Biography

The day after his birth, his mother, Queen Hyeondeok (1418 ~ 1441), died in childbirth.

King Danjong succeeded his father, Munjong of Joseon, at the age of 12. Since he was too young to rule, the government of the kingdom fell to the Chief State Councilor, Hwangbo In, and his Left State Councilor, General Kim Jong-seo, with his sister, Princess Gyeonghye acting as his guardian.

In 1453, this government was overthrown in a coup led by the king's uncle, Sejo of Joseon, who persuaded a number of scholars and officials who had served in the court of Sejong the Great to support his claim to the throne. Hwangbo In and Kim Jong-seo were seized and murdered in front of the gate of Gyeongbokgung; in 1455 Danjong was forced to abdicate and exiled to Yeongwol County.

The following year, six officials of the court attempted to restore him to power, but their plot was discovered and they were immediately executed. Perceiving that he would present a continuing threat to his rule, Sejo then accepted the advice of the court and ordered that Danjong be disposed of. In 1457, he was put to death at his place of exile.

Danjong had been stripped of his title at the time he was exiled, and was afterwards referred to as "Prince Nosan". In the reign of King Sukjong, scholars at his court proposed that his title be restored, and in 1698, the demoted Prince Nosan was posthumously restored, receiving the posthumous name of "Danjong", and thereafter was referred to as King Danjong.

Family

• Father: King Munjong of Joseon (15 November 1414 – 1 June 1452) (조선 문종)

　• Grandfather: King Sejong of Joseon (15 May 1397 – 8 April 1450) (세종)

　• Grandmother: Queen Soheon of the Cheongsong Shim clan (12 October 1395 – 19 April 1446) (소헌왕후 심씨)

• Mother: Queen Hyeondeok of the Andong Kwon clan (17 April 1418 – 10 August 1441) (현덕왕후 권씨)

　• Grandfather: Kwon Jeon (1371 – 18 November 1441) (권전)

　• Grandmother: Lady Choi of the Haeju Choi clan (? – 1456) (해주 최씨)

• Sister: Princess Gyeonghye (1436 – 30 December 1473) (경혜공주)

• Half sister: Princess Gyeongsuk (1439 – 1482) (경숙옹주)

• Consorts and their Respective Issue(s):

• Queen Jeongsun of the Yeosan Song clan (1440 – 7 July 1521) (정순왕후 송씨)

• Consort Sugui of the Sangsan Kim clan (1440 – 1525) (숙의 김씨)

• Consort Sugui of the Andong Kwon clan (? – 1519) (숙의 권씨)

His full posthumous name

• King Danjong Gongeui Onmun Sunjeong Anjang Gyungsun Donhyo the Great of Korea

• 단종공의온문순정안장경순돈효대왕

• 端宗恭懿溫文純定安莊景順敦孝大王

生平

端宗乃文宗唯一的兒子，出生後不久生母顯德王后便過世，1448年被立為王世孫，1450年被立為王世子，1452年即位。端宗的叔父首陽大君李瑈在1453年發動癸酉靖難，殺了一些重要官員，掌握了朝廷的實權。1455年端宗被迫禪讓予李瑈，被尊為恭懿溫文太上王的端宗被幽禁。後來成三問、朴彭年等六位大臣密謀使端宗復闢，事敗被殺，是為死六臣事件。期間，端宗的另外兩個叔父安平大君李瑢和錦城大君李瑜先後欲協助端宗zh-hans:复; zh-hant:復;位，但均被李瑈殺害。

1457年，端宗被降封為魯山君，流放至江原道清泠浦。該地三面為深水，僅剩一面則是險峻的懸崖，只有乘船渡江才能出去。該年夏天這裡發生洪水，于是世祖將其遷到更險惡的寧越，並在同年十二月二十四日派去使臣，向魯山君賜死，魯山君在寧越的觀風梅竹樓內飲藥酒自盡，尸體被使者拋入江中，最後由寧越的一個小戶長偷偷收尸安置，這個戶長一家都因此被殺害。

後朝鮮使臣至明，明朝禮部問「廢王」去向，朝鮮「朝天使臣」李浚慶對答曰：「為尋建文帝，乘彼白雲而去」（諷刺明朝永樂帝亦叔姪相殘，「乘雲」則代表端宗已死）。其時明英宗奪門之變複闢不久，事涉隱秘，明禮部旋不敢多問。

因為端宗之後的朝鮮國君主均出自世祖一脈，因此任何對世祖繼位的指責都將成為對朝鮮王朝本身的質疑。正因如此，直到復位，朝廷一直以魯山君的名義祭奠端宗，其祭奠過程與燕山君相同。直至肅宗七年，魯山君被追封為魯山大君，肅宗二十四年被追尊為端宗，謚號為純定安莊景順敦孝大王，陵號為莊陵。魯山君夫人宋氏被追封為定順王后，徽號為端良齊敬，陵號為思陵。端宗與定順王后的神主移入宗廟永寧殿，並舉行了袝廟之禮。與此同時《魯山君日記》升格為《端宗實錄》，並在莊陵附近修建「死六臣祠」，為其舉行國家級別的祭祀。該事件被後世稱為「端宗復位」。與同一時期為定宗追上廟號一事相似，這兩件事體現了根扎于肅宗頭腦之中的理學思想，同時也是對世祖及太宗不遵守禮法行為的批判。

妻妾

王后

嬪御

附註

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