The Prince in The Rice Box
What was a king to do when his son was a serial killer?
Crown Prince Sado, or Yi Seonm (1735–1762), was the son and heir to King Yeongjo of Joseon (modern-day Korea). Sado was the consort’s son, so he was not first in line for the throne. Following the death of his older brother, Sado was the unlikely heir-apparent to the Joseon crown. However, as time went on, it was evident that something was off about the prince.
Most of the information we have about Crown Prince Sado comes from his wife’s autobiography, Lady Hyegyeong, which she wrote in 1805. The text details their life together and the eventual death of her husband. While life started somewhat well, things began to change when the prince suffered an illness in 1745.
While the ten-year-old prince recovered, he was never the same. During this early illness, he often lost consciousness, and this perceived weakness caused a rift between father and son. It is said the prince would tremble when in his father’s presence. The king often enjoyed publicly embarrassing his son when he failed in official appointments as he got older.
At some point in 1752, Sado read a text called the Okchugyeong and hallucinated that he saw the Thunder God. After this, he developed a severe fear of storms and would not touch any object associated with the deity.
Modern medicine would diagnose Sado with likely bipolar disorder and severe anxiety. With current treatments, he likely would have been able to function normally. Perhaps he could have lived out his days, not as a king, but in a quiet life in the palace.
Sadly, in 18th-century Korea, mental disorders were not as well understood as it is today. Also, tradition and religious beliefs dictated that Sado would eventually be king.
A Downward Spiral
Prince Sado’s mental health further deteriorated in 1757 following the queen's and adoptive grandmother's death. Sado was close to both women, making the deaths extremely difficult. The further strain of his relationship with his father also took its toll on the prince.
To release his emotions and frustrations, Sado began to beat the court eunuchs and staff. Not long after the death of Queen Jeongseong, Sado entered his chamber with the severed head of a eunuch and made his wife and all present gaze upon it. It was not the last murder that the prince committed.
Sado’s violence increased as he not only killed staff on a whim but also sexually assaulted his wife’s ladies-in-waiting. His wife complained to Sado’s mother but asked that nothing be said to the king. She feared for her own safety if he knew his wife had told on him.
Another phobia of the prince developed in 1758. As Hyegyeong describes it, the dressing became an ordeal as the prince required several sets of clothing to be set out each day. He would then burn some of the clothes, and then hopefully chose an outfit. If there was an error, he would not get dressed that day, and his servant was punished.
Sado took a second concubine in 1757, and between his wives and mistresses produced two sons and two daughters. However, his frustrations with his relationship with his father caused him to become verbally and physically abusive towards his family. Sado also developed a stammer, which his father was convinced resulted from the prince being drunk. There was nothing Sado could do that pleased his father, and the prince lashed out at anyone he could.
By 1762 Sado’s behaviour had hit an all-time high. At this point, he was drinking heavily, which was a serious taboo in Korean society. He also took a second consort, a lady-in-waiting of his grandmother, which was seen as a violation of an incest taboo. Any time Sado was under stress, he lashed out, killing servants or animals as a way to “feel better.”
His killing sprees were confined to the palace walls and outside in the surrounding city. He took to disguising himself and sneaking out at night, and it is unknown how many victims he claimed. Though a body count is unknown, there are reports of daily removals of bodies from the palace.
The prince’s luck finally ran out in July of 1762. It had been brought to King Yeongjo that his son had turned his attention to his younger sister. Sado had attempted to seduce and rape the young girl. Also, Sado had an altercation with a court official and threatened to kill the man’s son; when he could not find the boy, it was rumored that Sado went after his father. Fearing for her grandchildren, Sado’s mother begged the king to deal with their son.
A Punishment Fit For a Prince?
King Yeongjo was in a difficult spot regarding what to do with his son. On July 4, 1762, Sado was summoned before his father. By tradition, the body of a royal could not be harmed. Also, as part of Korean common-law, Sado’s wife and son (the sole male heir) would face death or exile as part of communal punishment if Sado were executed.
Yeongjo came up with a solution. He stripped his son of his titles and then produced a large rice box. Sado was ordered to enter the chest, at which point the servant locked it. Sado was left in the chest to suffer the July heat. His blood would not be spilled, and nature would simply take its course.
After eight days without food and water, the screams and cries from the chest ended. Prince Sado has starved to death. After his death, Sado’s royal titles were restored. Yeongjo forbid the mention of his son’s name. Sado’s son, Jeongjo, was named heir and was proclaimed to the son of his dead uncle (Hyojang).
Once Jeongjo ascended the throne, he reclaimed his heritage. He also went so far as elevating his father to king status, with the name of Jangheon. As for Hyegyong, she did not commit suicide as many women of condemned prisoners did. Instead, she lived on either as a sign of her husband’s innocence or in protest of his treatment. She raised her children and told her life story so that we have an account of her and her husband’s tragic story.
If there is to be something positive from this story, Sado produced one of Korea’s greatest kings. Jeongjo did much to reform and improve life in his kingdom. His burial site is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
