Royal Noble Consort Subin Park

In this Korean name, the family name is Park, and Su-bin is a title, not a personal name.

Royal Noble Consort Su of the Bannam Park clan 수빈 박씨
Royal Noble Consort of the First Senior Rank
Tenure	1787–1823
Born	1 June 1770 Joseon
Died	31 January 1823 (1823-02-01) (aged 52) Bogyeongdang Hall, Changdeok Palace, Hanseong, Joseon
Burial	Hwigyeongwon Tomb, Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea
Spouse	Yi San, King Jeongjo (m.1787–d.1800)
Issue	Sunjo of Joseon Princess Sukseon
House	Bannam Park (by birth) Jeonju Yi (by marriage)
Father	Park Jun-won
Mother	Lady Won of the Wonju Won clan
Religion	Korean Buddhism

Korean name
Hangul	수빈 박씨
Hanja	綏嬪 朴ほお氏し
Revised Romanization	Subin Bakssi
McCune–Reischauer	Supin Pakssi
Posthumous name
Hangul	현목수비
Hanja	顯あらわ穆きよし綏妃ひ
Revised Romanization	Hyeonmok Subi
McCune–Reischauer	Hyŏnmok Supi

Royal Noble Consort Su of the Bannam Park clan (Korean: 수빈 반남 박씨; Hanja: 綏嬪 潘はん南みなみ 朴ぼく氏し; 1 June 1770 – 31 January 1823) was a concubine of Jeongjo of Joseon and the mother of King Sunjo. She was also given an alternative royal title, Royal Noble Consort Yu (유빈; 綏嬪).

Biography

Early life

The future Royal Consort was born on May 21, 1770, into the Bannam Park clan, as the fourth child and second daughter of Park Jun-won, the Minister of Justice, and Lady Won of the Wonju Won clan.

Life as Royal Concubine

In 1787, because King Jeongjo was once again heirless, Queen Dowager Yesun decided to choose a new concubine for her step-grandson, and Lady Park was selected on February 8, when she was 16 years old.

Three days later, on February 11, Lady Park was invested as a concubine of the Bin rank, with the prefix Su (綏), meaning "upright/pacifist". The following day, the new Royal Noble Consort Su entered the palace.

On July 27, 1790, she gave birth to a son, Yi Gong (이공), who was appointed as Crown Prince in 1800, at the age of 10.

On March 1, 1793, Lady Park gave birth to Princess Sukseon (숙선옹주).

Su-bin was described as gentle, well-behaved and courteous. She was also usually taciturn and lived simply. As a result, she was greatly admired as "a benevolent concubine" (賢けん嬪).

She is the only concubine in Joseon's history who lived long enough to see her son ascend the throne.

Death and burial

On January 31, 1823, Royal Noble Consort Su died at Bogyeongdang Hall in Changdeok Palace.

Originally, she was buried in Dongdaemun District, Seoul, but in 1855 (the 6th year of King Cheoljong's reign), when Illeung, the tomb of King Sunjo, was moved to another location, her tomb was also moved to Sungangwon. In the 14th year of King Cheoljong's reign, it was moved again to its current place (in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province), because the location of the Sungangwon was reportedly not good, according to Feng Shui. The tomb is known as Hwigyeongwon.

Her ancestral tablet is enshrined in Chilgung (or the "Palace of Seven Royal Concubines"). Because of this, she is also known as Lady Gasun (가순궁; 嘉よしみ順じゅん宮みや) or Lady Gyeongwoo (경우궁; 景けい祐ゆう宮みや).

Posthumously, Lady Park was firstly honoured as Hyeonmok Subin (현목수빈), but in 1901, during the 5th year of Emperor Gwangmu's reign, her title was changed to Hyeonmok Subi (현목수비).

Family

• Father: Park Jun-won (박준원; 1739–1807)
• Mother: Lady Won of the Wonju Won clan (원주 원씨; 1740–1783)
• Siblings
  • Older brother: Park Jong-bo (박종보; 朴ぼく宗輔そうすけ; 1760–1807)
  • Older brother: Park Jong-gyeong (박종경; 朴ほお宗慶そうけい; 1765–1817)
  • Older sister: Lady Park of the Bannam Park clan (정부인 반남 박씨; 貞さだ夫人ふじん 潘はん南みなみ 朴ぼく氏し)
  • Younger brother: Park Jong-ik (박종익; 朴ぼく宗はじめ翊; 1773–1791)
  • Younger brother: Park Jong-hui (박종희; 朴ぼく宗はじめ喜き; 1775–1849)
  • Younger sister: Lady Park of the Bannam Park clan (반남 박씨)
  • Younger sister: Lady Park of the Bannam Park clan (반남 박씨)
  • Younger sister: Lady Park of the Bannam Park clan (반남 박씨)
  • Younger half-brother: Park Jong-yeom (박종염; 朴ぼく宗はじめ琰; 1797–1857)
  • Younger half-brother: Park Jong-yeong (박종영; 朴ぼく宗そう永ひさし; 1804–?)
• Husband: Yi San, King Jeongjo of Joseon (이산 조선 정조; 28 October 1752 – 18 August 1800)
  • Mother-in-law: Queen Heongyeong of the Pungsan Hong clan (헌경왕후 홍씨; 6 August 1735 – 13 January 1816)
  • Father-in-law: Yi Seon, King Jangjo of Joseon(조선 장조 이선; 13 February 1735 – 12 July 1762)
• Issue
  • Son: Yi Gong, King Sunjo of Joseon (이공 조선 순조; 29 July 1790 – 13 December 1834)
    • Daughter-in-law: Queen Sunwon of the Andong Kim clan (순원왕후 안동 김씨; 8 June 1789 – 21 September 1857)
  • Daughter: Princess Sukseon (숙선옹주; 1 March 1793 – 7 June 1836)
    • Son-in-law: Hong Hyeon-ju (홍현주; 1793–1865)