyeong, but the first to do so from the position of queen dowager.

In 1470, roughly a year after his accession, Yejong unexpectedly passed away days before his twentieth birthday without having named his successor, and another fierce strife ensued within the court.

Lady Yun designated Yi Hyeol, the younger son of the late Crown Prince Uigyeong, as the new king (posthumously King Seongjong), rather than Yejong's only surviving son, Yi Hyeon (이현), or Crown Prince Uigyeong's elder son, Yi Chong. The reasons cited were that Yi Hyeon was too young (not yet 4 years old), while Yi Chong had been in poor health from a young age. However, it is highly likely that Yi Hyeol being married to the daughter of Han Myeong-hoe, who had played a major role in Sejo's coup, contributed to Lady Yun's decision. It seems she judged it more advantageous to bring the powerful Han Myeong-hoe to her side given the unstable political situation.

Concerned about Seongjong's legitimacy, Lady Yun had Crown Prince Uigyeong posthumously honored as king and elevated Lady Han to the position of queen, later even declaring her status as higher than that of Queen Dowager Inhye, the widow of King Yejong.

As Seongjong was only 12 at the time of his accession, Lady Yun continued to manage state affairs in the king's stead, but in a formal capacity this time. When the officials initially requested that she become regent, Lady Yun refused, arguing that her daughter-in-law, Lady Han, was literate^[c] and would be more suitable than herself. Nevertheless, as it was the convention at the time to have the most senior member of the royal family act as regent, she eventually accepted the role, although she didn't take the lead outright and instead chose to discuss matters with her grandson, offering advice based on the experience she had accumulated over the years, particularly throughout King Sejo's reign.

During Lady Yun's regency, diplomatic relations with the Ming dynasty peaked, with trade flourishing between the two countries. Furthermore, a significant move was made to have the commoner farmers receive the right to cultivate fields that had originally belonged to the military. In 1474, the State Code, which was first ordered by King Sejo, was completed and put into effect. As a patron of the arts and Buddhism, she also commissioned Buddhist paintings and sutras.

Lady Yun's regency ultimately ended in 1476 when her grandson reached adulthood, but it is said that from around the time he turned 15, Seongjong handled most of the duties himself. From then on, Lady Yun mostly withdrew from palace affairs. Her final exercise of authority was actively spearheading the deposition and eventual execution of Seongjong's second wife, Queen Yun.

In 1483, she contracted the flu while visiting the hot springs at Onyang and passed away shortly thereafter. She was buried alongside King Sejo within Gwangneung (광릉) in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province.

After Lady Yun's death, all political power shifted into the hands of Queen Insu, who became the most senior elder in the palace, and her natal family, the Cheongju Han clan.