Early Life
He was the son of Crown Prince Sado, who was put to death by his own father, King Yeongjo. His mother, Lady Hyegyeong, wrote an autobiography, The Memoirs of Lady Hyegyeong (한중록, 閑中錄), detailing her life as the ill-fated Crown Princess of Korea. This collection of memoirs serves as an invaluable source of historical information on the political happenings during the reigns of King Yeongjo, King Jeongjo and King Sunjo.
When he was the Crown Prince, King Jeongjo met Hong Guk-yeong (홍국영, 洪國榮), a controversial politician who first strongly supported Jeongjo's accession and toiled to improve the king's power, but ended up being expelled because of his desire for power.
Jeongjo spent much of his reign trying to clear his father's name. He also moved the court to the city of Suwon to be closer to his father's grave. He built Hwaseong Fortress to guard the tomb. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Read more about this topic: Jeongjo Of Joseon
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