The 1547 Yangjae Station Graffiti Incident served as a fabricated pretext for the SoYun faction to eliminate surviving members of the rival DaeYun faction in Joseon Korea.
Key Facts
- Year of incident
- 1547 (second year of King Myeongjong's reign)
- Alternative name
- Jeongmi Sahwa
- Graffiti location
- Yangjae Station (now Yangjae-dong, Seocho District, Seoul)
- First victim
- Prince Bong-seong (1528–1547)
- Orchestrated by
- Yun Wŏnhyŏng, on behalf of SoYun faction
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The Eulsa purge had failed to fully eliminate the DaeYun faction in Joseon Korea. Yun Wŏnhyŏng, a leader of the SoYun faction, sought a pretext to renew persecution of political opponents under the regency of Queen Munjeong, who held power above King Myeongjong.
A piece of graffiti criticizing Queen Munjeong and minister Li Gi was posted on a wall at Yangjae Station on orders attributed to Yun Wŏnhyŏng. The text, framing the regent and her allies as threats to the state, was deliberately staged to justify a renewed political purge against the DaeYun faction in 1547.
The SoYun faction used the graffiti as grounds to execute Prince Bong-seong and systematically purge all surviving members of the DaeYun faction. The incident extended the pattern of violent political purges that characterized the Joseon period, further consolidating SoYun dominance at court.