For a novice dipping her toes for the first time into historical kdramas or sageuk, awareness of the timeline and circumstances of the drama probably doesn’t matter. It’s enough to enjoy the swashbuckling heroes of the Goryeo period and the pretty maidens in hanbok during the Joseon era.

But if you’ve been swimming in these sageuk for quite some time, I’m sure that the stories no longer simply belong to the “imaginative space” but have moved on to the “educational phase.” You crave to learn more about the historical context and social norms that influenced the plot. You wish to know the real impact of the fictional characters in shaping national events. And, more often than not, you also seek to compare the drama with other dramas of the same time period. You want connections between the various interpretations of the past.

Here is where Welmaris’ list in handy. She compiled a list of Joseon monarchy and the dramas featuring each king. Thank you, Welmaris! 

Welmaris’ grand project was her own initiative and research. Please give her credit when you copy her work outside this blog. Don’t plagiarize like that killer whale, Rosa Mae Aguilar. 

— pm3

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

I can’t claim to be a meticulous researcher, as I compiled most of this list from information I found on Wikipedia and a few other online sites. I’m of the era when meticulous research meant hours upon hours in dusty library stacks.

The criteria I followed listing sageuks:
Available for streaming on one or more of the three sites I use most often
History not made unrecognizable by fantasy
Monarch role is more than a guest appearance

I kept adding to information on the monarchs because I wanted answers to such questions as:

How long did they live?
What was their parentage and relation to previous monarch/s?
How old were they when they were enthroned?
How long did they reign?
Did they reign alone, or have a regent?
How did they die?
Did they have children? If so, how many of their children survived them?

Doing this project led me to some discoveries:

There were some women who wielded great power behind the scenes, selecting figurehead monarchs and acting as regents.
The Joseon Dynasty embraced Mandate of Heaven (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandate_of_Heaven) as state ideology. Powerful factions played more a role in who was enthroned, and who stayed on the throne, than ordination by heaven. It was an exception when the Joseon throne passed smoothly from father to eldest son.
Legitimacy (born of a queen) and illegitimacy (born of a concubine) mattered, but not so much that legal trickery couldn’t fix a problem. Concubines were raised in status to be queens, and a queen could be deposed.
Adoption was used to enhance a candidate’s line to the throne; even after death a royal could, on paper, adopt a son.

Joseon Monarchs and Sagueks

Taejo (Yi Seong Gye, changed it to Yi Dan when he ascended the throne)
27 Oct 1335 – 24 May 1408 (lifespan 72 years, 6 months, 27 days)
Reign: 1392-1398 (6 years; abdicated due to strife between his sons)
Issue: 8 sons (3 known to survive him), 5 daughters (3 known to survive him)
2012 TV series Faith (The Great Doctor); Oh Jae Moo (support role); Viki/Dramacool
2012 TV series The Great Seer; Ji Jin Hee (main role); Dramacool
2014 TV series Jeong Do-Jeon; Yoo Dong Geun (main role); Dramacool
2014 TV series Maids; Lee do Kyung (support role); Dramacool
2015 TV series Six Flying Dragons; Chun Ho Jin (main role); Dramacool
2019 TV series My Country: The New Age; Kim Yeong Cheol (main role); Netflix
2021 TV series The King of Tears, Lee Bang Won; Kim Yeong Cheol (main role); Viki/Dramacool

Jeongjong (Yi Bang Gwa, changed to Yi Gyeong; Grand Prince Yeongan, second son of King Taejo by Queen Sinui [his elder brother, Grand Prince Jinan, died in 1394])
18 Jul 1357 – 15 Oct 1419 (lifespan 62 years, 2 months, 27 days)
Reign: 1399-1400 (2 years; abdicated throne to younger brother Yi Bang Won)
Issue: 15 sons (13 known to survive him), 8 daughters (1 known to survive him)
2015 TV series Six Flying Dragons; Seo Dong Won (support role); Dramacool
2021 TV series The King of Tears, Lee Bang Won; Kim Myung Soo (support role); Viki/Dramacool

Taejong (Yi Bang Won; Grand Prince Jeongan, fifth son of King Taejo by Queen Sinui [the throne was passed to him over two living, older, full brothers]; brother of King Jeongjong)
13 Jun 1367 – 30 May 1422 (lifespan 54 years, 11 months, 16 days)
Reign: 1400-1418 (18 years; abdicated throne to son Sejong, but ruled with him)
Issue: 16 sons (11 known to survive him); 18 daughters (13 known to survive him)
2011 TV series Tree with Deep Roots; Baek Yoon Sik (guest role); Viki/Dramacool
2012 TV series The Great Seer; Choi Tae Joon (support role); Dramacool
2015 TV series Six Flying Dragons; Yoo Ah In (main role), Nam Da Reum (support role); Dramacool
2019 TV series My Country: The New Age; Jang Hyuk (main role); Netflix
2021 TV series The King of Tears, Lee Bang Won; Joo Sang Wook (main role); Viki/Dramacool

Sejong (Yi Do; third son of King Taejong by Queen Wongyeong [the throne was passed to him over two living, older, full brothers; 1 older half-brother born of a concubine was alive when Sejong was enthroned])
15 May 1397 – 8 Apr 1450 (lifespan 52 years, 10 months 24 days; increasingly ill after 1439; cause of death: complications of diabetes)
Reign: 1418-1450 (32 years: 1418-1422, his father, Taejong, governed as regent; 1442-1450, his son Crown Prince Yi Hyang acted as regent)
Issue: 18 sons (16 known to survive him), 7 daughters (3 known to survive him)
2011 TV series Tree with Deep Roots; Han Suk Kyu (main role), Song Joong Ki (support role), Kang San (guest role); Viki/Dramacool
2015 TV series Splash Splash Love; Yoon Doo Joon (main role); Viki
2019 film Forbidden Dream; Han Suk Kyu (main role); Viki/Dramacool
2019 film The King’s Letters; Kang Ho Song (main role); Viki/Dramacool
2021 TV series Joseon Exorcist; Jang Dong Yoon (main role); Dramacool

Munjong (Yi Hyang; first son of King Sejong by Queen Soheon)
15 Nov 1414 – 1 Jun 1452 (lifespan 37 years, 6 months, 17 days; cause of death: disease)
Reign: 1450-1452 (2 years; as Crown Prince acted as regent from 1442 due to his father’s illness)
Issue: 3 sons (1 known to survive him), 5 daughters (2 known to survive him)
2011 TV series The Princess’s Man; Jung Dong Hwan (support role); Viki
2011 TV series Queen Insoo; Sun Woo Jae Duk (guest role); Viki/Dramacool
2013 film The Face Reader; Kim Tae Woo (support role); Dramacool

Danjong (Yi Hong-wi; only son of King Munjong by Queen Hyeondeok)
09 Aug 1441 – 24 Dec 1457 (lifespan 16 years, 4 months, 15 days; put to death on the order of King Sejo)
Reign: 1452-1455 (3 years; succeeded his father at age 12; government run by Chief State Councilor and Left State Councilor; forced to abdicate and exiled)
No issue
2011 TV series The Princess’s Man; Noh Tae Yeob (support role); Viki
2011 TV series Queen Insoo; Chae Sang Woo (support role); Viki/Dramacool
2013 film The Face Reader; Chae Sang Woo (support role); Dramacool

Sejo (Yi Yu; second son of King Sejong by Queen Soheon; brother of King Munjong; uncle of King Danjong)
02 Nov 1417 – 23 Sep 1468 (lifespan 50 years, 10 months, 21 days)
Reign: 1455-1468 (13 years; eliminated his young nephew’s advisors in a coup on 10 November 1453, taking reins of power; abdicated throne to his second son in 1468)
Issue: 5, possibly 6 sons (3 known to survive him), 1, possibly 2 daughters (1 known to survive him)
2011 TV series The Princess’s Man; Kim Yeong Cheol (main role); Viki
2011 TV series Queen Insoo; Kim Young Ho (support role); Viki/Dramacool
2013 film The Face Reader; Lee Jung Jae (main role); Dramacool
2019 film Jesters: The Game Changers; Park Hee Soon (main role); Dramacool

Yejong (Yi Hwang; Grand Prince Haeyang, second son of King Sejo by Queen Jeonghui [older brother, Crown Prince Uigyeong, died in 1457; 1 older half-brother born of a concubine was alive when Yejong was enthroned])
12 Feb 1450 – 31 Dec 1469 (lifespan 19 years, 10 months, 19 days; physically weak since childhood)
Reign: 1468-1469 (14 months; succeeded his father at age 18 [19 by Korean system of age reckoning]; his mother, Queen Jeonghui, ruled in his stead with the help of three subjects nominated by King Sejo.)
Issue: 2 sons (1 who survived him, but was age 3 when King Yejong died), 2 daughters (1 who survived him)
2011 TV series Queen Insoo; Yang On Yoo (support role); Viki/Dramacool

Seongjong (Yi Hyeol; Prince Jalsan, second son of Crown Prince Uigyeong [the throne was passed to him over his older brother, Prince Wolson]; grandson of King Sejo; nephew of King Yejong)
19 Aug 1457 – 19 Jan 1495 (lifespan 37 years, 5 months, 0 days)
Reign: 1469-1494 (crowned at age 12, so his grandmother Queen Jeonghui and his mother, Queen Insu, ruled in his name until 1476, when he began to govern in his own name)
Issue: 18 sons (15 known to survive him), 15 daughters (5 known to survive him)
2011 TV Series Queen Insoo; Baek Sung Hyun (support role), Choi Won Hong (support role); Viki/Dramacool
2017 TV series The Rebel (Rebel: Thief Who Stole the People); Choi Moo Sung (support role); Viki/Dramacool
2017 TV series Queen for Seven Days (Seven Day Queen); Kim Jeong Hak (guest role); Viki/Dramacool

Yeonsangun [Prince Yeonsan] (Yi Yung; eldest [living] son of King Seongjong by Queen Jeheon [their firstborn son didn’t survive infancy; Queen Jeheon had been one of King Seongjon’s concubines and was elevated to queen rank in 1476 after Queen Gonghye died in 1474 with no issue])
23 Nov 1476 – 20 Nov 1506 (lifespan 29 years, 11 months, 28 days; died a few weeks after being deposed and exiled)
Reign: 1494-1506 (12 years; succeeded his father at age 18; deposed in a coup on 2 September 1506 and exiled; widely despised as a tyrant and despot, he was demoted from king to prince and not given a temple name)
Issue: 9 sons (none survived him; 4 were forced into suicide after the coup), 10 daughters (none known to survive him)
2003 TV series Dae Jang Geum (Jewel in the Palace); Jung Ki Sung (support role); Viki/Dramacool
2005 film The King and the Clown; Jung Jin Young (main role); Dramacool
2011 TV series Queen Insoo; Jin Tae Hyun (support role); Viki/Dramacool
2017 TV series The Rebel (Rebel: Thief Who Stole the People); Kim Ji Suk (main role); Viki/Dramacool
2017 TV series Queen for Seven Days (Seven Day Queen); Lee Dong Gun (main role), Ahn Do Gyu (guest role); Viki/Dramacool

Jungjong (Yi Yeok; Grand Prince Jinseong, son of King Seongjong by Queen Jeonghyeon [one of Seongjong’s concubines, Jeonghyeon was elevated to Queen Consort in 1479 after Queen Jeheon, Yeonsangun’s mother, was deposed due to clawing the king and leaving visible scratches; Jungjong had 6 older half-brothers born of concubines, 3 of whom died before Jungjong’s enthronement]; half-brother of Yeonsangun)
16 Apr 1488 – 29 Nov 1544 (lifespan 56 years, 7 months, 13 days)
Reign: 1506-1544 (38 years; placed on throne at age 18)
Issue: 10 sons (8 known to survive him), 11 daughters (8 known to survive him)
2003 TV series Dae Jang Geum (Jewel in the Palace); Im Ho (main role); Viki/Dramacool
2006 TV series Hwangjini (Hwang Jin Yi); Park Chan Hwan (support role); Viki/Dramacool
2017 TV series Queen for Seven Days (Seven Day Queen); Yeon Woo Jin (main role), Baek Seung Hwan (support role); Viki/Dramacool
2018 film Monstrum; Park Hee Soon (support role); Dramacool

Injong (Yi Ho; son of King Jungjong by Queen Janggyeong [a concubine who was elevated to queen consort after Queen Dangyeon was deposed in 1506; Queen Janggyeong died six days after giving birth to the future king; 2 older half-brothers born of concubines were alive when Injong was enthroned])
10 Mar 1515 – 08 Aug 1545 (lifespan 30 years, 4 months, 29 days; often ill, but some suspect he was poisoned by the Queen Mother so her son could assume the throne)
Reign: 1544-1545 (9 months)
No issue
2017 TV Series Saimdang, Light’s Diary; Noh Young Hak (support role); Viki/Dramacool

Myeongjong (Yi Hwan; Grand Prince Gyeongwon, son of King Jungjong by Queen Munjeong [the king’s previous queen died in 1515; Munjeong was selected as queen consort in 1517 from the same clan as the prior queen and the queen mother; 6 older half-brothers born of concubines were alive when Myeongjong was enthroned)
03 Jul 1534 – 03 Aug 1567 (lifespan 33 years, 1 month, 0 days)
Reign: 1545-1567 (22 years; became king at age 12; his mother, Queen Munjeong, governed in his name until her death in 1565)
Issue: 1 son (who predeceased him), no daughters
2016 TV series Mirror of the Witch; Lee David (support role); Viki/Dramacool
2016 TV series The Flower in Prison; Seo Ha Joon (support role); Viki/Dramacool

Seonjo (Yi Yeon; Prince Haseong, third [living] son of Prince Deokheung by Princess Consort Hadong [the throne was passed to him over his two living, older, full biological brothers]; grandson of King Jungjong; biological nephew of King Myeongjong, but adoptive son of King Myeongjong and Queen Insun)
26 Nov 1552 – 16 Mar 1608 (lifespan 55 years, 3 months, 18 days)
Reign: 1567-1608 (15 years; from 1598-1608 let his son Crown Prince Ganghaegun rule in his place)
Issue: 14 sons (11 known to survive him), 12 daughters (11 known to survive him)
2013 TV series Goddess of Fire (Jung Yi, The Goddess of Fire); Jeong Bo Seok (support role); Viki/Dramacool
2014 TV series The King’s Face; Lee Sung Jae (main role); Viki/Dramacool
2015 TV series The Book of Corrections (Jingbirok); Kim Tae Woo (main role); Dramacool
2016 TV series Mirror of the Witch; Lee Ji Hoon (support role); Viki/Dramacool

Gwanghaegun [Prince Gwanghae] (Yi Hon; second-oldest son of King Seonjo by Royal Noble Consort Gong [King Seonjo’s first queen consort, Queen Uiin, died in 1600 without issue; King Seonjo’s second queen consort gave birth to a son, Grand Prince Yeongchang, two years before King Seonjo’s death; the king’s oldest son, Prince Imhae, lost his position as Crown Prince due to his violent personality]; Gwanghae was deposed, so not given a temple name)
04 Jun 1575 – 07 Aug 1641 (lifespan 66 years, 2 months, 3 days)
Reign: 1608-1623 (15 years; de facto ruler of Joseon during Japanese invasions of Korea, 1592-1598, after his father, King Seonjo fled; King Seonjo let him continue to rule after the war ended in 1598; deposed in a coup on 06 Apr 1623; exiled)
Issue: 3 sons (none survived him), 1 daughter (who lived to age 45)
2008 TV series Hong Gil Dong; Jo Hee Bong (support role); Dramacool
2012 film Masquerade; Lee Byung Hun (main role); Dramacool
2013 TV series Goddess of Fire (Jung Yi, The Goddess of Fire); Lee Sang Yoon (main role), Noh Young Hak (support role); Viki/Dramacool
2014 TV series The King’s Face; Seo In Guk (main role); Viki/Dramacool
2015 TV series Hwajung (Splendid Politics); Cha Seung Won (main role), Lee Tae Hwan (guest role); Dramacool
2015 TV series The Book of Corrections (Jingbirok); Noh Young Hak (support role); Dramacool
2019 TV series The Crowned Clown; Yeo Jin Goo (main role); Netflix/Viki/Dramacool
2019 TV series The Tale of Nokdu; Jung Joon Ho (main role); Viki/Dramacool
2021 TV series Bossam: Steal the Fate; Kim Tae Woo (support role); Viki/Dramacool

Injo (Yi Jong; Prince Neungyang, son of Grand Prince Jeongwon [who was the fifth oldest son of King Seonjo, third oldest by Royal Noble Consort In]; grandson of King Seonjo; nephew of Gwanghaegun)
07 Dec 1595 – 17 Jun 1649 (lifespan 53 years, 6 months, 10 days)
Reign: 1623-1649 (26 years; placed on throne by Western faction in coup against Gwanghaegun, with Western faction, not Injo, retaining power)
Issue: 8 sons (4 known to survive him; may have killed his eldest son), 2 daughters (1 known to survive him)
2008 TV series Iljimae; Kim Chang Wan (support role); Dramacool
2009 TV series Tamra, the Island; Lee Byung Joon (support role); Viki/Dramacool
2010 TV series The Slave Hunters (Chuno); Kim Kap Soo (support role); Viki/Dramacool
2013 TV series Cruel Palace: War of Flowers; Lee Deok Hwa (main role); Viki/Dramacool
2014 TV series The Three Musketeers; Kim Myung Soo (support role); Dramacool
2015 TV series Hwajung (Splendid Politics); Kim Jae Won (main role); Dramacool
2017 film The Fortress; Park Hae Il (main role); Netflix/Dramacool
2019 TV series The Tale of Nokdu; Kang Tae Oh (main role); Viki/Dramacool

Hyojong (Yi Ho; Grand Prince Bongrim, second son of King Injo by Queen Inryeol [elder brother, Crown Prince Sohyeon, predeceased King Injo])
03 Jul 1619 – 23 Jun 1659 (lifespan 39 years, 11 months, 20 days)
Reign: 1649-1659 (10 years)
Issue: 1 son (succeeded as king), 7 daughters (6 survived him); adopted 1 daughter
2012 TV series Horse Doctor; Choi Deok Moon (support role); Dramacool
2013 TV series Cruel Palace: War of Flowers; Kim Joo Young (support role); Viki/Dramacool

Hyeonjong (Yi Yeon; only son of King Hyojong by Queen Inseon)
14 Mar 1641 – 17 Sep 1674 (lifespan 33 years, 6 months, 3 days)
Reign: 1659-1674 (15 years; age 18 when he succeeded his father)
Issue: 1 son (succeeded as king), 4 daughters (1 survived him)
2012 TV series Horse Doctor; Han Sang Jin (support role); Dramacool

Sukjong (Yi Sun; Crown Prince Myeongbo, only son of King Hyeonjong by Queen Myeongseong)
07 Oct 1661 – 12 Jul 1720 (lifespan 58 years, 9 months, 5 days)
Reign: 1674-1720 (46 years; age 13 when he succeeded his father; in 1718 allowed Crown Prince Hwiso to rule as regent)
Issue: 6 sons (2 survived him), 3 daughters (none known to survive him); paternity of his second son and third daughter is disputed.
2010 TV series Dong Yi; Ji Jin Hee (main role); Dramacool
2013 TV series Jang Ok Jung, Living in Love; Yoo Ah In (main role), Chae Sang Woo (guest role); Viki/Dramacool
2016 TV series The Royal Gambler (Jackpot); Choi Min Soo (main role); Viki/Dramacool

Gyeongjong (Yi Yun; Crown Prince Hwiso, first son of King Sukjong by Royal Noble Consort Hui [King Sukjong’s first queen had two daughters, his second and third queens had no issue])
20 Nov 1688 – 11 Oct 1724 (lifespan 35 years, 10 months, 21 days; suffered from ill health during his reign; may have died from eating contaminated seafood)
Reign: 1720-1724 (4 years; two months after enthronement, his brother was installed as Crown Prince Yeoning to handle state affairs due to King Gyeongjong’s weak health)
No issue
2010 TV series Dong Yi; Yoon Chan (support role); Dramacool
2016 TV series The Royal Gambler (Jackpot); Hyun Woo (support role); Viki/Dramacool
2019 TV series Haechi; Han Seung Hyun (support role); Viki/Dramacool

Yeongjo (Yi Geum; Prince Yeoning, fourth son of King Sukjong, second son by Royal Noble Consort Suk [two boys born between his eldest brother and him didn’t survive infancy]; next-oldest living half-brother of King Gyeongjong; in 1703 adopted by Queen Inwon, his father’s third queen consort who had no issue of her own)
31 Oct 1694 – 22 Apr 1776 (lifespan 81 years, 5 months, 22 days)
Reign: 1724-1776 (52 years; from 1720-1724 as Crown Prince Yeoning he handled state affairs for his ailing brother, King Gyeongjong)
Issue: 2 sons (none survived him; second son, Crown Prince Sado, suffering from mental illness and lethally violent, was executed by making him climb into a rice chest and confining him eight days until he died), 12 daughters (3 survived him)
2007 TV series Yi San; Lee Soon Jae (support role); Dramacool (coming soon on Viki)
2010 TV series Dong Yi; Lee Hyuk Suk (support role); Dramacool
2011 TV series Warrior Baek Dong Soo; Jeon Gook Hwan (support role); Viki/Dramacool
2014 TV series Secret Door; Han Suk Kyu (main role); Viki/Dramacool
2015 film The Throne; Song Kang Ho (main role); Viki
2016 TV series The Royal Gambler (Jackpot); Yeo Jin Goo (main role); Viki/Dramacool
2017 film The Age of Blood; Ryu Tae Joon (support role); Viki/Dramacool
2019 TV series Haechi; Jung Il Woo (main role); Viki/Dramacool
2021 TV series The Red Sleeve; Lee Deok Hwa (support role); Viki/Dramacool

Jeongjo (Yi San; eldest living son of Crown Prince Sado and Lady Hyegyeong [older brother, Crown Prince Uiso, died in early childhood]; grandson of King Yeongjo)
28 Oct 1752 – 18 Aug 1800 (lifespan 47 years, 9 months, 21 days [15 days after being treated for an abscess on his back; some speculate he was poisoned)
Reign: 1776-1800 (24 years; in 1775 he was appointed regent for his grandfather, King Yeongjo, but without any military power)
Issue: 2 sons (1 survived him); 2 daughters (1 survived him)
2007 TV Series Eight Days Mystery of Jeong Jo Assassination; Kim Sang Joong (main role); Dramacool
2007 TV series Yi San; Lee Seo Jin (main role); Dramacool (coming soon on Viki)
2008 TV series Painter of the Wind; Bae Soo Bin (main role); Viki/Dramacool
2010 TV series Sungkyunkwan Scandal; Jo Sung Ha (support role); Viki/Dramacool
2011 TV series Warrior Baek Dong Soo; Hong Jong Hyun (support role); Viki/Dramacool
2014 film The Fatal Encounter; Hyun Bin (main role), Goo Seung Hyun (support role); Dramacool
2014 TV series Secret Door; Lee Je Hoon (main role); Viki/Dramacool
2015 film The Throne; Lee Hyo Je (support role), So Ji Sub (guest role); Viki
2021 TV series The Red Sleeve; Lee Jun Ho (main role); Viki/Dramacool

Sunjo (Yi Gong; only living son of King Jeongjo by Royal Noble Consort Su [older half-brother, Crown Prince Munhyo, died in early childhood])
29 Jul 1790 – 13 Dec 1834 (lifespan 44 years, 4 months, 14 days; suffered from illness the final years of his reign)
Reign: 1800-1834 (34 years; succeeded his father at age 10; from 1800-1803 Grand Queen Dowager Yesun, the second queen [Queen Jeongsun] of his great-grandfather King Yeongjo, acted as regent; from 1827 his eldest son, Crown Prince Hyomyeong, acted as regent due to King Sunjo’s illness)
Issue: 2 sons (neither survived him); 4 daughters (1 survived him); 1 posthumously adopted son (King Sunjo’s widow, Senior Grand Royal Queen Dowager Sunwon, adopted a distant relative of her grandson King Heonjong)
2016 TV Series Love in the Moonlight (Moonlight Drawn by Clouds); Kim Seung Soo (support role); Viki/Dramacool

Heonjong (Yi Hwan; son of Crown Prince Hyomyeong by Crown Princess Consort [elevated to Queen Sinjeong when her son was enthroned]; grandson of King Sunjo and Queen Sunwon)
08 Sep 1827 – 25 Jul 1849 (lifespan 21 years, 10 months, 17 days)
Reign: 1834-1849 (15 years; ascended to the throne at age 7; his grandmother Queen Sunwon served as queen regent, refusing to give up power when Heonjong reached adulthood)
No issue
No known depictions in popular culture, but 2016 TV Series Love in the Moonlight (Moonlight Drawn by Clouds) depicts his father, mother, grandfather, and grandmother; Viki/Dramacool

Cheoljong (Yi Won-beom, changed to Yi Byeon when he ascended the throne; Prince Deokwan, born in exile and poverty on Ganghwa Island, the third and youngest son of Prince Jeongye by Lady Yeom; second cousin once removed of King Heonjong; great-great-grandson of King Yeongjo [great-grandson of Crown Prince Sado, grandson of Prince Euneon—who in 1801 was executed for treason with his wife and daughter-in-law after the two women were baptized into the Roman Catholic church])
25 Jul 1831 – 16 Jan 1864 (lifespan 32 years, 5 months, 22 days; the Andong Kim clan, which made him king, is suspected hastening his death with foul play)
Reign: 1849-1864 (14 years; ascended to the throne at age 19)
Issue: 5 sons (none survived him), 6 daughters (1 known to survive him)
2020 TV series Mr. Queen; Kim Jung Hyun (main role); Viki/Dramacool
2020 TV series King Maker: The Change of Destiny; Jung Wook (support role); Viki/Dramacool

Gojong (Yi Myeong-bok; Emperor Gwangmu; third son of Yi Ha-eung [Prince Gung]; 10th generation descendant of King Injo through Grand Prince Inpyeong; adopted son of King Munjo [posthumous title of Crown Prince Hyomyeong] and Queen Shinjeong)
08 Sep 1852 – 21 Jan 1919 (lifespan 66 years, 4 months 13 days; died suddenly, poisoning rumored)
Reign: 1864-1897 / 1897-1907 [Korean Empire] (33 + 10 years, 43 years total as monarch; selected by Dowager Queen Sinjeong [mother of King Heonjong], Dowager Queen Myeongheon [widow of King Heonjong], and Dowager Queen Cheorin [widow of King Cheoljong], and placed on throne at age 12; until King Gojong came of age in 1874, Dowager Queen Sinjeong was regent in title, but King Gojong’s father, Grand Internal Prince Heungseon, acted as ruler; the Heungswon Daewongun tried to return to power in two coups, the second which led to the assassination of Gojong’s Empress Myeongseong [Queen Min]; in 1907 King Gojong was forced by the Japanese to abdicate his throne)
Issue: 9 sons (4 survived him), 5 daughters (1 survived him)
2010 TV Series Jejoongwon; Choi Jong Hwan (support role); Dramacool
2012 film Gabi; Park Hee Soon (main role); Dramacool
2014 TV series Gunman in Joseon (Joseon Gunman); Lee Min Woo (support role); Viki/Dramacool
2018 TV series Mr. Sunshine; Kang Yi Seok (guest role), Lee Seung Joon (support role); Netflix/Dramacool

Sunjong (Yi Cheok; Emperor Yunghui, second son [the first died in infancy] of Emperor Gojong and Empress Myeongseong)
25 Mar 1874 – 24 Apr 1926 (lifespan 52 years, 0 months, 30 days)
Reign: 1907-1910 [Korean Empire] (3 years; his power was limited by Japanese intervention; on 29 August 1910 Japan abolished the Korean Empire; the former Emperor Sunjong and his wife, Empress Sunjeong, lived the rest of their lives essentially imprisoned in Changdeokgung Palace in Keijō [Gyeongseong, present-day Seoul])
No issue
2016 film The Last Princess; Ahn Sang Woo (support role); Prime Video