▁died ▁with ▁him ▁in ▁the ▁resulting ▁Third ▁Liter ati ▁Pur ge ▁of ▁ 1 5 1 9 . ▁For ▁nearly ▁ 5 0 ▁years ▁after ward , ▁the ▁court ▁politics ▁was ▁mar red ▁by ▁blo ody ▁and ▁cha otic ▁strugg les ▁between ▁fa ctions ▁backing ▁rival ▁cons ort s ▁and ▁princes . ▁In - la ws ▁of ▁the ▁royal ▁family ▁w ield ed ▁great ▁power ▁and ▁contributed ▁to ▁much ▁cor ruption ▁in ▁that ▁era . ▁ ▁Middle ▁Jose on ▁period ▁ ▁The ▁middle ▁period ▁of ▁Jose on ▁dynast y ▁was ▁marked ▁by ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁inten se ▁and ▁blo ody ▁power ▁strugg les ▁between ▁political ▁fa ctions ▁that ▁weak ened ▁the ▁country ▁and ▁large - scale ▁invas ions ▁by ▁Japan ▁and ▁Man ch u ▁that ▁nearly ▁to pp led ▁the ▁dynast y . ▁ ▁F action al ▁struggle ▁ ▁The ▁Sar im ▁fa ction ▁had ▁suffered ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁political ▁defe ats ▁during ▁the ▁reign s ▁of ▁Ye ons ang un , ▁Jung j ong , ▁and ▁My e ong j ong , ▁but ▁it ▁gained ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁government ▁during ▁the ▁reign ▁of ▁King ▁Se on jo . ▁It ▁soon ▁split ▁into ▁oppos ing ▁fa ctions ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Eastern ers ▁and ▁the ▁Western ers . ▁Within ▁dec ades ▁the ▁Eastern ers ▁themselves ▁divided ▁into ▁the ▁Southern ers ▁and ▁the ▁Northern ers ; ▁in ▁the ▁sevent e enth ▁century ▁the ▁Western ers ▁as ▁well ▁perman ently ▁split ▁into ▁the ▁Nor on ▁and ▁the ▁Sor on . ▁The ▁altern ations ▁in ▁power ▁among