Yi Won (Korean: 이원; born Yi Sang-Hyeob; 23 September 1962) is a great-grandson of Gojong of Korea and one of several who claim to be current head of the House of Yi.[1] He worked as a general manager of Hyundai Home Shopping, a Hyundai Department Store Group company, until Prince Yi Ku died on 16 July 2005. He was born as the eldest son of Yi Gap, the 9th son of Prince Yi Kang by one of his partners at Hyehwa-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. After the death of Yi Ku, it was decided to make Yi Won to be the adopted heir to the late prince by the Jeonju Lee Royal Family Association;[2] Yi Won was later announced to be the director of the association on 27 June 2007.[3] Officially, as noble titles aren't recognized by the Constitution of South Korea, Yi Won is by birth a citizen in South Korea.
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Yi Won attended the Sangmun High School during 1979–1981 and completed studies in broadcasting at the New York Institute of Technology, United States. He and his wife have had two children, the eldest son, Yi Kwon (이권), born in 1998; the other son, Yi Yeong (이영), born in 1999.[citation needed]
He currently lives in an apartment in Wondang, Goyang, Gyeonggi province, South Korea with his family.
Following the death of Yi Ku, who died on 16 July 2005, the Jeonju Lee Royal Family Association appointed him as the next Head of the Korean Imperial Household and they also made his title the Hereditary Prince Imperial (Hwangsason) in the meaning of inherited a title of Yi Ku. According to the chairman of the association, Lee Hwan-ey (이환의, 李桓儀), in his last meeting with Yi Ku was on July 10, Yi Won was allowed to become his heir and Yi Ku signed for granting permission. Another meeting held on July 21, within the association, was to determine whether Yi Won could be the successor of Yi Ku.[4] Eventually, Yi Won's status as Yi Ku's successor was confirmed by the Jeonju Lee Royal Family Association as of 22 July 2005.[2]
This claim was contested by his half-aunt, Yi Hae-won, who was crowned "Empress of Korea" by some of her relatives. In spite of this, he is annually called on to take the place of the sovereign at the Jongmyo jerye ceremonies performing rites to his royal ancestors.
Those who dispute the legitimacy of the adoption claim that consent for the adoption of Yi Won was not given by other members of Imperial House, including Yi Seok, the younger half-brother of Prince Gap, and Yi Hae-won, the eldest member of the house before her death in 2020. Also, Yi Ku died before the adoption process could complete; as such, according to present Korean law, a traditional posthumous adoption was no longer recognized by legislation as of 2004.[5]
