Historical Background to help understand Queen for Seven Days (2017 KBS)

Queen for Seven days 7일의 왕비 (2017 KBS) is based on the Korean legend about Chima-bawi (치마바위, meaning “Skirt Rock”) of Mt. Inwangsan (인왕산, 仁王山).

In 1506, King Yeonsan (연산군 燕山君, 1476~1506), the most notorious tyrant in the history of Korea, was deposed in a coup led by ministers. (* For understanding the course of history, you’d better go watch Rebel : Thief who stole the people 역적 : 백성을 훔친 도적 (2017 MBC)).

The rebel forces flocked to the private residence of Prince Jinseong (진성대군 晉城大君, 1488~1544) in order to enthrone him. However, the prince was about to kill himself, thinking that his half brother (King Yeonsan) finally sent armies to kill him.  In the life-threatening situation, his wife Lady Shin dissuaded him to commit suicide and said like this.

“If the armies are coming here to kill us, their horses’ heads will look toward our house. If they are to protect us, the tails of their horses will face our house.”

The prince saw the direction of the horses as he was told, and realized that they came to protect him. Finally he opened the gate and found himself becoming the 11th king of Joseon dynasty, King Jungjong (중종 中宗 (1488~1544), and his wife Lady Shin became Queen Dangyeong (단경왕후 端敬王后 , 1487~1577).  

However, Lady Shin found herself in danger no sooner had she become the Queen. Her father, Shin Su-Geun (신수근 愼守勤, 1450~1506), was killed during the coup because he tried to protect the tyrant no matter what.

In fact, Park Won-Jong 박원종 (朴元宗 1467~1510), one of the rebel leaders, had suggested Shin Su-Guen to participate in the coup together, asking “Which is more precious to you? Your younger sister? Or your daughter?”. 

Shin Su-Geun’s younger sister was the queen of King Yeonsan, and his daughter was Prince Jinseong’s wife. So he was placed in an extreme situation to choose between the two.

His sister was widely admired as a wise and virtuous queen. Even the tyrannical king respected his wife’s brave and sincere plea. Shin Su-Geun thought although the tyrant was hopeless, the smart crown prince born from his virtuous sister could be their new hope. So, he refused to join the coup, saying that he couldn’t betray his brother-in-law for the sake of his son-in-law. 

And that’s why he got killed by the rebel forces.

The coup was successful. Prince Jinseong and Lady Shin was unwillingly crowned as King and Queen. However, the coup leaders didn’t want the woman whose father was killed by their own hands to remain as a queen. 

Lady Shin was deposed and kicked out of the palace just 7 days after her coronation, and the puppet king didn’t have any power to protect her. The pitiful lovebirds were forcibly torn apart by the political strife. At that time, the king was 18 and the queen was 19.

King Jungjong (Prince Jinseong) couldn’t put his beloved wife out of his mind, even though so many beautiful daughters of the ministers were given to him as royal concubines. In the pavilion of Gyeongbokgung Palace, the king was staring blankly at Mt. Inwangsan with a sigh everyday.  

After hearing about the king’s grief, the deposed queen hung her red skirt she was wearing at the palace on a rock of Mt. Inwangsan, in order to attract the king’s eyes. It was like saying hello to her husband “I’m here. I’m OK. Don’t worry about me”.

The king noticed her message, and never forgot the memory of his wife even though they couldn’t meet again. ( Some folktales say that the couple secretly met again just before he lay on his deathbed at the age of 56. )

The royal couple’s sad love story was passed down through generations, and people started to call the rock of Mt. Inwangsan  "Chima-bawi (치마 바위, meaning “skirt rock”)“.