Crown Princess Minhoe

Crown Princess Minhoe of the Geumcheon Kang clan (Korean: 민회빈 강씨; Hanja: 愍懷嬪 姜氏; 18 April 1611 – 30 April 1646¹²), also known as Crown Princess Consort Sohyeon (Korean: 소현세자빈; Hanja: 昭顯世子嬪; RR: Sohyeon Sejabin; MR: Sohyŏn Sech'apin), was the wife of Crown Prince Sohyeon, the son of King Injo of Joseon and Queen Inyeol of the Cheongju Han clan.

Biography

Early life and marriage

Lady Kang was born into the Geumcheon Kang clan to high-ranking state official, Kang Seok-gi, and his wife, Lady Shin of the Goryeong Shin clan as their second daughter and sixth child on 18 April 1611.

In 1627, Lady Kang, aged 16, was chosen by the court as a consort to the Crown Prince Sohyeon, the son of King Injo and Queen Inryeol.

Palace conflict and death

On 16 January 1636, the crown princess's mother-in-law died in Changgyeonggung as she suffered from postpartum illness.

In December 1636, when the Qing invasions happened, the crown princess spent 8 years as a hostage in the Qing Dynasty with Crown Prince Sohyeon. During her time there, she birthed 3 daughters and 2 sons.

After she returned to Korea in 1644, she and her husband suffered from Injo's cold treatment. Her step mother-in-law, Queen Jangryeol, had also been receiving the same treatment due to Royal Consort Gwi-in Jo who succeeded in having her father-in-law hating the young Queen, and thus moved palaces.

The crown prince and princess were being treated as such because King Injo and his close administrators condemned Sohyeon's conduct as pro-Qing, and even though Prince Sohyeon returned to Korea in 1645, his father King Injo persecuted him for attempting to modernize Korea by bringing in Catholicism and Western science.