Deokeungdaewongun Tomb

Yi Cho, Deokeungdaewongun (1530–1559), was a son of King Jungjong of Joseon. In 1567, when King Myeongjong died without an heir, Yi Cho's third son, Yi Gyun, Prince Haseong, ascended the throne as King Seonjo, and in 1570 his late father was posthumously honoured with the title Deokeungdaewongun, meaning roughly "Internal Prince," a title given to the father of a reigning king who had himself never occupied the throne. The tomb lies on the southern side of Suraksan Mountain and takes the form of twin mounds (ssangbun) shared with his wife, Lady Jeong of the Hadong clan, who held the title Hadong Bu-daebuin. The mound is encircled by an octagonal stone border of long dressed stones, and a myopyo, a stele bearing the name of the deceased, stands between the two mounds. In front of this stele, which is of unsu-bangbu form, capped with a cloud motif on a square base, stand a spirit seat stone, a stone table, an incense-burner stone, and a stone lantern, flanked on either side by stone pillars (mangjuseok) and military official statues. These stone furnishings were newly made and erected after Yi Cho's posthumous elevation in 1570. The presence of military official statues is notably rare for the tomb of a royal prince, and appears to reflect a style adopted specifically for Daewongun tombs. At the lower part of the burial ground stands a spirit-path stele (sindobi) of gaeseok-gwibu form, topped with a roof-shaped capstone and set on a tortoise-shaped base, erected in 1573; its text was composed by Hong Seom, Lord Gangnyeong, and its calligraphy done by Song In, holder of the title Yeoseongwi, granted to a royal son-in-law. Deokeungdaewongun was Korea's first Daewongun, and his tomb later served as the model for the posthumous honouring and the tomb furnishings of Internal Prince Jeongwon, the biological father of King Injo, and Internal Prince Jeongye, the biological father of King Cheoljong.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Namyangju, Gyeonggi

Designation

Provincial Monument · 시도기념물