Prince Imperial Ui

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Prince Imperial Ui
Hangul 의친왕 이강
or 의화군
Hanja 義親王李堈
or 義和君
Revised Romanization Uichinwang I Gang or Uihwagun
McCune-Reischauer Ŭich'inwang I Kang or Ŭihwagun

Prince Imperial Ui (also Eui), the Prince Imperial Uihwa (also Euihwa), (born 30 March 1877 - 15 August 1955) was the fifth son of Emperor Gwangmu of Korea and his concubine, Lady Yang who was a court lady-in-waiting.

He received his given name of Yi Gang and was titled Prince Uihwa with the style of His Royal Highness in 1891. He married Lady Gim Sudeok, later known as the Princess Deogin (22 December 1878 - 14 January 1964), a daughter of 1st Baron Gim Sajun.

He could not become the Crown Prince, even though he was older than his brother Prince Imperial Yeong, because the Japanese government (who selected the crown prince of Korea themselves) disliked his rebellious nature. Additionally, his mother had already died, weakening his claim to the throne.

He was appointed special ambassador to Japan for the celebration of Japan's victory in the First Sino-Japanese war in 1894. The next year, he visited six European countries as an ambassador extraordinary: the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Russia, Italy and Austria.

He went to the United States to study and was promoted to the rank of Prince Imperial Eui, stylized as His Imperial Highness, in 1899. He also served as the president of the Korean Red Cross from 1906 to 1910.

In 1919, he collaborated with Choe Ikhwan, a member of Daedongdan, who attempted to support him as the new leader of Korea. He tried to escape to the provisional government, but he was discovered in Manchuria, China and returned to his home country. After this, he was forced to cooperate with the Japanese government, but retained his pride as a Prince Imperial to the end.

He died in 1955, at the age of seventy-eight, at Seongrak Manor, Seongbuk-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, South Korea and is buried at Hongyu-reung in Namyang-ju near Seoul.

Contents

[edit] Children

Prince Gang, a man with an active personality and handsome features, had 14 wives in addition to his lawful wife, Princess Duk-in. He had a total of 12 sons and 9 daughters.

[edit] Sons

  • Yi Gun (이건 李键i geon) (1909 - 1991), his 1st son with his mistress, Lady Sugwan; m. Miss Matsudaira Yoshiko, a daughter of Captain Matsudaira Yutaka and his wife, a daughter of Marquis Nabeshima Naohiro, a maternal grandfather of Princess Bangja of Korea. He became a citizen of Japan in 1947 and consequently he and his descendants lost their claim to Korean heritage.
  • Yi Wu (이우李鍝i u) (1912 - 1945), his 2nd son with his mistress, Lady Suin; m. Miss Park Chan-ju, a granddaughter of Marquis Park Yeonghyo who was husband of Princess Yeonghye of Korea, a daughter of King Cheoljong. He inherited the Unhyeon Palace with a title of Prince Heung, his father's first cousin.
  • Yi Bang (이방 i bang) (1914 - 1951), his 3rd son with his partner, Cho Byungsuk.
  • Yi Chang (이창 i chang) (1915 - ), his 4th son with Cho Byungsuk.
  • Yi Tak (이탁 i tak) (1918 - 1982), his 5th son with Lady Suin.
  • Yi Gon (이곤 李錕i gon) (1920 - ), his 6th son with Lady Suin.
  • Yi Gwang (이광 i gwang) (1921 - 1952), his 7th son.
  • Yi Hyun (이현 i hyeon) (1922 - 1995), his 8th son with his mistress, Lady Sugyung. He was adopted in to the Gyedong Palace.
  • Yi Gap (이갑 李鉀 i gap) (born 1938), his 9th son. Some members of the Lee Family Council chose His eldest son, Yi Won 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 (born 29 December 1931 - 16 July 2005).
  • Yi Seok (이석 李錫 i seok) (born 1940), his 10th son with his partner, Hong Jeongsun. He is living in Jeonju, Korea and currently a professor of history, lecturing at University of Jeonju in the Korea.
  • Yi Hwan (이환 i hwan) (born 1944), his 11th son with his partner, Kim Hyesu.
  • Yi Jung (이정 i jeong) (born 1947), his 12th son with Hong Jeongsun.

[edit] Daughters

  • Yi Haewan (이해완 i hae wan) (1915 - 1981), his 1st daughter with his mistress, Lady Sudeok.
  • Yi Haewon (이해원 李海瑗 i hae won) (born 1919), his 2nd daughter with Lady Sudeok. She claimed to be the 30th Head of the Imperial House of Korea on September 29, 2006. [1]
  • Yi Haechun (이해춘 i hae chun) (born 1920), his 3rd daughter with his mistress, Lady Sugwan.
  • Yi Haesuk (이해숙 i hae suk) (born 1920), his 4st daughter with his mistress, Lady Sugil.
  • Yi Haegyeong (이해경 李海瓊 i hae gyeong) (born 1930), his 5th daughter with his partner, Gim Geumdeok. She was (now retired) a librarian for Korean studies at the Starr East Asian Library in Columbia University, New York, and is also the author of some royal biographies.
  • Yi Hoeja (이회자 i hoe ja) (born 1940), his 6th daughter with Kim Hyesu.
  • HH Princess Haeran (이해란 i hae ran) (born 1944), his 7th daughter with Hong Jeongsun
  • Yi Haeryeon (이해련 i hae ryeon) (born 1950), his 8th daughter with Hong Jeongsun.
  • Yi Changhui (이창희 i chang hui) (born 1953), his 9th daughter with Kim Hyesu.

[edit] Honours

Grand Order of the Golden Measure and the Auspicious Stars (8 April 1906)

Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun, 1st Class with Paulownia Flowers (3 May 1906)

Grand Cordon of the Order of the Sacred Treasure-circa 1906

Grand Cordon of the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum (8 January 1924)


[edit] Titles from birth