Before her marriage, the Empress was known as the daughter of Min Chi-rok (), Lady Min, or Min Jayeong (Hangul: 민자영, Hanja: 閔玆暎). At the age of seven, she had lost her father to an illness while he was in Sado city on 17 September 1858. Then, her mother, Lady Hanchang of the Hansan Yi clan () who died from a bombing assassination in 1874, along with her adoptive older brother, Min Seung-ho. The Empress and her mother moved from Seomark-ri, Geundong-myeon, Yeoju to the House of Gamgodang (Hangul: 감고당, Hanja: 感古堂), where she was raised by her mother for 8 years, and Min relatives, until she moved to the palace, and became Queen. Since her father wasn't able to decide on an heir before he died, Jayeong worked with her mother while in living in Gamgodang for 3 years. In 1861, it was decided, during King Cheoljong's 12th year of reign, that Min Seung-ho, her mother-in-law's younger brother, would become his heir.