Yi Seok

Yi Seok[4] (born 3 August 1941) is a member of royalty from the House of Yi, the royal house of Joseon and Korean Empire. He is the 10th son of Prince Yi Kang, and the fifth son of Emperor Gojong of Korea,[5] and one of his consorts, Lady Hong Chŏng-sun, a former telephone operator. In his early life, Yi gained fame as a singer, known as the "singing prince",[6] and he released a 1967 album Pigeon House.[7][8] Since 2004, he has been employed by the city of Jeonju to promote tourism. He also serves as a professor of history at Jeonju University.[2]

In this Korean name, the family name is Yi.
Yi Seok
Head of the House of Yi
(disputed)
Imperial by Constitution16 July 2005 – present
PredecessorPrince Yi Ku
SuccessorAndrew Lee
Born (1941-08-30) 30 August 1941
Sadong Palace, Seoul
SpouseDokko Jeonghui (divorced)[1]
Song Hui-yeong (divorced)
Kyung Sook Lee
IssueYi Hong
Yi Jin
HouseYi
FatherYi Kang, Prince Imperial Ui
MotherLady Hong Chŏng-sun
Occupation
  • Professor of Jeonju University[2]
  • The creator of "Korean Imperial Family Cultural Foundation" (황실문화재단)[3]
Yi Seok
Hangul
이석
Hanja
李錫
Revised RomanizationI Seok
McCune–ReischauerYi Sǒk

As an activist on monarchy restoration, Yi Seok promotes his concept to create a constitutional monarchy[9] within the existing constitutional and Presidential system. He suggests restoring the Imperial family for their symbolic value.[10][note 1]

Yi Seok founded an organization "Korean Imperial Family Cultural Foundation" (황실문화재단) in August 2006 to support this proposal.[9] Yi Seok's guesthouse, as well as his residence, SeungKwangJae (승광재) in Jeonju Hanok Village, was once visited by former president Roh Moo-hyun, President Moon Jae-in with his wife, and Park Won-soon (Mayor of Seoul) and Harry B. Harris Jr.[5]

In May 2016, Yi Seok became the brand ambassador of Liancourt Rocks by Ulleung County.[5]

In an article of the official website of South Korea, Korea.net, referred Yi Seok as one of two pretenders to the throne and the only one living in Korea.[11]

Biography

Early life
Sadong Palace in 1937

Yi Seok was born in Korea under Japanese rule, on 30 August 1941. His father Yi Kang was 62 and his mother, Lady Hong, was 19.[12] The place he was born, Sadong Palace (사동궁), was lost after 1945.[13] The rising of the Syngman Rhee government resulted in the confiscation of many of their family properties. After the outbreak of the Korean War, Yi Seok and his family fled from their residence in Samcheong-dong and were reduced to poverty.[13]

At the beginning of the era of Republic of Korea, the Imperial family was banished from the Imperial palace.[12] Their lives became better after the president Park Chung Hee gained power. When studying Hankook University of Foreign Studies in Seoul, Yi Seok learned foreign languages, principally Spanish, and became fluent. He also studied foreign relations and history, to prepare for the diplomatic service. A series of coups d'état and civil discord made that impossible.

In the 1960s he used his musical talent to become a well-known singer and professional musician iwhile in his twenties, having several hit songs. Later, Yi Seok volunteered for the Korean military and served as an enlisted man in the Vietnam War.[14] During the war, Yi Seok was wounded and needed to return to Korea; around the same time, his mother died of stomach cancer.[12] Yi Seok was 26; severely depressed, he attempted suicide nine times.[12] After President Park was assassinated in 1979, the government's subside to the royal family was discontinued. Yi Seok tried various jobs to support himself.[14] In the 1980s, he moved to the United States as an illegal immigrant, doing jobs including lawn mowing, cleaning swimming pools and buildings.[12] At the same time, he attempted to retrieve family properties seized by the republic. Under postwar Korean law, these are no longer able to be claimed. With the changing political climate in the early 1990s, Yi Seok returned to Korea. The Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) produced a semi-fictional TV programme of his life.

Recent activities

In April 2004, his eldest daughter, Yi Hong performed for the first time in a singing show from SBS, and Yi Seok starred on stage with her as celebration.[15]

By August of the same year, Yi Seok started to run a guesthouse SeungKwangJae (승광재) in Jeonju Hanok Village, which is also his current residence. The name reference of the guesthouse is the era name of Emperor Gojong, Kwangmu (光武), and seung (승) stands for "succession".[9][5] SeungKwangJae is sometimes rented by the government of Jeonju and it was built of wood, similar to the traditional way.[14] Yi Seok runs the place with his supporters.[16] He said, "There are many things to do in Jeonju since this is where the Joseon dynasty founded. I'm going to spread the culture of the royal family and re-illuminate Jeonju's history."[16]

On 16 July 2005, Yi Seok's cousin Yi Ku passed away without an heir. The Jeonju Lee Royal Family Association announced, on July 22, that Yi Won would become Yi Ku's successor, according to his will.[17][18] During the funeral, an angered Yi Seok commented that "the funeral is not yet ended, and it's inappropriate to discuss about adopting an heir by now".[18] Later, Yi Seok claimed that "adopting a son after death doesn’t make any sense," and he also claimed that Yi Bangja, his late aunt and the mother of Yi Ku, named him as "first successor" in her will.[19]

In August 2006, to support his goal of monarchy restoration, Yi Seok founded the organization "Korean Imperial Family Cultural Foundation" (황실문화재단); he serves as director.[9] Yi Hae-won, one of his elder half-sisters, proclaimed herself as an empress and held a coronation on 29 September 2006. Although she invited Yi Seok, he did not attend the ceremony.[19]

The Statue of King Sejong in Gwanghwamun Plaza, Seoul

The Statue of King Sejong in Gwanghwamun Plaza was erected on 9 October 2009, and Yi Seok attended the unveiling ceremony.[20] According to a talk on 4 September 2014, Yi Seok said that there is no existing contemporary portrait of Sejong the Great. The statue's face was based on that of Yi Seok and a portrait of Grand Prince Hyoryeong, King Sejong's older brother, which is now preserved at Gwanaksan.[21][22][12]

On 7 August 2018, Harry B. Harris Jr., the United States Ambassador to South Korea, paid a visit to SeungKwangJae.[5] The mayor of Jeonju, Kim Seung-su (김승수), said, "The prince [Yi Seok] is our history and our spirit. I would like to express my deep gratitude to the ambassadors for visiting this symbolic space."[23]

On October 6, 2018, Yi declared Andrew Lee, a distant Korean-American relative and an entrepreneur, to be the "Korean Crown Prince".[24][6] Yi's claims that Lee is descended from the Jeonju clan have not been documented.

Family

Yi Seok married and divorced four times. He is now married to a woman said to be 18 years younger than he.[12] He has two daughters from his previous mariages:

  • Yi Hong (이홍, born 1974): Works as an actress in Korea. She married Han Yeong-gwang (한영광), another Korean actor. Their daughter was born in 2001.
  • Yi Jin (이진, born 1979): Works on promoting traditional Korean ceramic arts. She lives in Canada.

Quotes

I still remember clearly how my father fired a revolver into the air and ranted, "I shall banish those Japanese who stole our country!"[13]

— A quote from Yi Seok's book, 국경을 허무는 사람들[25]

Our country requires a system in which the royal family symbolically exists, even if there is already a president.[note 1] Only this way can put our people together.[10] [...] For 100 years, the royalty has been absent, yet the five grand palaces are still there, and the descendants of the royalty should be the ones who live inside symbolically.

— A reply from questions of reporter from JoongAng Ilbo, 17 August 2016

Notes
  1. Examples of elective republican governments with constitutional monarchies exist elsewhere. For instance, in Romania, the style of the former monarch, "His Majesty", is recognized by the republic government. Also, in Wallis and Futuna, a series of islands belongs to France, kingdoms still exist.

Ancestry

References
  1. "韓国皇室の末裔イ・ホン、3・1節に父とテレビ出演". 朝鮮日報. 2007-03-02. Retrieved 2019-03-06.
  2. "Heir of the last royal family becomes ceramic artist". Korea.net. 2008-08-16. Retrieved 2019-03-02.
  3. "HOME 커버스토리 커버스토리 [(사)대한황실문화재단 황손 이석 총재] "대한민국은 광복의 정신으로 미래 역사를 열어가야 한다"". 2014-08-08. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  4. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-life-korea-prince/prince-hopes-to-bring-monarchy-back-to-s-korea-idUSSEO16222220061106
  5. "「朝鮮最後の皇孫」の家を訪れた駐韓米国大使（１）". JoongAng Ilbo. 2018-08-08. Retrieved 2019-03-02.
  6. "Californian techie becomes Korean crown prince in fairytale twist". 2018-12-29. Retrieved 2019-01-14.
  7. 42년만에 음반 내는 황손 이석씨, Chosun Ilbo, 2009.01.21.
  8. "デビュー目指す韓国皇室の子孫イ・ホン". WoW!Korea. 2006-09-29. Retrieved 2019-03-02.
  9. "義親王の上海臨時政府亡命が成功していれば大韓帝国は続いていたかもしれない（１）". JoongAng Ilbo. 2016-08-22. Retrieved 2019-03-02.
  10. "義親王の上海臨時政府亡命が成功していれば大韓帝国は続いていたかもしれない（３）". JoongAng Ilbo. 2016-08-22. Retrieved 2019-03-02.
  11. https://web.archive.org/web/20180825074149/http://www.korea.net/NewsFocus/Society/view?articleId=73211
  12. "마지막 황손 이석, 출생의 비밀은? "아버지 의친왕, 어머니는 19세"". 2014-09-04. Retrieved 2019-03-19.
  13. "旧皇族系の李錫さん「父は六穴砲を撃ち『倭奴を放逐せよ』と」". JoongAng Ilbo. 2005-01-30. Retrieved 2019-03-03.
  14. Jonathan Thatcher (2007-01-20). "Prince hopes to bring monarchy back to S.Korea". Reuters. Retrieved 2019-03-07.
  15. "高宗皇帝のひ孫 イ・ホンが歌手デビュー". 朝鮮日報. 2004-04-26. Retrieved 2019-03-06.
  16. "朝鮮王朝の発源地に定着する「最後の皇孫」 李錫氏". 朝鮮日報. 2003-09-25.
  17. Sin, Hyeon-jun (21 July 2005). "끊어진 조선황실 후계 40대 회사원이 잇는다". Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  18. "朝鮮王朝の嫡統受け継ぐ李源氏 「会社生活続ける」". 朝鮮日報. 2005-07-24.
  19. Park, Sung-ha (2006-10-22). "Coronation of Korea's new empress leads to royal family controversy". Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  20. "【写真】光化門に世宗大王像が登場". JoongAng Ilbo. 2009-10-10. Retrieved 2019-03-19.
  21. "마지막 황손 이석, 세종대왕 상? 내얼굴+효령대군 동상!". THE FACT. 2014-09-05. Retrieved 2019-03-19.
  22. "마지막 황손 이석 "첫 광고서 세종대왕 역, 뭉클했다"". OBS Gyeongin TV. 2014-09-05. Retrieved 2019-03-19.
  23. "「朝鮮最後の皇孫」の家を訪れた駐韓米国大使（２）". JoongAng Ilbo. 2018-08-08. Retrieved 2019-03-03.
  24. "Andrew Lee Named New Korean Crown Prince". PR Newswire. 2018-10-16. Retrieved 2019-03-02.
  25. "의친왕, 육혈포 쏘며 "왜놈 몰아내야지" [출처: 중앙일보] 의친왕, 육혈포 쏘며 "왜놈 몰아내야지"". 2005-01-30. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
Yi Seok
Born: 3 August 1941
Titles in pretence
Preceded by
Yi Ku		 — TITULAR —
Emperor of Korea
16 July 2005 – present
Reason for succession failure:
Empire abolished in 1910		 Incumbent
Crown prince:
Andrew Lee
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