ABSTRACT
SUKCHONG died in 1720 at the age of 59 and was succeeded by Ky ngjong, son of the ill-fated Lady Chang, now 33, childless, said to be impotent, and in poor health. The Noron, now led by the one-time envoy to China, Kim Ch'ang-jip, would have preferred his younger half-brother, Y ngjo, who had been adopted by Inw n, the dowager Queen. They named him as crown prince and advised Ky ngjong that in view of his declining health he should authorize the prince to rule on his behalf. Their rivals, the Soron, took the King's side and accused them of treason and in vet another sahwa Kim and numerous others met their death and about 100 lesser officials were banished. It was a truly fratricidal affair, as the Soron leader, Cho T'ae-gu, who now became Prime Minister, and Cho T'ae-ch'ae, one of the four Noron ministers who had to die, were both from the same generation of the Yangju Cho. Three years later Ky ngjong died, Y ngjo succeeded him, and the four chief ministers of the Soron took their turn to drink the poisoned cup.
