Deposed Crown Prince Yi Ji Explained

Deposed Crown Prince Yi Ji should not be confused with Deposed Crown Prince Yi Hwang.

Deposed Crown Prince Yi Ji
폐세자 이지
Succession:Crown Prince of Joseon
Reign:21 March 1608 – 14 March 1623
Coronation:21 March 1608
Predecessor:Crown Prince Yi Hon
Successor:Crown Prince Sohyeon
Spouse:Deposed Crown Princess Park of the Miryang Bak clan
Issue:
  • Unnamed daughter
  • Princess Yi Ah-gi
Royal House:House of Yi
Father:Gwanghaegun of Joseon
Mother:Deposed Queen Yu of the Munhwa Yu clan
Birth Name:Yi Su (이수, 李修) or Yi Jil (이질, 李桎)
Birth Date:31 December 1598
Birth Place:Hanseong, Joseon
Death Date:22 July 1623 (aged 25)
Death Place:Baesu, Ganghwa Island, Gyeonggi Province, Joseon
Hangul:폐세자 지
Rr:Pyeseja Ji
Mr:P'yeseja Chi
Hangulborn:이수
Rrborn:Yi Su
Mrborn:I Su

Yi Ji (; 31 December 1598 – 22 July 1623[1]), or firstly named Yi Su and sometimes spelled as Yi Jil, was a Korean Crown Prince as the second son (formally as first 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 (formally as oldest son because his older brother died suddenly after birth) 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.[2] On 2 August, they were married. From this marriage, a daughter was born in the summer of 1614, but died that same year in the winter.

With an unnamed concubine, Yi Jil had a second daughter, Yi Ah-gi, in 1618 who was the only surviving child of the crown prince.

Then when he was 21 years old on 13 May 1618, he was looking a woman to be So-hun (rank junior 5 for Crown Prince's concubine; 소훈, 昭訓) and the chosen was Heo Gyun's daughter and Heo Nanseolheon’s niece, Lady Heo. There was no issue within the relationship.

Later life

Later, on 14 March 1623, when he was 25 years old, Yi ji was deposed from his position as Crown Prince,[3] 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 (May of the lunar calendar), Yi Ji was digging a tunnel to escape.

When his wife and him tried to escape the island, they were caught by the royal soldiers. His wife committed suicide in June 1623 (lunar calendar May) the third day after her husband was arrested. Then on 22 July, a month after his late wife’s death (In the Korean calendar (lunar) was 25 June), he died from hunger.

Family

  1. Deposed Crown Princess Park of the Miryang Park clan (; 1598 – June 1623)
    1. Unnamed princess (; 1614–1614)
  2. Unnamed concubine
    1. Princess Yi Ah-gi (; 1618–?)
  3. Royal Consort So-hun of the Yangcheon Heo clan – No issue.

In popular culture

Notes and References

  1. In the Korean calendar (lunar), he was born on 4 December 1598 and died on 25 June 1623
  2. Web site: 조선왕조실록. Veritable Records of the Joseon Dynasty.
  3. Web site: 조선왕조실록. Veritable Records of the Joseon Dynasty.