Won, Hereditary Prince Imperial of Korea

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Won, Hereditary Prince Imperial of Korea

Birth name
Hangul:	이원
Hanja:	李源
McCune-Reischauer:	Yi Won
Revised Romanization:	I Won
Claimed Imperial title
Hangul:	황사손
Meaning:	Hereditary Prince Imperial
Hanja:	皇嗣孫
Revised Romanization:	Hwangsason

His Imperial Highness Won, Hereditary Prince Imperial of Korea (born 1962), a descendant of the Joseon Dynasty (a.k.a. Yi Dynasty) is the contested Head of the Korean Imperial Household and also works as a general manager of Hyundai Home Shopping, a branch of the Hyundai chaebol. He was born as the eldest son of Prince Gap of Korea, the 9th son of Prince Gang by his wife at Hyehwa-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul and became the adopted son of Prince Gu of Korea, the twenty-ninth head of the Imperial house, though legality of the adoption is contested.

Those who dispute the legitimacy of the adoption point out that consent for the adoption of Prince Won was not given by other members of Imperial House, including Prince Seok, the younger half-brother of Prince Gap, and Princess Hae-won, the eldest surviving member of the House. Also, according to present Korean law, the traditional adoption after death of a foster parent to continue the line has been outlawed by legislation as of 2004.

Another problem rises over whether Prince Won or his father Prince Gap is the senior member of the house. While the line of Prince Gang is the senior line following the death of Prince Gu, there are descendants to the elder sons of Prince Gang. Barring the descendant of Prince Geon, the eldest son who had been naturalised as a Japanese after World War II, some members of the House insist that the Headship of House should pass to the descendants of Prince Wu, the second son of Prince Gang. In this case, the rightful Head of the House is Yi Chung, Prince Wu's eldest son.

Prince Won attended the Sangmun High School during 1979-1981 and completed studies in broadcasting at the New York Institute of Technology, USA. He and his wife have had two children, the eldest son born in 1998; the other son born in 1999.

On July 16, 2005, following the death of Prince Gu, some members of the Lee Family Council chose him as the next Head of Korean Imperial Household and they also made his title the Hereditary Prince Imperial (Hwangsason) in the meaning of inherited a title of Prince Gu. His claim is contested by Princess Yi Haewon of Korea who was crowned Empress of South Korea by 12 descendants who felt that she should be Empress, not Prince Won.

He currently lives in an apartment in Wondang, Goyang, Gyeonggi province, Korea with his family.