Queen Sindeok

Queen Sindeok (Korean: 신덕왕후; Hanja: 神德王后; 20 July 1356 – 23 September 1396), of the Goksan Kang clan, was the second wife of King Taejo, the founder of Joseon. Known as Queen Hyeon during her tenure, she was queen of Joseon from 1392 until her death in 1396. She served as Taejo's political adviser and had great influence in the founding of Joseon. Following the establishment of the Korean Empire, she was honored as Empress Sindeokgo.

Biography

Early life and lineage

The future Queen Sindeok was born during the reign of King Gongmin of Goryeo, as the younger daughter among four sons and two daughters. Her father was Kang Yun-seong and her mother was a lady from the Jinju Kang clan (진주 강씨).

Lady Kang's uncle, Kang Yun-chung (강윤충), married a daughter of Grand Prince Wanchang, Yi Seong-gye's uncle. Through this relationship, she was able to come into contact with Yi Seong-gye and soon became his wife.

Marriage

According to legends, Yi Seong-gye's first meeting with Lady Kang happened as such: one day while hunting a tiger, Yi Seong-gye got thirsty and found a well, and there was a woman at the well. When Yi Seong-gye asked the woman to pour him some water, she poured water into a gourd and then floated a handful of willow leaves on top of the water. At this, Yi Seong-gye rebuked her, saying, "What kind of evil is this?". The woman replied shyly that she had to rush because he was thirsty, and if he drank the cold water, he would get sick. After hearing this, Yi Seong-gye was deeply moved by, and looked carefully at the oustandingly beautiful woman. He was mesmerized by her wisdom and beauty. The woman at the well was Lady Kang. This story is the same as the story of the meeting between King Taejo of Goryeo and Queen Janghwa. Queen Janghwa and Lady Kang were both daughters of prominent aristocratic clans and the second wives of the founder of their respective dynasties.

During the Goryeo period, aristocratic men were allowed two wives; one wife was known as the kyŏngch'ŏ (경처), the capital wife, while the other wife was known as the hyangch'ŏ (향처), the countryside wife. Lady Kang married Yi Seong-gye in the late 1360s or early 1370s as his second () wife. At the time of the marriage, Lady Kang was more than 20 years younger than her husband; he already had a first () wife, , and at least four sons, with among them being older than Lady Kang.