House of Yi
Parent house	Jeonju Yi clan
Country	Joseon Korean Empire
Founded	5 August 1392 (Joseon's founding)
Founder	Taejo of Joseon
Current head	disputed
Final ruler	Sunjong of Korea
Titles	King of Joseon Emperor of Korea
Deposition	29 August 1910
Cadet branches	125 cadet branches (approximately 105 extant) including: House ofGrand Prince Jinan House ofGrand Prince Yangnyeong House ofGrand Prince Hyoryeong House of Prince Milseong House of Grand Prince Gwangpyeong House ofDeokheung Daewongun

TheHouse of Yi was the royal family of theJoseon dynasty and later the imperial family of theKorean Empire, descended from the Joseon founderYi Seong-gye. All of his descendants are members of theJeonju Yi clan.

After theJapan–Korea Treaty of 1910, in which theEmpire of Japan annexed theKorean Peninsula, some members of the Jeonju Yi clan were incorporated into theImperial House of Japan and the Japanese peerage by the Japanese government.^[1][2] This lasted until 1947, just before theConstitution of Japan was promulgated.^[3] The treaty was nullified in theTreaty on Basic Relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea.

With the Constitution succeeding to the Provisional Government,^[4] the descendants of the Imperial Family continue to be given preference and constitute a favored symbol inSouth Korea. The July 2005 funeral ofYi Ku, former head of the royal household, attracted considerable media coverage.Yi Seok also caught attention as of the 100th anniversary of Korean independence^[5] on March 1, 2019.

WhenTaejo of Joseon ascended to the throne in 1392, he continued to use the laws ofGoryeo, and the noble titles he gave to his sons, nephews, and sons-in-law were all "prince" (군).^[6] After thecoup d'état in 1398, the system of noble titles changed: "duke" for king's sons, "marquis" for royal descendants, and "earl" for officers of senior first rank.^[7] This system was abolished in 1401 to avoid "usurping" the existing title laws of the more powerfulMing dynasty.^[8]

As of 1412,Taejong of Joseon approved a new system for giving titles to the royalty:^[9] among the sons of a king, those who were born by the queen can acquire the title "grand prince" (대군), and the rest can be the "prince" (군); both princes are of senior first rank and their male descendants are as well insofar as their great-grandsons can retrieve official positions. According to theVeritable Records of the Joseon Dynasty, the title "prince" (군) was at first restricted to be given to sons or grandsons of kings, but these standards became looser over time.^[10][11] Generally, a royal eligible to be a prince could not receive the title automatically even if his rank raised him to the junior second rank.^[12] But such a hereditary title could be passed down to generations until it exceeds more than four generations (from the king).^[13]

Similar to male royals, female royals received titles according to their kinship to the kings. Daughters of the king and queen were called 공주 (gongju), girls born to other consorts and fathered by the king were called 옹주 (ongju) to differentiate, and some further distant female royalties also had different titles; in English all these titles are translated as "princess".^[14][15] If the above-mentioned females were stripped of titles due to various reasons, they would be referred to as a commoner; for instance, the eldest daughter of deposedYeonsangun of Joseon was addressed as "Ku Mun-gyeong's wife" after 1506.^[16] Later, there were also so-called "Kim Se-ryung's wife" (formerPrincess Hyomyeong) and "Jeong's wife" (formerPrincess Hwawan).^[17][18]

In 1469,Seongjong of Joseon ascended to the throne as the adopted heir to his uncle,Yejong of Joseon. As of 1475, Seongjong asked the Ming dynasty government to ratify his biological father,Crown Prince Uigyeong, to have a posthumous status as a king,^[19] and atemple name "Deokjong" was made for the late crown prince.^[20] A similar event took place in 1568, whenSeonjo of Joseon succeeded the throne as the adopted heir to his half-uncle,Myeongjong of Joseon. Based on official advice, instead of giving his biological father (Prince Deokheung) a title of "king" posthumously, Seonjo created a new title for him in 1569,Deokheung Daewongun (덕흥대원군), as an honor to the late prince. This action had a precedent in 1066, whenEmperor Yingzong of Song promoted his biological father (Zhao Yunrang) without posthumously elevating him to the status of emperor.^[21][22]

Following the precedent by Seonjo, three more royals were designated asDaewongun throughout the Joseon history:Prince Jeongwon (1623, but later promoted to "King Wonjong" as of 1634");^[23][24] Yi Kwang (Jeongye Daewongun, 1849);^[25] andPrince Heungseon (1864).^[26]

In 1650,Hyojong of Joseon, as requested by the prince regentDorgon of theQing dynasty, adopted a fourth cousin once removed as his daughter. Unusually, he gave her title,Princess Uisun, before she was about to leave Joseon to marry Dorgon.^[27]

After theMeiji Restoration, Japan acquired Western military technology. With this power, it forced Joseon to sign theJapan–Korea Treaty of 1876 after theGanghwa Island incident. It established a strong economic presence on the peninsula, heralding the beginning of Japanese imperial expansion inEast Asia. In the 19th century tensions mounted betweenChina andJapan, culminating in theFirst Sino-Japanese War; much of this war was fought on theKorean Peninsula. The Chinese defeat in the 1894 war resulted in theTreaty of Shimonoseki, which officially guaranteed Korea's independence from China. However, the treaty effectively granted Japan direct control over Korean politics.

The Joseon court, pressured by encroachment from larger powers, tried to reinforce national integrity and declared theKorean Empire in 1897. KingGojong of Korea assumed the title of Emperor in order to assert Korea's independence; he gave himself the rank of the leaders of China and Japan. In addition, Korea sought modern military technology from other foreign powers, especiallyRussia, in order to fend off the Japanese. Technically, 1895 marks the end of the Joseon period, as the official name of the state was changed. But the dynasty continued, although Japan intervened in its affairs. For example, the 1895 assassination of the queen consort,Queen Min,^[28] is believed to have been orchestrated by Japanese generalMiura Gorō. The queen had great influence on politics during the reign of her husband, and she tried to maintain the neutrality of the country by accepting the offers from theRussian Empire, allowing the latter to have greater influence.^[29] After the death of the queen, the emperor honored her by posthumously promoting her status to empress (Empress Myeongseong).

As an emperor, Gojong granted higher titles to some of his close relatives, and so did his successorSunjong of Korea. In 1900, Gojong designated his younger sonYi Kang as Prince Imperial Ui (의친왕) andYi Un as Prince Imperial Yeong (영친왕).^[30] Yi Seon, their older half brother who died young in 1880, was posthumously designated in 1907 as Prince Imperial Wan (완친왕).^[31] Gojong designated his (biological) elder brother Yi Jae-myeon asPrince Imperial Heung (흥친왕) in 1910.^[32]

After a long-term process of controlling thepuppet state, on 22 August 1910, Japan annexed the Korean peninsula effectively ended rule by the House of Yi, forcing the nation to accede to theJapan–Korea Treaty of 1910. According to the treaty, some of the members of Yi family were incorporated into the royal family (王公族,Ōkōzoku) or made Korean nobles (朝鮮貴族,Chōsen-kizoku).^[33][34][35]

The Korean nobility titles granted by Japan in 1910, listing only those fromJeonju Yi clan, are as follows:

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Emperor Gojong had nine sons, but only three princes who survived to adulthood: the second son, Crown Prince Yi Cheok; the fifth son,Yi Kang, and the seventh son,Yi Un. The Crown Prince, Yi Cheok, becameEmperor Sunjong, the last monarch of theKorean Empire. Since Emperor Sunjong never had issue, his younger brother, Yi Un, the Prince Imperial Yeong became the new Imperial Crown Prince.Yi Kang (Prince Imperial Ui) might have taken the position due to his seniority but was passed over - due to the low status of Yi Kang's biological mother, Lady Chang, as well as the notorious fame of Yi Kang himself known not only domestically but also internationally.^[51] Yi Kang fathered 13 sons and 9 daughters by 14 mistresses; the number can be different based on difference sources. With an extremely wide range of historical evaluations over him — womanizer, as well as a behind-the-scene leader of the independence movement — the Japanese authorities limited the activities of the prince throughout the occupation.

Emperor Sunjong died in 1926, Crown Prince Yi Un was called "King Yi", a nominal title because the country had already lost its sovereignty toJapan. Yi Un married a Japanese princess, Princess Masako of Nashimoto, who was later known asYi Bangja, a family member of theshinnōke (cadet branch from theImperial House of Japan). After they married, Princess Masako gave birth to Yi Jin in 1921 (died young) andYi Ku in 1931.

Many members of the Korean imperial family lived in Japan during colonial rule. The last princess of KoreaDeokhye, was taken to Japan at a young age, she later married the Japanese count and politicianSō Takeyuki. During theSecond World War, princes of the Korean imperial family served as officers of theImperial Japanese Army. Crown Prince Yi Un achieved the rank of Lieutenant General, commanded Japanese forces in China and became a member of theSupreme War Council. PrinceYi Geon, the first son of Yi Kang, served as a cavalry officer, achieved the rank of Colonel at the end of the war and lived the remainder of his life in Japan. PrinceYi U, the second son of Yi Kang, served as aGeneral Staff Officer with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel when he was killed in theatomic bombing of Hiroshima.

After Korea's liberation in 1945, PresidentSyngman Rhee, of the House of Yi, suppressed the imperial family, in order to prevent the restoration of the monarchy.^[52]) Stripped of most of their wealth and authority, some mainline family members, such asYi Haegyeong, fled to theUnited States andLatin America, known descendants reside in New Jersey and New York.^[53] TheJeonju Lee Royal Family Association was founded in 1922 byPrince Imperial Ui, and later registered in South Korea as of 1957, with the members consist of the descendants of the royal family from various cadet branches of the clan.^[54]

It was only in 1963 that a new president,Park Chung Hee, allowed some of the imperial family members, includingPrincess Deokhye, to return to Korea. Yi Un also became the director of the Jeonju Lee Royal Family Association, on 29 July 1966; the title would later pass down to his sonYi Ku in 1973. Yi Un died in 1970 and Yi Ku died on July 16, 2005. Prior to his death,Jeonju Lee Royal Family Association had to designate an heir to succeed him.^[55] Within the descendants ofPrince Imperial Ui,Yi Jun [ko] came from the most senior line as the heir of Sadonggung Palace; however, he already being the supposed heir to Sadonggung Palace making him not to be chosen, and his younger first cousin,Yi Won, instead became theYi Ku's successor and the status was confirmed by the association as of 22 July 2005.^[56][57] Although, the posthumous adoption would be invalid by present Korean Law and is only with traditional significance.^[58]

After the death of Yi Ku, a dispute about the head of the royal family occurred.Yi Hae-won, second daughter of Yi Kang and a half-aunt of Yi Won, made a counter-claim as the "Empress of Korea" in a private ceremony, and she died in 2020.^[59][60]Yi Seok, the 10th son of Yi Kang and a half-uncle ofYi Won, claimed to be the heir apparent is referred as "king," "prince," and/or "last pretender" by certain media;^[61][62] later, he passed such claim to an American,Andrew Lee, creator ofJoseon Cybernation.^[63][64]

Joseon Kings and Korean Emperors family tree

– – – – – – - The dashed lines denote the adoptions (1204–1274) Yi An-sa (Mokjo) (1236–?) Yi Haeng-ni (Ikjo) (1265–1342) Yi Ch'un (Dojo) (1315–1361) Yi Cha-ch'un (Hwanjo) KING OF JOSEON (1335–1408) Taejo r. 1392–1398(1) (1357–1419) Jeongjong r. 1398–1400(2) (1367–1422) Taejong r. 1400–1418(3) [note 1] (1397–1450) Sejong the Great r. 1418–1450(4) (1414–1452) Munjong r. 1450–1452(5) (1417–1468) Sejo r. 1455–1468(7) (1441–1457) Danjong r. 1452–1455(6) (1438–1457) Crown Prince Uigyeong (1450–1469) Yejong r. 1468–1469(8) (1457–1494) Seongjong r. 1469–1494(9) (1476–1506) Yeonsangun r. 1494–1506(10) [note 2] (1486–1544) Jungjong r. 1506–1544(11) (1515–1545) Injong r. 1544–1545(12) (1530–1559) Deokheung Daewongun (1534–1567) Myeongjong r. 1545–1567(13) (1552–1608) Seonjo r. 1567–1608(14) (1575–1641) Gwanghaegun r. 1608–1623(15) [note 2] (1580–1619) Prince Jeongwon (1598–1624) Prince Heungan [ko] [note 3] (1595–1649) Injo r. 1623–1649(16) [note 4] (1599–1615) Grand Prince Neungchang (1619–1659) Hyojong r. 1649–1659(17) (1622–1658) Grand Prince Inpyeong (1641–1674) Hyeonjong r. 1659–1674(18) (1639–1670) Prince Boknyeong [ko] (1661–1720) Sukjong r. 1674–1720(19) (1661–1722) Prince Uiwon [ko] (1688–1724) Gyeongjong r. 1720–1724(20) (1694–1776) Yeongjo r. 1724–1776(21) (1699–1719) Prince Yeollyeong (1693–1763) Prince Anheung [ko] (1719–1728) Crown Prince Hyojang (1735–1762) Crown Prince Sado (1728–1796) Yi Jin-ik [ko] (1752–1800) Jeongjo r. 1776–1800(22) (1754–1801) Prince Euneon (1755–1771) Prince Eunsin (1752–1822) Yi Byeong-won [ko] (1790–1834) Sunjo r. 1800–1834(23) (1785–1841) Jeongye Daewongun (1788–1836) Prince Namyeon [ko] (1809–1830) Crown Prince Hyomyeong (1831–1864) Cheoljong r. 1849–1864(25) (1821–1898) Heungseon Daewongun (1827–1849) Heonjong r. 1834–1849(24) EMPEROR OF KOREA (1852–1919) Gojong r.K 1863–1897 r.E 1897–1907(26) [note 5] (1874–1926) Sunjong r. 1907–1910(27) [note 6] (1877–1955) Prince Imperial Ui Yi Kang [note 7] (1897–1970) Prince Imperial Yeong Yi Un [note 8][note 9] (1909–1990) Yi Geon (1919–1984) Yi Gon [ko] (1938–2014) Yi Gap [ko] (1931–2005) Yi Ku [note 9][note 10] (1961–) Yi Jun [ko] (1962–) Yi Won [note 9][note 11]

• House of Yi
• Joseon royalty
• Korean Empire

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