Early life

Yi Ok-ha was born on 13 June 1511, as the eldest child and only daughter of King Jungjong and Queen Janggyeong. It was said that she was affectionately doted on by her father.

At the age of 4, she lost her mother to postpartum sickness after the birth of her younger brother, Crown Prince Yi Ho, on March 10, 1515. After her mother’s death, the Princess was raised by her maternal aunt, Princess Consort Paepyeong, wife of Yi Yi, Prince Deokpung, and by Royal Consort Gwi-in of the Uiryeong Nam clan, one of King Seongjong's concubines.^[4] But before Queen Janggyeong died, she entrusted her sister, Princess Consort Paepyeong, Princess Hyohye’s property. Saying that once the young princess became an adult, the princess consort should give it to her daughter.

In 1517, her father remarried, and Queen Munjeong became her step-mother. She had five younger half-siblings, which included the future King Myeongjong.

When her aunt Princess Consort Paepyeong was on her deathbed in 1536, she distributed some of Princess Hyohye’s property to her own son, Yi Yi, Prince Gyerim, and the rest to the princess. But the princess was dissatisfied with the distribution of her inherited property, and later complained to Queen Munjeong. This prompted Queen Munjeong to summon Prince Gyerim and rebuked him.

Prince Gyerim was hated by Queen Munjeong and was eventually executed in 1545 for being involved in Eulsasahwa.

Marriage

On December 14, 1520, there was a selection for the husband of the Princess (buma gantaek; 부마 간택; Prince Consort selection), and Kim Hui, son of Kim Ahn-ro, from the Yeonan Kim clan was selected and was later honoured as Prince Consort Yeonseong (연성위, 延城尉). They were married in November 1521.^[5]

Later life

In 1528, when she was 17 years old, she suffered from dysentery and was concerned about this and focused on getting treatment.^[6]

On May 6, 1531, at the age of 19, Princess Hyohye gave birth to a daughter, named Kim Seon-ok, but she died not long after due to her postpartum illness. Her husband also died later in that same year. It is said that the country was in silence for three days, after the news of the Princess’ death. It is unknown as to who took care or what happened to the orphaned daughter of the Princess after the couple died.

She is buried on a hill left from Grand Prince Wolsan’s tomb,^[7] in Goyang, South Korea.

Aftermath

Her younger brother, King Injong, died of unknown causes, after ruling for 9 months.

In an unofficial chronicle it is said that when Injong went to pay his morning respects, Queen Munjeong's face started radiating with a smile only a mother could give to her child. Injong took it as a sign that the Queen Dowager was finally acknowledging him as the King, and in particular as her own son. He ate the ddeok that his step-mother gave him, not knowing that it would be the beginning of the end. He fell ill slowly, not enough to create any suspicion, but quickly enough that historians would later pick up on the event.

The daughter of the Princess, Kim Seon-ok, eventually married Yun Baek-won, the son of Yun Won-ro and nephew of Queen Munjeong. They had one daughter, Yun Gae-mi-chi, in 1555.

During Myeongjong’s reign, Yun Baek-won joined Yi Ryang's faction and was later exiled after trying to get rid of the Sarim faction. However in 1565, Queen Munjeong ordered him to move to a nearby location, Geun-do, because he was Princess Hyohye's only son-in-law.^[8]

In 1589, Yun Baek-won died mysteriously and Yun Gae-mi-chi was suspected of poisoning her father. Yun was later sentenced for the crime, but soon died while serving. Thirteen years later in 1602, Lady Yun’s son appealed to the government over his mother’s death saying that it was an unfair one. It was later revealed that Yun Baek-won’s illegitimate sons were the culprits behind the poisoning of their grandfather, and put the blame onto their older half-sister.