Jeonju Lee Royal Family Association

Jeonju Lee Royal Family Association
전주이씨대동종약원
全州李氏大同宗約院
Founded3 April 1957; 67 years ago (1957-04-03)
TypeFamily association
Location
Key people
Yi Won (director)
Websiterfo.co.kr

The Jeonju Lee Royal Family Association[1] (Korean: 전주이씨대동종약원) is a family association from South Korea, and it was founded by the Jeonju Yi (Lee) clan, the household of Joseon and the Korean Empire, which were the ruling house of the whole Korea. The association originated from several national institutions of Joseon dynasty, and its recent main activities, after the World War II, include holding annual Jongmyo jerye, the worship rites of the royal ancestors, and compiling genealogy books of the descendants from the House of Yi.

History[edit]

The king Taejo of Joseon started his reign in 1392, and some of the institution setups included an office to handle affairs regarding the royal family.[2] The policy was continued by his son, Taejong of Joseon, who created the "Office of Royal Genealogy"[3](宗簿寺, 종부시) in 1401.[4] The office existed for centuries, and a reformation was executed in 1864, during the reign of King Gojong.[5] It was eventually abolished in 1907.

After the Japan–Korea Treaty of 1910, the former emperor Sunjong of Korea issued a decree, allowing the descendants of the royal family to form a private organization so as to strengthen the relationship within the clan. The said organization had a collection from Sunjong, a commemorative plaque with Sunjong's Chinese calligraphy handwriting on it, which reads 崇祖惇宗 (숭조돈종, "respect the ancestor and harmony with the clan"), but the plaque was later missing during the Korean War. On 27 November 1955, the members of the Jeonju Lee Royal Family Association held a foundation ceremony in the hall of Whimoon Middle School in Seoul,[6] and the association was later officially registered as a legal organization on 3 April 1957. The Association's headquarters are in the Lee Hwa Building (이화회관 [李花會館], "Plum Blossom Hall"),[7] located in Jongno District of Seoul, on the street leading to the main gate of Changdeokgung.[8]

In addition to domestic offices, the association currently opens several branch offices internationally, including seven offices in North America and one in Japan.[9]

Organization[edit]

According to the statistics in 1995, there were 2.8 million people coming from the Jeonju Yi clan in South Korea, making up over 770 thousand Yi families, 230 thousand families from whom lived in Seoul. Among them, there were nationwide 44% population from the clan (330 thousand families) that are registered members of the Jeonju Lee Royal Family Association; in Seoul, similarly, there were specifically 39% (90 thousand families) of the clan that were registered.[10]

Within the association, there is a chairman, as the superior over vice-chairmen, supervisors, and members of the council; they are often family members with prominent figures in politics and/or economics. As various ways to support members from the clan, there are several sub-organizations, including one that can offer scholarship, committees for academics and art, as well as ones dedicated to ancestral worship activities. Based on different genealogy among family members, 83 groups of the member can be classified; based on the places of residence, there are 15 sub-associations and 225 offices set, and there are also, for further district subdivision, branches in smaller administrative units (myeon, eup, and dong). As to overseas sub-associations, there are ones in Japan (Kantō and Kansai offices) and the United States (including Chicago and Los Angeles offices).[10]

Statistics for the offices of the association (1995)[10]
Location No. of offices
Seoul 22
Busan 12
Daegu 7
Incheon 6
Daejeon 5
Gyeonggi Province 29
Gangwon Province 18
North Chungcheong Province 12
South Chungcheong Province 16
North Jeolla Province 18
South Jeolla Province 25
North Gyeongsang Province 23
South Gyeongsang Province 25
Jeju Province 3
Japan 2
United States 2
Total 225

List of directors[edit]

Directors of the Jeonju Lee Royal Family Association[11]
Portrait Title Name In office since Birth and death Notes
Korean English
1 의친왕
義親王
Prince Imperial Ui Yi Kang 1910

(posthumous recognition)

1877-1955
2 영친왕
英親王
Prince Imperial Yeong Yi Un 29 July 1966 1897-1970
After Korean Empire being abolished (1910) and the foundation of the Republic of Korea (1948), the titles ever since are of pretence and for courtesy within the association.[13][14][15]
3 황세손
皇世孫
Imperial Crown Prince Yi Ku 20 March 1973 1931-2005
  • 2nd son of Yi Un
  • Born as the Crown Prince of King Yi
4 황사손
皇嗣孫
Hereditary Prince Imperial Yi Won 27 June 2007 1961-

List of chairmen of the association[edit]

Chairmen of the Jeonju Lee Royal Family Association[16]
Name Tenure From the cadet branch Birth and death Ref(s)
Korean English
1 이범승
李範昇
Lee Beom-seung 7 November 1955 - 9 February 1958 Grand Prince Gwangpyeong
17th generation
1887-1976 [17][18]
2 리기붕
李起鵬
Lee Ki-poong 10 February 1958 - 3 April 1959 Grand Prince Hyoryeong
17th generation
1896-1960
3 이세정
李世楨
Yi Se-jeong 25 December 1962 - 4 March 1970 Prince Ikyang
15th generation
1895-1972 [19][20]
4
5
6 이건웅
李建雄
Yi Geon-ung 20 March 1970 - 20 September 1970
(acting)
Prince Deokcheon
15th generation
1941- [21]
7 이수길
李壽吉
Yi Su-gil 12 February 1971 - 12 May 1974 Grand Prince Inpyeong
10th generation
1917-1982 [a]
8 이봉우
李鳳宇
Yi Bong-u 15 April 1975 - 12 May 1977 Grand Prince Hyoryeong
15th generation
9 이재형
李載灐
Lee Choi-hyung 13 May 1977 - 30 January 1992 Prince Inseong
10th generation
1914-1992 [22][23]
10
11
12
13 이범준
李範俊
Rhee Bomb-june 1 February 1992 - 20 September 1996 Grand Prince Gwangpyeong
17th generation
1928-2007 [24][25]
14
15 이환의
李桓儀
Lee Hwan-ey 31 September 1996 - 3 January 2012 Grand Prince Hyoryeong
16th generation
1931- [26][27]
16
17
18
19
20
21 이태섭
李台燮
Lee Tae-sup 4 January 2012 -17 December 2019 Prince Deokyang
14th generation
1939- [28][29]
22
23
24 이귀남
李貴男
Lee Gwi-nam 18 December 2019 - Prince Hoesan
17th generation
1951- [30][31]
25

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Yi Su-gil (이수길) was by birth the 5th son of Prince Yi Kang, and by extension a grandson of Gojong, but he was later adopted as the heir to Baron Yi Yin-yong (이인용, 1907-1950); therefore his genealogy goes by his adoptive father.[32] He was also known as other names, including Yi Ju (이주/李鑄).[33]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Jeonju Lee Royal Family Association". Archived from the original on 2023-01-30.
  2. ^ "문무 백관의 관제". 朝鮮王朝實錄.(太祖元年七月廿八日)
  3. ^ "The King orders that some items of Gyeseong Hall be buried after its royal portrait in the hall is transferred". Veritable records of the Joseon dynasty. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  4. ^ "관제 개편". 朝鮮王朝實錄.(太祖元年七月十三日)
  5. ^ "대신들이 종친부의 격상에 따른 관직 제도의 변경 등을 아뢰다". 朝鮮王朝實錄.(高宗二年六月十日)
  6. ^ "창립 및 연혁". 전주이씨대동종약원. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  7. ^ "JeonjuLee Royal Family Association".
  8. ^ "全州李氏大同宗約院三十年史". 全州李氏大同宗約院. Retrieved 2020-06-18. (p. 41, 43)
  9. ^ "Organizations of Jeonju Lee Royal Family Association". Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  10. ^ a b c 노부자(魯富子) (1997). "韓国の都市における同姓組織の全体構造 - ソウル市の「全州李氏大同宗約院」を事例にして". ソシオロジ. 41 (3): 41–43. doi:10.14959/soshioroji.41.3_37. Retrieved 2020-07-23.
  11. ^ "역대 총재". Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  12. ^ "왕자인 강에게 의화군의 작위를 봉하다". 朝鮮王朝實錄.
  13. ^ "대일본 천황이 조서를 내리다". Veritable Records of the Joseon Dynasty.
  14. ^ "CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA". Korean Legislation Research Institute. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
  15. ^ Article 11, Section 2: "No privileged caste shall be recognized or ever established in any form."
  16. ^ "역대 이사장". Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  17. ^ 이용재 (2013-02-28). 도서관인물 평전. ISBN 9788965452102.
  18. ^ "아방가르드미술연구소". 한국미술 다국어 용어사전. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  19. ^ "이세정(李世楨, 1895~1972)". Daejongism. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  20. ^ "전주이씨(全州李氏)". 부천족보도서관.
  21. ^ "사직대제, 중요무형문화재로 지정 예고". 2002-02-23. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  22. ^ "운경 이재형". Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  23. ^ "이재형 (李載灐 / LEE,CHOI-HYUNG)". Jo!ns. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  24. ^ "공훈록보기". Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  25. ^ "이범준 (李範俊 / RHEE,BOMB-JUNE)". Jo!ns. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  26. ^ "이환의". Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  27. ^ "이환의 (李桓儀 / LEE,HWAN-EY)". Jo!ns.
  28. ^ "이태섭". Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  29. ^ "이태섭 (李台燮 / LEE,TAE-SUP)". Jo!ns. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  30. ^ "이귀남". Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  31. ^ 김용란 (2020-02-07). "이귀남 향우 전주이씨 대동종약원 이사장 추대". 장흥투데이. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  32. ^ "황실 후손이 매국노의 양자로…". No. 574. 한겨레21. 2005-08-25. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  33. ^ "문화유산신문". 문화유산신문. Retrieved 20 June 2020.

External links[edit]