• The Journal of Korean Medical History
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.15-31
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• 2014

This study performed to examine the genuineness of Kyung-Jong's poison hypothesis which was the one of the biggest topic in the history of Joseon Dynasty. Kyung-Jong's poison hypothesis is that Kyung-Jong who was the 20th king of the Joseon Dysansty was poisoned by the next king Young-Jo who became the 21st king. This theory was hyphosized by Sim-Yoohyun and was widely known in the 4th year of Young-jo through the revolt. Kyung-Jong suffered with severe diarrhea for 5 days which finally took his life away right after he had have marinated raw crab and persimmon. Some insist the poison must had been in those foods. However, the symptoms that Kyung-jong had were not matched with the poisons which used in those days and also poison was not the reasonable way of murder, so it is hard to say there is little possibility of poison. On the other hand, considering of Kyung-jong's health, marinated raw crab and persimmon could result of severe diarrhea. In the mean time, the possibility of Young-Jo's intention of killing Kyung-Jong is very low. Rather, he blame the royal doctors who scout the outside doctors, because he believed that it led Kyung-jong's death since the treatment was chaotic with all those different doctors. Even after the Kyung-Jong's death, Young-jo was always strict to scout the outside doctors and missed Kyung-jong consistently. On this basis, it is hard to say that king Kyung-Jong was murdered by poisoning.