Korean Imperial Household
Encyclopedia
The House of Yi, also called the Korean Imperial Household, was the household of the Joseon Dynasty
and Korean Empire
, consisting of the descendants of the Yi Seong-gye, the founder of the Joseon Dynasty
. Yi Seong-gye is known as Taejo
: The Great Ancestor. All his descendants are members of the Jeonju Yi
clan, including the imperial family of the Korean Empire
(1897–1910).
After the annexation of the Korean Peninsula by Empire of Japan
in 1910, some members of the Yi clan were mediatized
into the Korean royal family and the Korean peerage by the Japanese government until 1947, just before the Japanese Constitution
was promulgated. Since then, their status as royalty has not been acknowledged by any country, however they continue to attract occasional media attention in South Korea
. This happened most recently with the July 2005 funeral of Prince Gu, former head of the royal household.
At present, Prince Chung
is the de jure genealogical heir to the heads of the imperial family, when male primogeniture is applied. However, he has not taken an active position on the debate over the leadership of the imperial family between his two relatives, Hereditary Prince Imperial Won
(a first cousin and the son of the 9th son of Prince Ui) and Princess Haewon
(his aunt and second eldest daughter of Prince Ui).
Korea became a protectorate
of Japan in 1895 when Japan forced Emperor Gojong to abdicate and Japanese assassinated his consort, Myeongseong. Japan annexed the country in 1910, and Korea became part of Imperial Japan.
During the colonial rule, the members of Yi family were mediatized
into the royal family (Ōkōzoku, 王公族) or made Korean nobles (Chosen-kizoku, 朝鮮貴族).
. As Emperor Sunjong died without issue, his younger brother, Prince Eun became the crown prince. His elder brother Prince Gang should have taken the position but was passed over because Eun's mother, Princess Sunheon, had a higher status in the court than Gang's mother, Lady Chang.
After Emperor Sunjong died in 1926, Crown Prince Eun was called "King Lee of Korea", a nominal title because the country had already lost its sovereignty to Japan
. Crown Prince Eun married Japanese noblewoman Princess Masako Nashimoto (later, Crown Princess Bangja of Korea), a member of Miyake family. Some Koreans accused Japan that Princess Bangja, once one of three candidates considered to be the bride of the Japanese emperor, was instead designated as Eun's wife because a medical test indicated she could be barren. As a result some media claimed the arranged marriage was Japan's imperialist conspiracy to terminate the Korean imperial lineage. However, Princess Bangja gave birth to Prince Jin in 1921 and Prince Gu in 1931.
suppressed the imperial family in order to prevent the restoration of the monarchy as he feared that the its return would challenge his emerging authority as the new republic's founding father. Rhee seized and nationalized most of the family's properties. The imperial family also had to shoulder the psychological and historical burden of their ancestors' responsibility for the "collapse of the nation". Stripped of most of their wealth and authority, some fled to the United States
and Latin America
. In addition, many of the former members of the Gaeseong branch of the family had their lands repossessed and were forced to leave Korea after the military/republican government took hold in the South. Known descendants currently reside in New Jersey and New York, one of which married the daughter of a former Italian Duchess.
It was only in 1963 that a new president, Park Chung-hee
, allowed the imperial family, including Princess Dukhye, to return to Korea. However, they could only stay at Nakseon Hall, a small residence in a corner of Changdeok Palace
in Seoul. Crown Prince Eun died seven years later after a long illness resulting from strokes. Prince Gu was forced by other family members to divorce his American wife, the former Julia Mullock
, in 1982 due to her sterility (the couple, however, had an adopted daughter). A series of business failures left Prince Gu without support, and he died alone at the Akasaka Prince Hotel
in Tokyo
on July 16, 2005. The site of the hotel had been his birthplace 74 years prior.
's seizure of the imperial properties deprived Prince Gang of most of his wealth. According to the prince's 11th son, Prince Seok, his mother, Hong Chong-sun, was forced to sell noodles as a street vendor to make a living.
In 1998, it was reported that Prince Gang's eighth son died alone in a social center in eastern Seoul
. The eleventh son, Prince Seok, works as a lecturer at the University of Jeonju
as of 2005. Among Prince Gang's surviving four sons and seven daughters, four lost touch with the family after they left for the United States
. The other family members hold an ancestral ritual two times a year for Prince Gang, but usually only two or three of the 11 surviving siblings attend the ceremonies.
. He is the eldest son of Prince Wu of Korea
, who inherited the title of Prince Heung with the 4th head of Unhyun Palace and his wife Princess Chanju, a granddaughter of Marquis
Park Yeonghyo, who was a son-in-law of King Cheoljong of Joseon.
At the age of nine, Prince Heung inherited Unhyeon Palace, where Emperor Gojong was born, after his father died in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. In 1947, his father's elder brother, Prince Gun (Momoyama Ken'ichi), acquired Japanese citizenship. This change of citizenship made Prince Chung the direct heir of his grandfather, Prince Imperial Ui, who died in 1955. On 1991, after the death of his mother, Prince Chung returned his ancestral home of Unhyeon Palace to the Seoul
city government.
At present, Prince Chung is de jure
genealogical heir to the headship of the Imperial family when male primogeniture is applied. However, he has not taken an active position on the debate between leadership of Imperial family between his two relatives, Hereditary Prince Imperial Won
(a first cousin and the son of the 9th son of Prince Ui) and Princess Haewon
(aunt of Prince Won and second eldest daughter of Prince Ui). Titularly reigning since the death of her predecessor, Prince Hoeun
, on 16 July 2005, Princess Haewŏn was enthroned as symbolic monarch of Korea on 29 September 2006 by the Korean Imperial Family Association, organized by about a dozen descendants of Joseon Dynasty. She lays claim to the title of Empress of Korea and declared the restoration of Imperial House in her own succession ceremony. The private enthronement was not approved or supported by the republican government of South Korea.
is the head of the household inherited from his father by male primogeniture.
|-
Joseon Dynasty
Joseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...
and Korean Empire
Korean Empire
The Greater Korean Empire was an empire of Korea that succeeded the Joseon Dynasty.In October 1897, Emperor Gojong proclaimed the new entity at Gyeongungung Palace and oversaw the partially successful modernization of the military, economy, land system, education system, and various industries...
, consisting of the descendants of the Yi Seong-gye, the founder of the Joseon Dynasty
Joseon Dynasty
Joseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...
. Yi Seong-gye is known as Taejo
Taejo of Joseon
Taejo of Joseon , born Yi Seong-gye, whose changed name is Yi Dan, was the founder and the first king of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea, and the main figure in overthrowing the Goryeo Dynasty...
: The Great Ancestor. All his descendants are members of the Jeonju Yi
Lee (Korean name)
Lee is the common English spelling of 이 , a common Korean family name. The proper pronunciation in South Korea is like the English letter "E", although in North Korea the name is still written as "리" and pronounced "Lee". Many times South Koreans will knowingly introduce themselves as "Lee" to...
clan, including the imperial family of the Korean Empire
Korean Empire
The Greater Korean Empire was an empire of Korea that succeeded the Joseon Dynasty.In October 1897, Emperor Gojong proclaimed the new entity at Gyeongungung Palace and oversaw the partially successful modernization of the military, economy, land system, education system, and various industries...
(1897–1910).
After the annexation of the Korean Peninsula by Empire of Japan
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
in 1910, some members of the Yi clan were mediatized
Mediatization
Mediatisation is the loss of imperial immediacy. Broadly defined it is the subsumption of one monarchy into another monarchy in such a way that the ruler of the annexed state keeps his sovereign title and, sometimes, a measure of local power...
into the Korean royal family and the Korean peerage by the Japanese government until 1947, just before the Japanese Constitution
Constitution of Japan
The is the fundamental law of Japan. It was enacted on 3 May, 1947 as a new constitution for postwar Japan.-Outline:The constitution provides for a parliamentary system of government and guarantees certain fundamental rights...
was promulgated. Since then, their status as royalty has not been acknowledged by any country, however they continue to attract occasional media attention in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. This happened most recently with the July 2005 funeral of Prince Gu, former head of the royal household.
At present, Prince Chung
Yi Chung
Prince Yi Chung of Korea is a member of the former Imperial Family of Korea and the genealogical male-line heir of Emperor Gojong...
is the de jure genealogical heir to the heads of the imperial family, when male primogeniture is applied. However, he has not taken an active position on the debate over the leadership of the imperial family between his two relatives, Hereditary Prince Imperial Won
Won, Hereditary Prince Imperial of Korea
-External links:**...
(a first cousin and the son of the 9th son of Prince Ui) and Princess Haewon
Haewon, Princess of Korea
Princess Yi Haewŏn , a descendant of the Yi Dynasty is a pretender to the throne of Korea. She is a second daughter of Prince Imperial Ui of Korea, a fifth son of Emperor Gojong of Korea and his concubine, Lady Sudeokdang...
(his aunt and second eldest daughter of Prince Ui).
Colonial rule (1910–1945)
In a complicated series of manoeuvres and counter-manoeuvres, Japan pushed back the Russian fleet in 1905.Korea became a protectorate
Protectorate
In history, the term protectorate has two different meanings. In its earliest inception, which has been adopted by modern international law, it is an autonomous territory that is protected diplomatically or militarily against third parties by a stronger state or entity...
of Japan in 1895 when Japan forced Emperor Gojong to abdicate and Japanese assassinated his consort, Myeongseong. Japan annexed the country in 1910, and Korea became part of Imperial Japan.
During the colonial rule, the members of Yi family were mediatized
Mediatization
Mediatisation is the loss of imperial immediacy. Broadly defined it is the subsumption of one monarchy into another monarchy in such a way that the ruler of the annexed state keeps his sovereign title and, sometimes, a measure of local power...
into the royal family (Ōkōzoku, 王公族) or made Korean nobles (Chosen-kizoku, 朝鮮貴族).
Eunists
Emperor Gojong had nine sons and four daughters, but only three princes, as well as one princess: the second son, Crown Prince Cheok; the sixth son, Prince Gang and the seventh son, Prince Eun. The second son, Cheok became Emperor Sunjong of Korea, the last monarch of KoreaKorean Empire
The Greater Korean Empire was an empire of Korea that succeeded the Joseon Dynasty.In October 1897, Emperor Gojong proclaimed the new entity at Gyeongungung Palace and oversaw the partially successful modernization of the military, economy, land system, education system, and various industries...
. As Emperor Sunjong died without issue, his younger brother, Prince Eun became the crown prince. His elder brother Prince Gang should have taken the position but was passed over because Eun's mother, Princess Sunheon, had a higher status in the court than Gang's mother, Lady Chang.
After Emperor Sunjong died in 1926, Crown Prince Eun was called "King Lee of Korea", a nominal title because the country had already lost its sovereignty to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Crown Prince Eun married Japanese noblewoman Princess Masako Nashimoto (later, Crown Princess Bangja of Korea), a member of Miyake family. Some Koreans accused Japan that Princess Bangja, once one of three candidates considered to be the bride of the Japanese emperor, was instead designated as Eun's wife because a medical test indicated she could be barren. As a result some media claimed the arranged marriage was Japan's imperialist conspiracy to terminate the Korean imperial lineage. However, Princess Bangja gave birth to Prince Jin in 1921 and Prince Gu in 1931.
Post-liberation
After Korea's liberation in 1945, President Syngman RheeSyngman Rhee
Syngman Rhee or Yi Seungman was the first president of South Korea. His presidency, from August 1948 to April 1960, remains controversial, affected by Cold War tensions on the Korean peninsula and elsewhere. Rhee was regarded as an anti-Communist and a strongman, and he led South Korea through the...
suppressed the imperial family in order to prevent the restoration of the monarchy as he feared that the its return would challenge his emerging authority as the new republic's founding father. Rhee seized and nationalized most of the family's properties. The imperial family also had to shoulder the psychological and historical burden of their ancestors' responsibility for the "collapse of the nation". Stripped of most of their wealth and authority, some fled to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
. In addition, many of the former members of the Gaeseong branch of the family had their lands repossessed and were forced to leave Korea after the military/republican government took hold in the South. Known descendants currently reside in New Jersey and New York, one of which married the daughter of a former Italian Duchess.
It was only in 1963 that a new president, Park Chung-hee
Park Chung-hee
Park Chung-hee was a Republic of Korea Army general and the leader of South Korea from 1961 to 1979. He seized power in a military coup and ruled until his assassination in 1979. He has been credited with the industrialization of the Republic of Korea through export-led growth...
, allowed the imperial family, including Princess Dukhye, to return to Korea. However, they could only stay at Nakseon Hall, a small residence in a corner of Changdeok Palace
Changdeokgung
Changdeokgung, also known as Changdeokgung Palace or Changdeok Palace, is set within a large park in Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea. It is one of the "Five Grand Palaces" built by the kings of the Joseon Dynasty. Because of its location east of Gyeongbok Palace, Changdeokgung, with Changgyeonggung,...
in Seoul. Crown Prince Eun died seven years later after a long illness resulting from strokes. Prince Gu was forced by other family members to divorce his American wife, the former Julia Mullock
Julia Mullock
Julia Mullock became a disputed member of the Korean Imperial Household with the title Her Imperial Highness Princess Julia Lee of Korea when she became the de-facto wife of Gu, Prince of Korea...
, in 1982 due to her sterility (the couple, however, had an adopted daughter). A series of business failures left Prince Gu without support, and he died alone at the Akasaka Prince Hotel
Akasaka Prince Hotel
The , formerly the Kitashirakawa Palace, is an upscale hotel in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan.It is located across the moat from Akasaka-mitsuke Station, and next to the back of the Hotel New Otani in Kioicho. The newer building designed by Kenzo Tange is 30+ stories tall and laminated in aluminium...
in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
on July 16, 2005. The site of the hotel had been his birthplace 74 years prior.
Gangists
Emperor Gojong's sixth son, Prince Gang, fathered 13 sons and 9 daughters by 14 women. With an extremely wide range of historical evaluations over him—womanizer and behind the scene leader of the independent movement—the Japanese authorities limited the activities of the prince throughout the occupation. President Syngman RheeSyngman Rhee
Syngman Rhee or Yi Seungman was the first president of South Korea. His presidency, from August 1948 to April 1960, remains controversial, affected by Cold War tensions on the Korean peninsula and elsewhere. Rhee was regarded as an anti-Communist and a strongman, and he led South Korea through the...
's seizure of the imperial properties deprived Prince Gang of most of his wealth. According to the prince's 11th son, Prince Seok, his mother, Hong Chong-sun, was forced to sell noodles as a street vendor to make a living.
In 1998, it was reported that Prince Gang's eighth son died alone in a social center in eastern Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
. The eleventh son, Prince Seok, works as a lecturer at the University of Jeonju
Jeonju
Jeonju is a city in South Korea, and the capital of Jeollabuk-do, or North Jeolla Province. It is an important tourist center famous for Korean food, historic buildings, sports activities and innovative festivals.- History :...
as of 2005. Among Prince Gang's surviving four sons and seven daughters, four lost touch with the family after they left for the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The other family members hold an ancestral ritual two times a year for Prince Gang, but usually only two or three of the 11 surviving siblings attend the ceremonies.
Known Descendants Today
Yi Chung (born 1936) is the genealogical male-line heir of Emperor GojongGojong of Korea
Gojong , the Emperor Gwangmu was the twenty-sixth king of the Korean Joseon Dynasty and the first emperor of the Korean Empire.-King of the Joseon:Gojong took the throne in 1863 when still a child...
. He is the eldest son of Prince Wu of Korea
Wu, Prince of Korea
Yi Wu , was the 4th head of Unhyeon Palace and a member of the imperial family of Korea.-Biography:He was born the second son of Prince Gang, the fifth son of Emperor Gojong....
, who inherited the title of Prince Heung with the 4th head of Unhyun Palace and his wife Princess Chanju, a granddaughter of Marquis
Marquis
Marquis is a French and Scottish title of nobility. The English equivalent is Marquess, while in German, it is Markgraf.It may also refer to:Persons:...
Park Yeonghyo, who was a son-in-law of King Cheoljong of Joseon.
At the age of nine, Prince Heung inherited Unhyeon Palace, where Emperor Gojong was born, after his father died in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. In 1947, his father's elder brother, Prince Gun (Momoyama Ken'ichi), acquired Japanese citizenship. This change of citizenship made Prince Chung the direct heir of his grandfather, Prince Imperial Ui, who died in 1955. On 1991, after the death of his mother, Prince Chung returned his ancestral home of Unhyeon Palace to the Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
city government.
At present, Prince Chung is de jure
De jure
De jure is an expression that means "concerning law", as contrasted with de facto, which means "concerning fact".De jure = 'Legally', De facto = 'In fact'....
genealogical heir to the headship of the Imperial family when male primogeniture is applied. However, he has not taken an active position on the debate between leadership of Imperial family between his two relatives, Hereditary Prince Imperial Won
Won, Hereditary Prince Imperial of Korea
-External links:**...
(a first cousin and the son of the 9th son of Prince Ui) and Princess Haewon
Haewon, Princess of Korea
Princess Yi Haewŏn , a descendant of the Yi Dynasty is a pretender to the throne of Korea. She is a second daughter of Prince Imperial Ui of Korea, a fifth son of Emperor Gojong of Korea and his concubine, Lady Sudeokdang...
(aunt of Prince Won and second eldest daughter of Prince Ui). Titularly reigning since the death of her predecessor, Prince Hoeun
Gu, Prince Imperial Hoeun
Prince Yi Ku was a claimant to the throne of Korea, contested twenty-ninth head of the Korean Imperial family, and the grandson of Gojong of the Korean Joseon Dynasty....
, on 16 July 2005, Princess Haewŏn was enthroned as symbolic monarch of Korea on 29 September 2006 by the Korean Imperial Family Association, organized by about a dozen descendants of Joseon Dynasty. She lays claim to the title of Empress of Korea and declared the restoration of Imperial House in her own succession ceremony. The private enthronement was not approved or supported by the republican government of South Korea.
Title
At present, the is no official recognition title conferred to the head of Korean Imperial Household by the Korean republican government. Nevertheless, it is assumed that the current title hold by the present enthroned descendant Princess Yi Haewon titular Empress of Korea is - Her Imperial Highness. Although Prince Yi Chung of KoreaYi Chung
Prince Yi Chung of Korea is a member of the former Imperial Family of Korea and the genealogical male-line heir of Emperor Gojong...
is the head of the household inherited from his father by male primogeniture.
House of Yi family tree
The Korean throne since 1910
- Emperor Sunjong (1910–1926)
- Crown Prince Yi Un (1926–1970)
- Prince Yi KuGu, Prince Imperial HoeunPrince Yi Ku was a claimant to the throne of Korea, contested twenty-ninth head of the Korean Imperial family, and the grandson of Gojong of the Korean Joseon Dynasty....
(1970–2005) - Yi Won or Prince Yi SeokYi SeokYi Seok is a prince of the House of Yi, the Korean royal family. He was described as the "last pretender" to the Korean throne by The New York Times, although this status is not recognized by the Yi family association. Yi gained fame as the "singing prince" with the wedding favorite "Pigeon...
(2005–present)
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See also
- List of Korea-related topics
- History of KoreaHistory of KoreaThe Korean Peninsula was inhabited from the Lower Paleolithic about 400,000-500,000 years ago. Archeological evidence indicates that the presence of modern humans in northeast Asia dates to 39,000 years ago. The earliest known Korean pottery dates to around 8000 BC, and the Neolithic period began...
- Joseon DynastyJoseon DynastyJoseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...
- Korean EmpireKorean EmpireThe Greater Korean Empire was an empire of Korea that succeeded the Joseon Dynasty.In October 1897, Emperor Gojong proclaimed the new entity at Gyeongungung Palace and oversaw the partially successful modernization of the military, economy, land system, education system, and various industries...