The Rice Box King -- Honoring ancestors is an important part of Korean culture, but King Jeongjo had particular reason to want to honor his father. His grandfather, King Yeongjo, had ruled for 52 years, but as he came to the end of his life, he became convinced that his son (Jeongjo's father), Prince Sado, was trying to overthrow him. Yeongjo had his son sealed in a rice box until Sado died. Young Jeongjo witnessed this tragedy, and after he ascended the throne, he had his father posthumously crowned and given the name King Jangjo. Some suggest that he built the Suwon fortress and palace structures so that he could live close by his beloved father's grave.

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