Hyejong (912 – 23 October 945), personal name Wang Mu, was the second king of the Goryeo dynasty of Korea. He was preceded by King Taejo and succeeded by King Jeongjong.
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Early life
Hyejong was born to King Taejo and his second wife, Janghwa of the "Oh" clan. She was the daughter of the Magistrate of Naju, O Ta-ryŏn. Taejo met and married her while serving in Naju as a general of Taebong under Gung Ye.
In 921, Hyejong was proclaimed Crown Prince and Royal Successor with support from General Bak Sul-Hui. Almost immediately after being named Crown Prince, Hyejong followed his father Taejo into battle against Later Baekje and played a major role in numerous victories. In 943, Hyejong rose to the throne upon his father's death.
Reign
Hyejong's reign was marked with conspiracy and power struggles among Taejo's sons. The first of these conspiracies was led by Princes Wang Yo and Wang So, sons of Taejo and his third consort, Queen Sinmyeongsunseong of the Chungju Yu clan, which possessed considerable political influence. Upon realizing the conspiracy by the two princes, Wang Gyu warned Hyejong of the conspiracy, but plotted to put his grandson, one of Hyejong's younger half-brothers, on the throne when Hyejong did nothing to stop the conspiracy of the two princes.
Death
Hyejong died in 945, during the second year of his reign from mercury poisoning in his bath water. He had eczema, which caused red itchy patches on his skin and difficulty breathing. Although he had a son who was named crown prince, he was succeeded by his third brother Wang Yo, who claimed the throne by force with the backing of their fourth brother Wang So and subsequently crowned as Jeongjong.
Family
Father: Taejo of Goryeo
Grandfather: Wang Ryung, King Wimu the Great
Grandmother: Queen Wisuk of the Han clan
Mother: Queen Janghwa of the Naju Oh clan
Grandfather: Oh Da-ryeon, Prince Daryeon
Grandmother: Lady Yeon Deok-gyo
Consorts and their Respective Issue(s):
Queen Uihwa of the Jincheon Im clan
Prince Heunghwa, 1st son
Lady Gyeonghwa, 1st daughter
Princess Jeongheon, 2nd daughter
Lady Hugwangjuwon of the Gangneung Wang clan – No issue.
Lady Cheongjuwon of the Cheongju Kim clan – No issue.
Palace Lady Aeiju, of the Yeon clan
Wang Je, 2nd son
Lady Myeonghye, 3rd daughter
In popular culture
Portrayed by Ahn Jung-hoon and Seo Hyun-suk in the 2000–2002 KBS1 TV series Taejo Wang Geon.
Portrayed by No Young-gook in the 2002–2003 KBS1 TV series The Dawn of the Empire.
Portrayed by Kim San-ho in the 2016 SBS TV series Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo.