All About Joseon Court Ladies: Lives Like Shadows Behind the Splendor

A look into the lives and tears hidden behind the splendor, and the pride of professional women.

• How Joseon court ladies were selected and trained
• The strict hierarchy within the palace and the roles and daily lives of court ladies
• The economic stability they enjoyed and the sacrifices they had to make in return

Fate Decided by a Single Glance

The story begins with a young girl around five or six years old being led by her parents to stand before a stern Senior Court Lady (Sanggung, 尙宮). With a brief nod from the Sanggung, the girl’s fate is sealed, and she embarks on the lifelong path of a court lady (Gungnyeo, 宮女)—a woman devoted to the king. Unaware that she will never see her parents again.

A life that was glamorous yet lonely, glorious yet confined. This was the paradox that defined the life of a Joseon court lady.

The palace was an unknown world and a lifelong workplace for the young girls.

Court ladies were selected according to the 《Sokdaejeon (續大典)》, strictly from daughters of public slaves (Gongnobi, 公奴婢). Recommending daughters of commoners (Yangin, 良人) was punishable by 60 lashes and one year imprisonment. However, in practice, existing court ladies often recommended their relatives, which led to the folk custom of early marriage (Jochon, 早婚) to prevent daughters from being sent to the palace.

The main reason families sent their young daughters to the palace was economic hardship. For poor households, sending a daughter to become a court lady was a last resort for survival. From the royal perspective, selecting women of slave status prevented political interference by in-laws and ensured absolute loyalty from these state-owned slaves, forming a sophisticated personnel management system.

Chapter 1: Saenggaksi, 15 Years of Tears and Training

Girls entering the palace were called ‘Saenggaksi’ and underwent about 15 years of harsh training. Here, they were reborn not as individuals but as part of the collective of court ladies.

Harsh Training Process

Saenggaksi belonging to the Jimil (至密) department entered the palace between ages 4 and 8, while those for the Chimbang (針房) or Subang (繡房) departments entered between 6 and 13 years old. They studied Confucian classics such as 《Xiaoxue (小學)》 and 《Naehun (內訓)》 and learned the elegant palace calligraphy style called Gungche (宮體).

However, the core of their education was mastering palace etiquette. Particularly, the ritual called ‘Jwiburi Geullyeo’ instilled the terrifying importance of palace secrecy. This process erased personal identity and transformed them into perfect components of the royal organization.

Coming-of-Age Ceremony, Gwanrye (冠禮)

After 15 years of training, around age 20, they underwent the formal Gwanrye (coming-of-age ceremony) to become official court ladies. This ceremony, where the traditional braided hair was undone and styled into a chignon, symbolized a conceptual marriage to the king and a solemn vow to dedicate their lives to the palace. From then on, the Saenggaksi became full-fledged Nain (內人).

Chapter 2: Organization and Duties of Court Ladies

The palace was a vast society housing about 500 to 700 women. It was divided into female officials (Yeogwan, 女官) who held ranks and maidservants who performed menial tasks, all governed by a strict hierarchy.

Power at the Top, Sanggung

After serving as a Nain for 15 more years, a court lady could rise to the highest rank, Sanggung (尙宮, Junior 5th Rank).

• Jejo Sanggung (提調尙宮): The supreme ruler of the court ladies’ organization, wielding personnel and financial authority.
• Bujejo Sanggung (副提調尙宮): The second-in-command managing the palace storerooms.
• Jimil Sanggung (至密尙宮): The closest confidante to the king and queen, exerting unseen influence.
• Gamchal Sanggung (監察尙宮): The feared disciplinarian overseeing court ladies’ conduct and punishments.
• Bomo Sanggung (保姆尙宮): Responsible for raising princes and princesses.

Specialized Departments, Cheoso (處所)

Court ladies worked in various departments called Cheoso (處所) according to their specialties. This system resembled a modern corporation, with each department professionally managing the royal household’s food, clothing, and shelter.

Chapter 3: The Price of the Golden Cage, Laws and Life

Court ladies were professional women receiving stipends (Nokbong, 祿俸) from the state but sacrificed basic personal freedoms in return.

Salaries of Professional Women in Joseon

Court ladies were official government employees paid in rice, beans, and dried pollock. The highest-ranking Jejo Sanggung received treatment comparable to a Senior 3rd Rank official, including housing and personal maidservants. Even infant court ladies received monthly allowances, granting them an unimaginable level of economic stability for women at the time.

Iron Discipline: Lifelong Celibacy and Punishments

The prerequisite for all this was lifelong celibacy. Court ladies were considered “the king’s women,” and falling in love with an outsider man was punishable by decapitation.

This celibacy rule paradoxically gave court ladies unique economic autonomy. Without husbands, they fully owned their stipends and could accumulate wealth. This resembles modern career women who delay or forgo marriage to achieve financial independence. The golden cage that imprisoned their hearts ironically freed their wallets.

Chapter 4: The King’s Favor, A Dangerous Glory

The most dramatic moment in a court lady’s life was receiving the king’s favor, or Seungeun (承恩). It was a life-risking gamble and the only path to escape low status.

Cinderella Night, Seungeun Sanggung

A court lady favored by the king instantly became a Seungeun Sanggung (承恩尙宮), a Senior 5th Rank court lady. She was exempt from all duties except serving the king and received special treatment even the Jejo Sanggung could not override.

From Court Lady to Royal Consort

True social elevation came when she bore the king’s child. A Seungeun Sanggung who gave birth was granted at least the Junior 4th Rank Sukwon (淑媛) and officially appointed as a royal consort. Figures like Heebin Jang, mother of King Gyeongjong, and Sukbin Choi, mother of King Yeongjo, were symbols of hope and dreams for all court ladies.

This system was a political tool showing the king’s power to disrupt the court ladies’ hierarchy at will and a social safety net maintaining the harsh court lady system.

Epilogue: Life Outside the Palace and Final Resting Place

After decades, aged and ill court ladies left the palace in a process called Chulgung (出宮). Some left when their masters died or during national crises.

Marriage remained forbidden after leaving, so most lived together or sought refuge in temples. The state provided funeral supplies and paid stipends to their families for three years, ensuring they were not abandoned at the end.

Most childless court ladies were buried alongside eunuchs in communal cemeteries like Imalsan in Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul. The tombstone ‘Sanggung Ok Guimssi’s Tomb (尙宮 沃溝林氏之墓)’ found there is a precious testament to the countless nameless court ladies who faded away.

Comparison: Life of a Regular Sanggung vs. Seungeun Sanggung

What did receiving the king’s favor mean for a court lady? Comparing the lives of a regular Sanggung and a Seungeun Sanggung highlights the contrasts.

Checklist: Step-by-Step Guide to Becoming a Court Lady

The journey of a girl entering the palace and becoming the highest-ranking court lady is as follows:

1. Ages 4–13: Selected based on family and status to enter as a Saenggaksi.
2. ~15 years: Undergoes harsh training in palace calligraphy, Confucian classics, and palace etiquette.
3. Around age 20: Undergoes the coming-of-age ceremony and becomes an official Nain, assigned to a department.
4. ~15 years: Gains practical experience serving as a Nain.
5. After about age 35: Promoted to Sanggung, head of a department, recognized for ability.
6. Highest position: Gains leadership and trust to become Jejo Sanggung, commanding all court ladies.

Conclusion

The life of a Joseon court lady was more than just serving the king; they were unique professional women of their era. Their story can be summarized in three points:

1. Highly trained experts: Court ladies were systematically educated from childhood to develop expertise in various fields.
2. Economic stability and personal restraint: They achieved financial independence through state stipends but bore the burden of lifelong celibacy.
3. Risky path to power: The king’s favor was the only route to social elevation but also led to political intrigue and unstable lives.

Like a delicate flower entering the palace and living as a shadow, their lives remind us of the countless women’s tears and dreams hidden behind history. When strolling through Gyeongbokgung or Changdeokgung Palaces, why not pause to feel the breath of those who silently fulfilled their roles behind the splendid pavilions?