Empress Myeongseong was the official wife of Gojong, the 26th king of Joseon and the first emperor of the Korean Empire. During her lifetime, she was known by the name Queen Min. After the founding of the Korean Empire, she was posthumously given the title of Myeongseong, the Great Empress.
Empress Myeongseong
A posthumous status representation of King Gojong and Empress Myeongseong Elementary History of Korea (1908). No verified uncontested contemporary photograph of the Empress has so far been found, though there has been much speculation as to whether a photograph might have survived.
House of Gamgodang, the birthplace of Empress Myeongseong
1892 A street in the Japanese quarter of Busan, being of the character described by Isabella Bird.
Gojong, personal name Yi Myŏngbok, later Yi Hui, also known as the Gwangmu Emperor, was the penultimate Korean monarch. He ruled Korea for 43 years, from 1864 to 1907, first as the last king of Joseon, and then as the first emperor of the Korean Empire from 1897 until his forced abdication in 1907. His wife, Queen Min, played an active role in politics until her assassination.
Gojong
Portrait of Gojong (age 49)
Portrait of Gojong wearing Tongcheonggwan and Gangsapo
Gojong and the Crown Prince Sunjong with their Pickelhaube
