Deposed Crown Prince Yi Ji


Yi Ji, or firstly named Yi Su and sometimes spelled as Yi Jil, was a Korean Crown Prince as the second son of Gwanghaegun of Joseon and Deposed Queen Yu of the Munhwa Yu clan. He later was deposed from his position along with his father's abdication and then become deposed crown prince in 1623.

Biography

Early life

The future Crown Prince was born on 31 December 1598 as the second son of the then Crown Prince Gwanghae and Crown Princess Munseong of the Munhwa Yu clan. Then, on 2 February 1608, he was appointed as an Heir Successor to the throne or Prince Royal, then, on 21 March in the same year, he was promoted and become a Crown Prince.

As Crown Prince

On 4 May, there was a selection to be his primary wife, the Crown Princess Consort. Then, the chosen was reported on 27 July 1611 and Park Ja-heung's 13-year-old daughter, Lady Park, became the crown princess consort. On 2 August, they were married. From this marriage, a son was born in the summer of 1614, but died that same year in the winter.
Then when he was 21 years old on 13 May 1618, he was looking for a woman to be So-hun and chose Hŏ Kyun's daughter and Heo Nanseolheon's niece, Lady Hŏ. There was one daughter named Yi Ah-gi who was born in 1618, and was the only surviving child of the crown prince.

Later life

Later, on 14 March 1623, when he was 25 years old, Yi Ji was deposed from his position as Crown Prince, along with his family and his wife, and was exiled to Ganghwa Island on 23 March. While in exile, the deposed couple fasted or tried to commit suicide by hanging themselves, but failed. In the end, about two months later in April, Yi Ji was digging a tunnel to escape.
When his wife and he tried to escape the island, they were caught by the royal soldiers. His wife committed suicide in June 1623 ; the third day after her husband was arrested. Then on 22 July, a month after his late wife's death, he died from hunger.

Family

  1. Deposed Crown Princess Park of the Miryang Park clan
  2. #Unnamed prince
  3. Royal Consort So-hun of the Yangcheon Hŏ clan
  4. #Princess Yi Ah-gi

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