Person

Heungseon Daewongun

1820–1898 · 19th century · Also known as Yi Ha-eung, Daewongun

Heungseon Daewongun, Yi Ha-eung, was the father of King Gojong and regent of Joseon from 1864 to 1873. He strengthened the throne by curbing the in-law clans, closing most private Confucian academies and rebuilding Gyeongbokgung. He kept Korea closed to the West, persecuted Catholics in 1866 and repelled French and American expeditions in 1866 and 1871. After his retirement he remained a powerful rival of Queen Min until his death.

Heungseon Daewongun
Image: Hulbert, Homer B. · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

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Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Heungseon Daewongun. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/heungseon-daewongun
MLA
“Heungseon Daewongun.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/heungseon-daewongun. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Heungseon Daewongun.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/heungseon-daewongun.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Heungseon Daewongun’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/heungseon-daewongun (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻