Prince Hamnyeong

Prince Hamnyeong (Hamnyeong-gun, 28 January 1403 (26th day of the 12th lunar month of 1402) – 5 November 1467 (30th day of the 9th lunar month)) was a royal of Joseon, the fifth son of Taejong and the second son by a secondary consort. His mother was Royal Consort Sin (Joseon).

Life

His personal name was In (䄄) and his courtesy name was Jeonggyeong (整卿). In 1402 (2nd year of Taejong's reign), he was born as the eldest son of Taejong and Royal Consort Sin (Joseon) (Lady Sinnyeong-gungju).¹

In 1413 (13th year of Taejong's reign), he was enfeoffed as Jeongyun (正尹), and the following year as Wonyun (元尹), at which time his birth mother, Lady Sin, was also invested as Princess Sinnyeong.

On 2 February 1416 (16th year of Taejong's reign), he married the daughter of Choi Sakang (崔士康), Vice Minister of the Board of War (兵曹參判), and had one son and two daughters.

In 1417 (17th year of Taejong's reign), he was enfeoffed as Prince Gongnyeong (恭寧君).

In 1429 (11th year of Sejong's reign), he was sent as an envoy to the Ming dynasty by royal command, and at that time he obtained permission from the reigning emperor, Xuande, to exempt Joseon from the annual tribute of gold and silver.

In January 1430 (12th year of Sejong's reign), he became Prince Gongnyeong with the senior first rank Grand Master for Writing Daegwang Boguk Sungnok (大匡輔國崇祿大夫), and his spouse, Lady Choi, was promoted to Lady Jeonju.

In 1433 (15th year of Sejong's reign), his title was changed to Hamnyeong (諴寧君) through a re-enfeoffment, because it resembled the title Hongnyeong (弘寧君) of Hongnyeong and because it avoided Taejong's posthumous name Gongjeong (恭定).²

In 1467 (13th year of Sejo's reign), he died, and his posthumous name was Yangjeong (襄靖).

Character and anecdotes

He is said to have been lively and eloquent.

In 1429 (11th year of Sejong's reign), as an envoy for the annual tribute mission, he went to Beijing in the Ming dynasty, obtained exemption from the annual tribute of gold and silver, and on his return received gifts from Emperor Xuande, including four sets of Chinese silk robes, ten bolts of silk for outer and inner garments, one gold belt and one rhinoceros-horn belt, and 100 nyang of silver coins. At that time, envoys from Joseon were not permitted in the Ming to wear belts made of water buffalo horn; however, as soon as Prince Hamnyeong received this belt, he put it on at once, and from then on Korean envoys were allowed to wear water buffalo-horn belts while in China.