Empress Myongseong aka Queen Min ("Myongsong Hwanghu") (1851-1895), wife to King Kojong of Korea.

King Kojong assumed power in 1864 at the age of 12. Real power was in the hands of Kojong's father, Hungsun Taewongun (regent). Taewongun arranged her son to take a queen from the Yohung Min Clan, which lacked power and thus would not pose a threat to himself or Kojong. The future Queen Min was also fatherless (her father had passed away), further assuring that the queen would not be able to build her own political power base in the patriarchic Korean society.

King Gojong and Queen Min were married on March 21, 1866; they were both 14 years old at the time.

However, Queen Min emerged as a strong, dynamic figure in the Korean Royal Court, clashing with Taewongun and overshadowing her husband in the delicate -- and dangerous -- balance of power game that Korea was being forced to play. Wielding much political influence as queen, she advocated stronger Korea-Russia ties in order to block Japanese influence.

The Chosun Army was run by the Japanese and Queen Min planned to disband it as a step toward her goal of breaking away from Japan. Wu and other officers of the army wanted to eliminate the queen in order to save their jobs.

Under direct orders from Miura Goro, the Japanese Minister to Korea at the time, sword-bearing assassins invaded Gyeongbok Palace on Oct. 8, 1895 to kill Empress Myeongseong.

In early morning of October 8, 1895*, sword yielding assassins acting under direct orders from Miura Goro entered the Royal Palace grounds ("Kyungbok Palace"). Upon entering the Queen's Quarters ("Okholu, Kongchung Palace"), the assassins "killed three [women] suspected of being Queen Min. When they confirmed that one of them was Queen Min, they violated her dead body, burned the corpse in the pine forest in front of the Okhulu, and then dispersed the ashes." Queen Min was 44.

The Korean people hold the Japanese people accountable for this crime of the century and let the whole world know how savage the world can be. "Don't ever forget how I was killed!" rings out our Queen's voice loud to any one claiming to be a Korean.

More info on Empress Myongseong [link]

This is my entry for 's Originality Contest.
Details here: [link]

Wacom/Corel Painter X/Corel PSP XI

Stock used:
Model: ~ladydove7-stock
Temple ~audpod
Background: ~flying-dolphin-stock
Textures: ~SolStock =Princess-of-Shadows
Tattoo *ro-stock