Sunjong of the Korean Empire

Biography

Sunjong was the last ruler of Korea's Joseon dynasty, reigning as emperor of the Korean Empire from 1907 to 1910. The son of King Gojong and Queen Min, he was named crown prince of Joseon as a small child in 1875 and remained heir when his father proclaimed the Korean Empire in 1897.

He came to the throne in 1907 when Japan forced his father to abdicate, and historians generally see him as a powerless figurehead. The Japan–Korea Treaty of 1907, concluded at the start of his reign, gave the Japanese resident-general control over Korea's internal administration, and Korea was annexed by Japan in August 1910.

After the annexation he was given the title King Yi of Changdeok Palace and lived on in Seoul under Japanese rule. He died in 1926, and his state funeral that June set off the June 10th Movement against Japanese rule.