A Fiendish Prince
In the 18th century, King Yeongjo of Korea grappled with the pressing need for a male heir, and his eventual successor, Crown Prince Sado, born in 1735, initially brought great joy to the royal household. However, the king’s hands-off approach to Sado’s upbringing proved consequential, creating an environment where the young prince was surrounded by indulgence and lacked the guidance he desperately needed. Despite attempts to please his father during rare encounters, Sado grew up unloved and harboring deep resentment. As Sado matured, he exhibited troubling signs of mental instability, marked by sudden and violent mood swings that left scholars speculating about a potential diagnosis of schizophrenia.
His descent into alcoholism, even within the forbidden confines of the royal court, further fueled a dark transformation. Sado’s reign of terror unfolded. He engaged in depraved acts of violence, including the murder of servants, harassment of court ladies, and even the murder of his own concubine. His notoriety spread across Korea, with Sado becoming infamous as a serial rapist, serial killer, and an all-around psychopath. Obvious grounds for banning from Tinder and any other socials. Faced with the horrifying reality of his son’s actions, King Yeongjo, on July 4th, 1762, decided to depose Crown Prince Sado. However, cultural taboos prevented the direct execution of the prince. Instead, a chilling fate awaited Sado. He was sealed inside a sizable wooden grain storage container, left to perish from starvation.
