Jeongjo of Joseon

Jeongjo (Korean: 정조; Hanja: 正祖; 28 October 1752 – 18 August 1800), personal name Yi San, sometimes known as Jeongjo the Great, was the 22nd monarch of Joseon. He was the second son of the ill-fated Crown Prince Sado and Lady Hyegyŏng, and ascended to the throne upon the death of his grandfather, King Yeongjo. Despite the persistence of factional struggles, his reign marked a cultural and political renaissance, and is considered one of the high points of the Joseon period. Today, he is generally regarded to be among the greatest leaders in Korean history. Following the establishment of the Korean Empire, he was honored as Emperor Seon. Jeongjo continued his grandfather's Tangpyeong policy (but took on a different approach, prioritizing the recruitment of the most talented scholars regardless of faction), encouraged the publication of literary collections and legal codes, established the Jangyongyeong Guard and the Kyujanggak Royal Library, and ordered the construction of Hwaseong Fortress. However, his appointment of Hong Guk-yeong left behind the malpractice of having state affairs swayed by close retainers. Furthermore, just before his death, worried about his young heir, he chose the daughter of Kim Jo-sun of the Andong Kim clan as crown princess; yet this turned out to be a self-defeating move that tilted power to one side and became the backdrop for the era of sedo politics (세도정치; 勢道政治; lit. ''power politics''; also known as "in-law politics").