Prince’s Confession Letter Showed His Depression

“I am depressed and others don’t know about it. And I am about to lose my mind due to the sizzling weather. I have to serve the king, who is making me more nervous and pushing me to the limit. I am frustrated and about to go crazy. I can’t talk about this condition to the royal doctor. You are well aware of drugs for depression. Please, send them to me in secret.”

This is an excerpt from letters written by Sadoseja (a prince during the Joseon period, 1735-1762) sent to his father-in-law in 1753 or 1754. The letters show his state of mind. They illustrate the exact medical condition of the prince, which has been a mystery in medical circles, and the conflict between the price and his father, Yeongjo, the 21st king of the Joseon dynasty (1694-1776).

Kwon Du-hwan, a Korean literature professor from Seoul National University, announced at Tokyo University that he found copies of letters (two books and eleven pieces of papers in total) spanning three generations of Korean royalty: King Yeongjo, Sadoseja and King Jeongjo, the 22nd King of the Joseon Period.

He also said on June 14 that he translated Sadoseja’s letters.

To date, few letters from the prince have remained intact, and most known communications have been sourced from official documents rather than private ones.

Scholars have assumed that the prince suffered from mental disorder like depression. But they did not have evidence to support their claim.

The letters show his confession that he had suffered from a disease.

The tragic prince was born in 1735. He was found dead after being locked in a rice chest as punishment when he made his father angry. His son Jeongjo honored his contribution while he was alive and named him Jangheon. In 1899, King Jeongjo upgraded his father’s name to Jangjo.

His wife, Lady Hyegyeong introduced the death story in her memoir titled “Hanjungrok,” one of the famous memoirs of the Joseon Royal family.

Complaining about his father-

“I am fifteen years old this year. But I have never had an opportunity to go to my ancestor’s tombs and pay tribute to them.” This is an excerpt from a letter he sent to his father-in-law.

Professor Kwon said that the same message was conveyed in Hanjungrok. He explained that the crown princess may have written that part with caution, given the relationship between her husband and her father. So there is a chance that the content might be wrong. But the letters still contain confessions made by the prince himself, showing his uneasy relationship with his father.

achim@donga.com