King Seonjo - Senso (English spelling) Sǒnjo

Japanese: 宣祖 - せんそ（英語表記）Sǒnjo

[Born] Myeongjong 7 (1552)
[Died] King Seonjo 41 (1608)
The 14th king of the Joseon Dynasty (Yi Dynasty) of Korea (reigned 1567-1608). His childhood name was Kin. His given name was En. His posthumous name was Sogyeong. He was the third son of Deokheung Daewongun. He ascended to the throne according to his uncle Myeongjong's will as he had no children. At the beginning of his reign, he appointed many talented people such as Yi Toegye, Yi Yulgok, and Baek Ingul to govern the country, and he also published works such as Yuseonrok, Geonsirok, and Heart Gyeong to encourage Confucianism. However, around 1575, the 8th year of King Seonjo's reign, the people split into Easterners and Westerners, and factional strife broke out. The Easterners, who had taken power over the issue of the investiture of the crown prince, further split into Southerners and Northerners over the issue of the charges against Westerners, and conflict broke out. In the midst of such factional strife, the national government became corrupt and chaotic. On the other hand, the nation was completely exhausted by the invasion of the Jurchens from the north and the Japanese pirates from the south, followed by the Japanese Wars of Imjin and Jeongyou (1521-1526) which lasted for seven years from 2592. Even after the wars, factional strife continued and the Joseon dynasty was on a downward path.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

[生]明宗7(1552)
[没]宣祖41(1608)
朝鮮，朝鮮王朝 (李朝) の第 14代の王 (在位 1567～1608) 。幼名は釣 (きん) 。諱はえん。諡は昭敬。徳興大院君の第3子。伯父の第 13代明宗に子がなかったので遺言により王位についた。即位の初め，李退渓，李栗谷，白仁傑ら多くの人材を登用し，治政に努める一方，『儒先録』『近思録』『心経』などを刊行し，儒学を奨励した。しかし宣祖8 (1575) 年頃から東人，西人に分れ，党争が起った。世子冊封問題で執権した東人は，西人に対する論罪問題でさらに南人と北人に分裂して抗争した。このような党争の渦中で，国政は腐敗，紊乱した。一方，北方からは女真の侵入があり，南方からは倭寇の来侵，続けて同 25年から7年間にわたる壬辰・丁酉の倭乱 (→文禄・慶長の役 ) によって国力はまったく疲弊した。戦乱ののちも，党争は継続し，朝鮮王朝は衰退の方向をたどった。

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