What was the king's daily schedule during the Korean dynasty?

The best thing about the Korean dynasty is that they recorded almost everything that happened in the palace, so it is not difficult to find out what life is like in the palace. Kim Jong Il's daily schedule is very busy, which is somewhat similar to the workaholic lifestyle that dominates modern Korean society. The following is the general timetable that the king will follow, which is recorded in the Chronicle of the Korean Dynasty.

at 5: a.m.-(wake up, greet)-before sunrise, the king woke up and helped him with grooming, hygiene and dressing, while the courtiers reviewed the agenda of the day with him. After getting dressed, the first thing to do is to greet the elders of the royal family (such as Empress Dowager Cixi). This is very important for the self-cultivation of kings, because respecting the elderly is an important virtue of Confucianism. No matter what the weather is like, the king must personally visit the elders in the palace.

In the quiet place in the morning, the king rises first and the sun rises second.

7 am-? (Morning Study)-Unlike any good Confucian, the king himself never finished his studies. This usually happens in the king's office with royal tutors and courtiers, who will read Confucian classics or historical documents with the king and discuss Confucian theories.

As described in "Novice Historian Goo Hae-ryung", this is a typical morning self-study.

9: a.m.-(breakfast)-The first day of studying conversation, for a good breakfast, and also as a good rest, the real work begins the day before. A food taster will be present at every meal to taste every dish in front of the king.

this is a typical king's banquet.

1: a.m.-(working in the morning)-This will be when the king will take care of official business such as reviewing state affairs, reading and answering formal appeals, and interviewing new officials. During this period, officials from six ministries (personnel, taxation, etiquette, military affairs, law enforcement and public works) will visit him and submit business reports for the day. Usually there are five officials in each department. Generally speaking, these are done in the king's office, and the auditorium is reserved for special occasions or particularly important meetings.

Geunjeon hall in gyeongbokgung palace. Movies and plays often describe daily meetings held in such halls, but this is not the case.

12: pm? (Lunch and daytime research)-According to Wang, this time it will be a short lunch, another research session or the king will put it on his plate.

at about 1: 3 in the afternoon, (work)-this is the usual time to resume work in the morning, and when local officials will be awarded an audience to provide provincial reports or concerns.

Sazheng Palace is the main office of the king. He works and studies here and presides over most of his meetings.

3 pm. (Night guard inspection), night guards will begin to change and register with Wang, who will receive and review the entire list of military officials and officers assigned to defend the palace.

at five o'clock in the afternoon, (dinner, evening study)-at this time, the business of the day officially ends, and the king likes a complete meal on the last day. After dinner, the king will meet his tutor again and start his third and last study that day.

7: p.m. (Greetings)-At the end of the day, I went for a ride to visit the worship ceremony of the royal elders. This is also a good opportunity for the king to stretch his legs, because he strolled in the palace on the way to visit various houses in the palace.

8 pm-at this time, the king's schedule officially ended. Some people may think that he can enjoy the rest of the evening, have a few drinks, and perhaps invite the queen or other concubines to have royal sex to relieve the stress of the day. But unfortunately, this is Kim's "unofficial" working hours; When he needs to make up any outstanding tasks, he can't finish the official working meeting (almost always), write the necessary letters and wait for the next day, answer the appeal, prepare for the civil service exam, or any other state affairs, and there is not enough time in his official schedule. The king will also use this time to continue his study, and often review any text he has difficulty in to ensure that he has mastered the content. This usually lasts until 11 pm.