Yi Kang


Yi Kang, Prince Imperial Ui, also known as Prince Uihwa or King Ui was the second son of Emperor Gojong of Korea and his concubine, Lady Jang, who was a court lady-in-waiting.
In 1891, his father King Gojong issued a decree naming Yi "Prince Uihwa" with the style of Royal Highness. Yi married Lady Kim Deok-su, the daughter of court official Kim Sajun.
Upon declaration of Korean Empire in 1897, Yi was enthroned as King Ui or Prince Imperial Ui by his father Emperor Gojong of Korea in 1900 along with his younger brother, Yi Un.

Biography

Education and early life

Despite being born as a son of Gojong of Korea, there are not many official records about his early life, which may be a result of having been borne by Lady Jang, a court lady-in-waiting of King Gojong but not the king's official consort or concubine during her lifetime. Lady Jang came from the Deoksu Jang clan, and Queen Inseon was her distant relative. According to the tradition, the half-brothers of the crown prince, in this case, Yi Cheok, needed to move out from the palace until the latter reached the age 10, so there were some years that Yi Kang lived with Pak Yung-hio, the son-in-law of King Cheoljong. During the Kapsin Coup in 1884, Yi Kang and his mother were taken by Pak Yung-hio to the palace; contemporary rumors claimed that the coup d'état tried to replace the king with Yi Kang; but after the coup ended, Yi left the palace again.
Later, Queen Min, Gojong's wife, asked her husband to grant Yi Kang a title, so Yi Kang became Prince Uihwa in 1891. After three rounds of choosing in 1893, the daughter of an official Kim Sa-jun, Lady Kim Deok-su, was chosen to be the spouse of Yi Kang, which was arranged by Queen Min. Lady Kim, also known as "Lady Kim of Deokindang", was a distant relative to Queen Inmok, the queen consort of Seonjo of Joseon in the early 17th century; Yi Kang did not have children by her. Even after getting married, Yi Kang got involved in debt and lawsuit problems.
Prince Yi Kang was appointed special ambassador to the Empire of Japan for the celebration ceremonies for Japan's victory in the First Sino-Japanese War of 1894–1895. Yun Ch'iho, who met Yi before going Europe, assessed him as a smart 18-year-old who had a good personality like his father but who was anxious to study abroad. In August 1895, Yi was appointed as special ambassador and visited European countries including the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Russia, Italy and Austria-Hungary. In 1899, he visited Japan. According to Japanese records, 3,000 Won were sent to Yi. While he was not in Korea, Yi Kang was promoted to the rank of Prince Imperial Ui, and styled His Imperial Highness in 1900. At the same year, he went to the United States and began studying at Roanoke College in Salem, Virginia from March 1901, where he majored in mathematics. While he was in the United States, the Korean Government gave him 30,000 Won in 1902. While in America, Yi was beaten by some Americans in 1903. In 1904, some Korean foreign students tried to dethrone Gojong and make Yi the emperor. After graduation, he spent a brief period at the Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio, and then traveled to San Francisco and Hawaii, returning to Korea on 15 March 1906. The same year, he got Order of the Golden Ruler. On 8 April 1906, Yi was appointed as Lieutenant General. He was appointed as Chanmogwan and was ordered to participate in a military parade in the Empire of Japan. He received the 1st class of the Order of the Paulownia Flowers from the Japanese government while he was in Japan.
Prince Yi Kang served as the president of the Korean Red Cross from 1906 to 1907. On 15 January 1907, Yi persuaded civilians and military personnels to raise a Righteous army. When Emperor Gojong abdicated and Sunjong succeeded him as Emperor, Yi was not appointed as the crown prince, but instead his younger brother, Yi Un; this was because Yi did not receive public support and Gojong was not fond of him. Also, Imperial Consort Sunheon bribed Itō Hirobumi, who was the Japanese Resident General of Korea, to appoint her son as the crown prince. When Itō Hirobumi was assassinated by An Jung-geun, Yi was ordered to participate in the funeral as the deputy of the Korean Imperial House. The order, however, was canceled and the Minister of the Imperial Household was sent instead.

Under Japanese rule

Following the abdication of Emperor Gojong in 1907, and the Japan-Korea Treaty of 1910 through which Korea was annexed to the Empire of Japan, Prince Yi Kang grew increasingly dissatisfied with his status, even though the Japanese provided him with a huge annual allowance. At the same time, the title "Prince Imperial Ui" was abolished and Yi received a reduction in rank to Duke by Japanese until 1930.
During the March 1st Movement, Yi participated as one of the representatives of Korea. Since Yi had studied abroad and knew much about the world, the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea wanted Yi to join the government. After the escape of Gim Ga-jin, an Imperial Korean official before, the Provisional Government's objective was Yi's refuge in Shanghai. On 9 November 1919, he collaborated with Choe Ik-hwan, a member of, who attempted to support him as the new leader of Korea. Prince Yi Kang then tried to escape to the Provisional Government of Korea based in Shanghai, only to be discovered in Dandong from Manchuria and returned to his home country. Lee Jong-Wook had received orders from Ahn Changho to accompany Yi and help him escape. With the help of Cheon Un-boek, who was an employee of the Japanese General Government Building, Yi successfully met Lee Jong-Wook, who came to rescue him. Yi disguised his face by attaching a mustache on his face. However, Yi was caught near the Dandong Station, which is located in Zhenxing District. On 13 November 1919, Yi was sent back to Keijō by Japanese police force. After this, the Japanese government claimed that Yi Kang was "abducted" and "wanted to escape to live profligately again". Later, Yi Kang asked to be deprived of his title multiple times, but this wasn't approved. Yi's home became part of Deoksugung.
On 20 November 1919, Yi had an interview with Tongnip Sinmun. He said that he would rather be a peasant of the independent Korea than a noble of Empire of Japan. His exile promoted a positive view towards the Imperial family, and the Japanese attempted to devalue the exile as a trivial issue.
During the tenure of Saitō Makoto, Saitō met Yi many times and tried to change his stance on independence.
As of 10 November 1925, a law for defining the status of the former Korean imperial family was made. In 1930, due to Yi's continuous independent movement activities against Japan, Yi was stripped of his Duke rank by Japan and became a commoner. On 12 June 1930, Yi officially retired and his eldest son Yi Geon succeeded him as duke. Yi Kang's styles and allowances still remained until the end of World War II.
Throughout the Japanese rule, there were only few members of Yi Kang family recognized by Japan: Yi Kang himself, his wife Kim Deok-su, his eldest son Duke Yi Geon with his family, and his second son Duke Yi U with his family.

After independence

After the independence of Korea, he continued to live in Seoul, but in increasing poverty. On 9 August 1955 he was baptized a Roman Catholic, given the Christian name "Pius"; Lady Kim was also baptized and given the name of "Maria". Yi said that the reason why he was baptized a Roman Catholic was to apologize for the anti-Catholicism of Joseon led by Heungseon Daewongun. Yi Kang died a week later on 15 August 1955, at the age of 78, in his mansion "Seongrakwon" Manor ; he was buried at the Hongneung and Yureung imperial tombs in Namyangju near Seoul, where his father and brothers are also buried. His official heritor was chosen as his third son, Yi Bang on 30 June 1970.

Family

Prince Imperial Ui, Yi Kang married Kim Deok-su in 1892; however, the couple had no children. Therefore, all children Yi Kang had, 12 sons and 9 daughters, were born by 13 of his various concubines. Since his first son Yi Geon was naturalized to Japan, and his second to fifth sons were adopted by royal relatives, his sixth son, Yi Gon became the successor of Yi Kang. Currently Yi Gon's first son, Yi Jun is the current heir of Prince Imperial Ui and is the chairperson of Prince Imperial Ui Memorial Foundation.

Wife

Concubines

Sons

Daughters

Ancestry

Honours