Korean Court Names and Posthumous Titles of Royalty

The Multi-Layered Royal Identity

During the Joseon Dynasty, a king was almost never addressed by their birth name. Doing so was a severe taboo (Hwi). Instead, royalty navigated life and death with a highly complex network of official titles, court names, and posthumous honors. To understand historical Korean royalty is to understand the language of court naming.

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1. The Temple Name (Myoho)

The names we commonly use today to refer to Joseon kings (e.g., King Sejong, King Taejo) are actually **Myoho (묘호)**—temple names bestowed by court scholars after the king's passing.

- **The Suffix "-jo" (조 - 祖)**: Bestowed upon kings who founded a dynasty, saved the nation during massive foreign invasions, or led a major political restoration (e.g., Taejo, Sunjo).

- **The Suffix "-jong" (종 - 宗)**: Bestowed upon kings who successfully maintained the dynasty's virtues, laws, and Confucian peace during stable eras (e.g., Sejong, Seongjong).

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2. Posthumous Titles (Siho)

A **Siho (시호)** is an honorary title describing the king's lifelong character, military achievements, or moral virtues. Court scholars spent months selecting specific Chinese characters that served as a moral report card for the deceased monarch.

- For example, if a king was highly scholarly and peaceful, characters representing "civil/literature" (Mun - 文) were included. If they excelled in military defense, "military" (Mu - 武) was selected.

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3. Honorific Titles (Jonho)

A **Jonho (존호)** is a title of praise offered during the monarch's lifetime to celebrate major anniversaries, national milestones, or successful diplomatic achievements. These titles could be accumulated, resulting in extremely long official legal names used in royal court documents.

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Conclusion

The court naming system demonstrates the profound respect Joseon society held for moral character and historical legacy. A king's name was not just a personal identifier, but a permanent public decree of their moral score, immortalized forever in the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty.