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Categories: Korean people | 1941 births

Yi Seok

His Imperial Highness Yi Seok (born 1941) a descendant of the Joseon Dynasty is one of two pretenders to the throne of Korea. A grandson of Emperor Gojong of Korea, he styles himself as "His Imperial Highness, the Crown Prince Yi Seok", but he has no royal status or privilege since the Japanese Constitution abolished noble titles in 1947 and Korea became two republics in 1953. Yi's claims to the titles are disputed by other members of the dynastic family, who consider the formal Head of the Korean Royal House to be Yi Ku, his cousin.

Currently Yi resides in a building renovated for his use by the city of Jeonju, 243 kilometers south of Seoul. The city government hopes that Yi's settlement on the grounds of its Hanok Village will spotlight the historic significance of the city and help it to attract tourists. As part of this arrangement, Yi gives lectures to Jeonju visitors about Korean history. He also frequently lectures elsewhere and is often called upon for ceremonial duties, despite his official status as a private citizen. Recently, Yi authored a book about the late Joseon Dynasty royal court family and has founded an organization, which he now leads, "The Imperial Grandson Association", dedicated to preserving the culture of the royal court.

Contents

5 Publications and Media

6 Controversy

7 Official Websites

8 External links

Early Life

Prince Yi Seok was born and raised in Gyeongbok Palace in Seoul during the Japanese occupation. After WW2 ended with the occupation and partitition of Korea by the allies in the South, and the Russians and Chinese in the north, the Korean royal family was rendered homeless, what assets that were not confiscated by the Japanese were then confiscated by the incoming Syngman Rhee government, and forced to temporary accommodation within palaces in Seoul.

The coming of the Korean War in the summer of 1950 led the cadet elements of the royal family to flee by an American landing craft from Incheon, along the coast down to Busan, then to live in a hillside monastary in Jeju Island til the war ended in the autumn of 1953 when they returned to Seoul.

Prince Yi Seok as a young man was required to look after his family as best he could, along with his brothers, and took any jobs that he could to provide for his parents and siblings before and after university during the hard times of the Korean War and Cold War era as the Republic of Korea fought communism and internal subversion.

At University in Seoul, Prince Yi Seok studied foreign languages, foreign relations and history, became fluent in several languages, and prepared himself for the diplomatic service. A series of coups, changes in government and civil discord rendered that impossible. After university, Yi Seok again worked at many different jobs to provide for his family, and as he had an aptitude for entertaining, became a well known singer and professional musician in the 1960s while in his twenties, having several hit songs.

Military Service

Prince Yi Seok volunteered for the Korean military and served as an enlisted man in the Vietnam War in an elite Korean commando regiment as an infantryman in The Tiger Division also known as the Capitol Infantry Division (mech.) The Tiger Division was an all volunteer division in which all soldiers donated 80% of their pay back to the Republic of Korea to support the post-war economy.

Apart from serving in combat in many engagements as a member of the 1st Infantry Regiment of the Tiger Division, Yi Seok was seriously wounded by shrapnel in a convoy that was landmined. Before and after his recuperation, he also found time to entertain the troops during off-hours at their request. Before Yi Seok was wounded he participated in combat operations from Tiger1 to Tiger12 with his regiment. The unit had a distinguished history in combat.

The Lost Years

Returning to the Republic of Korea, the royal family was again given accommodation at palaces in Seoul, but with the coup following the assassination of President Park Chung Hee in 1979, the royal family was ordered out of the palace at gunpoint; and what properties and assets they had were finally totally confiscated. Prince Yi Seok then travelled to the[[ United States]] where he took again a series of jobs in the recessionary 1980s to provide for his family and his relatives whilst attempting protracted legal and moral battles to retrieve family properties seized illegally, and now irretrievable under post-war Korean law.

With the changed political climate in the early 1990s, Yi Seok was able to return to the Republic of Korea, and once again attempt to live in old family properties, and battle for his legal rights as a private citizen. After a series of difficult times, he had a series of spiritual revelations, retired to a monastery, and regained a new public life at the beginning of the 21st century, with a series of constant travels doing educational work, promoting both Korean royal tourism and the restoration of historical buildings, and a schedule that involves over 100 speaking engagements or public appearances each year. Currently he lives in Jeonju, South Korea.

The hardships and resilience that is typical of Korean life from WW2 to the post Vietnam era proved interesting and Prince Yi Seok's life was made into a dramatic semi-fictional TV programme on the Korean Broadcasting System (KBS).

Current Activities

Together with many members of the Korean royal family, Yi Seok has worked to maintain royal Korean traditions that go back to 1392. His current concerns are in the areas of teaching history on an extensive lecture circuit to schools and colleges in the Republic of Korea, as well as encouraging more historical tours as a way of preserving essential aspects of Korean tradition for future generations.

In February of 2005, Prince Yi Seok began teaching twice weekly classes on Korean history at Jeonju University with the title of professor. His classes center on Joseon Dynasty era figures as well as introducing pre-1900 Korean history to sophomore students.

Publications and Media

Prince Yi Seok is also a recently published author on the ceremonial rites of his family. And has agreed to host a TV series on Korean royal history, which is currently in pre-production.

Entitled "A personal view of Korea", the documentary series will feature three episodes on Korean history, palaces and temples, and on the fortress architecture of the over 20 Yi Dynasty castles.

Production is expected to begin in the summer of 2005, and foreign rights sales are presently being negotiated.

Controversy

Claims to certain Korean imperial titles are considered by those outside of the Yi family to be disputed - internally there is less division. Claims by those outside the Yi family may consider the formal Head of the Korean Royal House to be Prince Yi Ku, a cousin of Prince Yi Seok. Currently Yi Seok lives in Jeonju, 243 kilometers south of Seoul. The Prince Yi Ku visits the Republic of Korea quarterly in order to perform the traditional ancestral rites of prayers to five generations back of the imperial ancestors, and is on very friendly terms with his imperial relative Prince Yi Seok, as well as many of the Yi family at home and abroad.

Official Websites

The Korean royal family website is expected to appear in English by early 2005, and is currently available in Korean.

External links

Categories: Korean people | 1941 births

Science Fair Project Encyclopedia Contents Page

10-26-2009 08:16:03
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