Francis Yi Ku (December 29, 1931 July 16, 2005) was a Korean prince who was head of the House of Yi from 1970 until 2005. He was a grandson of Emperor Gojong of the Joseon dynasty.

Early life

Ku was born in Kitashirakawa Palace (which is currently the Akasaka Prince Classic House, formerly part of the

Akasaka Prince Hotel The was an upscale hotel in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. The site of the former hotel is now the location of a mixed-use development named Tokyo Garden Terrace. A design of Japanese architect Kenzo Tange, the hotel was well known for its "distinctiv ...

), Kioicho, Kojimachiku, Tokyo,

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

; his parents were Crown Prince Yi Un of Korea and Yi Bangja. Ku attended the Gakushuin Peers' School in Tokyo. He later attended Centre College,

Danville, Kentucky Danville is a home rule-class city in Boyle County, Kentucky, United States. It is the seat of its county. The population was 17,236 at the 2020 Census. Danville is the principal city of the Danville Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes ...

and studied architecture at Massachusetts Institute of Technology both in the U.S.

Adult life

He was employed as an architect with I.M. Pei & Assocs, Manhattan,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

from 1959 to 1964. Made stateless by

in 1947, Ku acquired United States citizenship in 1959 and Korean citizenship in 1964. He married Julia Mullock (b. 1927) on 25 October 1959 at St George's Church in New York and they adopted a daughter, Eugenia Unsuk. After the fall of

Syngman Rhee Syngman Rhee (, ; 26 March 1875 – 19 July 1965) was a South Korean politician who served as the first president of South Korea from 1948 to 1960. Rhee was also the first and last president of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Ko ...

, he returned to Korea in 1963 with the help of the new president

Park Chung-hee Park Chung-hee (, ; 14 November 1917 – 26 October 1979) was a South Korean politician and army general who served as the dictator of South Korea from 1961 until his assassination in 1979; ruling as an unelected military strongman from 1961 ...

, moving into the New Building of Nakseonjae hall,

Changdeok Palace Changdeokgung (Hangul: 창덕궁, Hanja: 昌德宮; literally, "The Palace of Prospering Virtue"), also known as Changdeokgung Palace or Changdeok Palace, is set within a large park in Jongno District, Seoul, South Korea. It is one of the "Five G ...

with his mother and wife. He lectured on architecture at

Seoul National University Seoul National University (SNU; ) is a national public research university located in Seoul, South Korea. Founded in 1946, Seoul National University is largely considered the most prestigious university in South Korea; it is one of the three "S ...

and Yonsei University and also managed his own airline, Shinhan. When that went bankrupt in 1979, he went to Japan to earn money. In 1982, his family forced him to divorce his wife because she was sterile; his mother died in 1989. He started living with a Japanese astrologer, Mrs. Arita. In November 1996, he decided to reside permanently in Korea.

Death

Restlessly going back and forth between Japan and Korea, he eventually died of a heart attack, at the age of seventy-five, on July 16, 2005 at the

, the former residence of his parents in Tokyo, Japan. His funeral was held on July 24, 2005 and his posthumous title decided as "Prince Imperial Hoeun" () by the Jeonju Lee Royal Family Association. He is buried at the Hoeinwon Royal Tomb near his father and mother. Yi Ku didn't have an heir. According to the Jeonju Lee Royal Family Association, Yi Won, Yi Ku's first cousin once removed, was appointed as the heir by him. Yi Ku already considered adopting an heir for the imperial line of succession and Yi Won was considered; after meeting Yi Won several times, he was satisfied about the foreign language abilities of his cousin and allowed Won to be his successor. As of July 10, 2005, less than a week before his death, Yi Ku met the chairman of the association, Lee Hwan-ey (이환의, 李桓儀), for the last time, and Yi Ku formerly signed to adopt Yi Won as his heir. Despite that Yi Ku died soon afterwards, the Jeonju Lee Royal Family Association held a meeting for the adoption legitimacy in July 21, and in the next day, July 22, 2005, Yi Won was officially recognized by the association to be the successor of late Yi Ku.

References

External links

Korean royalty

obituary in the English edition of Dong-A Ilbo
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yi, Ku 1929 births 2005 deaths Centre College alumni MIT School of Architecture and Planning alumni House of Yi American architects Japanese emigrants to the United States American people of Korean descent South Korean people of Japanese descent South Korean Roman Catholics Pretenders to the Korean throne Zainichi Korean people People from Tokyo Korean anti-communists