Not too many tombs left in the Joseon Dynasty tomb quest! Jeongneung is a reminder of how much power people had in the afterlife, and that your rank can still fluctuate even after death.

Jeongneung (정능) is the burial place of Queen Sindeok (신덕왕후 강씨, 神德王后, ?-1396) – second wife of King Taejo (the first Joseon-Dynasty king) and mother to . While located in Seoul, Jeongneung will require some looking to find – it’s at the top of a hill, past a residential area and not far from a traditional Korean market.

Queen Sindeok can rightfully be the first queen of Joseon; Taejo’s first wife, Queen Sinui, died a year before Taejo was enthroned. One of Queen Sinui’s sons – the future King Taejong – will figure into the picture a little later.

A story of Sindeok and Taejo’s first meeting is told in the tourist brochure. During a hunting excursion, Sindeok handed Taejo a gourd of water – with willow leaves. She explained that the leaves would prevent him from drinking the water too fast, which would make him (and you) feel a little weird.

In life, Queen Sindeok had substantial political power. Although she was the second of Taejo’s wives, she ensured her son became Grand Prince / Prince Royal Uian – next in line for the throne. This did not sit well with Taejo’s fifth son, the future king Taejong and Uian’s half-brother.

It’s here where Queen Sindeok became seriously ill. King Taejo had 50 monks gather at the palace to pray for her. After her death, he grieved over a wife he loved, weeping loudly and having a temple built to pray for her soul. The royal records show the King skipped his morning meeting to pay the temple a visit instead – putting her above his official duties.

While Taejo grieved, the future King Taejong heard of a plot to kill him and make Uian king. Taejong struck first, killing Uian, Queen Sindeok’s other son Muan, the prime minister, and the followers that led the plot. In shock, King Taejo left the throne to his second son, who became King Jeongjong. After being pressured by his little brother, Jeongjong promoted Taejong to ‘heir presumptive’ and abdicated.

Now King, Taejong wasted little time in repaying old debts. Instead of letting the tomb of Queen Sindeok remain a peaceful place, he allowed a town to be built right next to the tomb. This allowed the richer and more connected families to cut down the trees in the area. Try to rest in peace when they’re chopping down your forest only 100 steps away. As another kick in the face, the 병풍석 (byeongpungseok, or the stone wall behind the mound) was removed to repair a bridge. Picture someone removing your tombstone, then using it to fix a pothole in the road.

After King Taejo died in 1408, Taejong added more insult to injury. He moved Sindeok’s tomb outside the capital (its present-day location) and demoted the Queen to a ‘court concubine’. He struck her name from the royal register at Jongmyo, and rewrote his own mother (Queen Sinui, Taejo’s first wife) as the king’s only wife. Queen Sindeok in life now rested in an lonely unmarked country grave.

It wasn’t until 1669 that the tomb was restored to its former glory and re-registered in Jongmyo. On the day that happened, it poured. That rain was called the 洗寃之雨 (Seowonjiu), or the ‘rain that washed away her resentment’. Today, the tomb remains where Taejong moved it, although Seoul is a much larger city now. What was the countryside hundreds of years ago is now an active, busy part of an older part of Seoul. Today’s tomb carries on as a royal tomb, but has fewer statues and stone guardians than other tombs.

A fairly standard stele, displaying the Queen’s achievements. Like virtually all Joseon Dynasty tombs, there’s no translation available for the English-speaking tourist.

A peek inside the shrine; this is one of the few with a display of goblets and other tableware used during memorial rites.

Although some of the trees were originally cut down, they’ve had plenty of time to grow back. The area is above the noise of the big city below,

One of the few stone statues present – this one is of a civil official.

The tumulus, or tomb mound of Queen Sindeok. One of the stone pillars is on the left, and part of the stone table is visible to the right.

The view from the top.

As with other tombs, the whole story isn’t available on-site. If you’re visiting northeastern Seoul and want to check a tomb out, this is a fine place to fit in; otherwise, there are more interesting examples of Joseon Dynasty tombs nearby. See Heolleung and Illeung in southern Seoul for a peaceful example, or Uireung for a closer one.

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Directions to Jeongneung: Take line 4 of the Seoul subway system to the Gireum (기름) station. From exit 6, take bus 171, 1114 or 1213 to the Jeongneung Gireum Market (정능기름시장). Once off the bus, begin walking uphill – the entrance to Jeongneung is at the top of a one-way road.

© Chris Backe – 2011

This post was originally published on my blog,Chris in South Korea. If you are reading this on another website and there is no linkback or credit given, you are reading an UNAUTHORIZED FEED.

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