If you watched the series “Under the Queen’s Umbrella,” you will find this helpful. This is because this series had one of the longest queues of concubines in Sageuks and it was quite confusing, especially the ranking of the concubines/consorts and the mode/ fabrics of dressing allowed for each of them.

As your unrelenting historical drama guide, I bring you a list of the ranking of the Joseon concubines/consorts and everything you need to know about them.

Apparently, all spouses of the king are referred to as consort, but the queen consort is the main wife, head of concubines, and head of the internal court (established in the last article). However, after the queen, the rank of the concubines is as stated below.

빈(Bin) - Concubine

The Senior 1 who is the concubine is the first ranking member of the concubines of the King, ranked as the 정1품 (Senior 1). She is the most respected of all the king’s consorts after the queen, and her fabrics of dressing are the most distinct among these concubines.

귀인 (Gwiin)- Noble Lady

The noble lady is the Junior 1 who ranks below Senior 1 but above Senior 2. One would think the seniors would come first before the juniors, but the ranking of the Joseon royal family is quite peculiar. The Noble lady is addressed as the 귀인 Gwiin and the second of the King’s concubines.

소의 (Soui)- Lady of Bright Deportment

The Lady of Bright Deportment is the senior 2 of the concubines who ranks after the Noble Lady (junior 1) and above Junior 2. The Lady of bright deportment is addressed as the 소의 (Soui) and holds the third rank among the king’s concubines.

숙의 (Sugui)- Lady of Warm Ceremony

The Lady of Warm ceremony is the fourth of the king’s concubines. She is the Junior 2, and she ranks above the senior 3 but below the senior 2. She is addressed as the 숙의 (Sugui).

소용 (Soyong)- Lady of Bright Countenance

The 소용 (Soyong) is the lady of bright countenance. She is the senior 3 who is below Junior 2 and above Junior 3. She is the fifth of the king’s concubines.

숙용 (Sugyong)- Lady of Warm Countenance

Finally on this list, the lady of warm countenance is the 6th ranking member of the king’s concubine. She is the Junior 3, ranks above Senior 4 below, and beneath Senior 3 above, and is addressed as 숙용 (Sugyong).

PS: Each of these concubines has a different mode of dressing, which gives them different forms of identity since most nobles are recognized by their clothes and the designs on them. Also, the concubines above only pertain to the king and not crown princes or other male nobles (Feel free to look forward to the concluding part).

I understand the fact that most people might be new to watching historical dramas and might not understand these rankings and even people who are not new might find these rankings confusing while watching dramas. Now is your chance to know better, right? You can thank me for the comments.