Tomb of Prince Yeongchang | Attraction Guide | K-Travel Mate

This is the tomb of Prince Yeongchang, the only son of King Seonjo born to his primary wife, Queen Inmok, who received special favor from Seonjo. Supported by the Western faction including Yu Yeong-gyeong, he had the possibility of being appointed crown prince instead of Gwanghaegun, who was already designated, but this did not happen due to Seonjo's sudden death. After Gwanghaegun's accession, he was disliked as a threat to the throne by the Greater Northern faction including Yi I-cheom. The 'Seven Servants' Case' involved seven non-royal conspirators who falsely testified about a plot to enthrone Prince Yeongchang. As a result, Prince Yeongchang was demoted to a commoner and exiled to Ganghwa-do, where the governor confined him in a room and killed him with heat from a wood fire. In 1623, after the Injo Restoration that ousted Gwanghaegun, his status was restored. In the Joseon Dynasty, royal tombs were categorized as neung, won, or myo; myo refers to general graves, including those of royal descendants, concubines, or the king's father such as Daewongun. Prince Yeongchang's tomb was originally located below Namhansanseong in Gwangju-gun but was relocated to the current site in August 1971 due to Seongnam city's development plans.