Deposed Crown Prince Yi Ji

Not to be confused with Deposed Crown Prince Yi Hwang.
Deposed Crown Prince Yi Ji
폐세자 이지
Crown Prince of Joseon
Reign21 March 1608 – 14 March 1623
Coronation21 March 1608
PredecessorCrown Prince Yi Hon
SuccessorCrown Prince Sohyeon
BornYi Su (이수; 李修) or Yi Jil (이질; 李桎)
31 December 1598
Hanseong, Joseon
Died22 July 1623 (aged 25)
Baesu, Ganghwa Island, Gyeonggi Province, Joseon
SpouseDeposed Crown Princess Park of the Miryang Bak clan
Issue
  • Unnamed daughter
  • Princess Yi Ah-gi
HouseHouse of Yi
FatherGwanghaegun of Joseon
MotherDeposed Queen Yu of the Munhwa Yu clan
Deposed Crown Prince Yi Ji
Hangul
폐세자 지
Hanja
Revised RomanizationPyeseja Ji
McCune–ReischauerP'yeseja Chi
Birth name
Hangul
이수
Hanja
李修
Revised RomanizationYi Su
McCune–ReischauerI Su

Yi Ji (Korean: 이지; Hanja: 李祬; 31 December 1598 – 22 July 1623[1]), or firstly named Yi Su (이수; 李修) and sometimes spelled as Yi Jil (이질; 李祬), 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 (폐세자; 廢世子) 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 (원자; 元子), then, on 21 March in the same year, he was promoted and become a Crown Prince (왕세자; 王世子).

As Crown Prince

On 4 May, there was a selection to be his primary wife, the Crown Princess Consort (세자빈 간택). 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 son was born in the summer of 1614, but died that same year in the winter.

Then when he was 21 years old on 13 May 1618, he was looking for a woman to be So-hun (rank junior 5 for Crown Prince's concubine; 소훈, 昭訓) and chose Heo Gyun's daughter and Heo Nanseolheon's niece, Lady Heo. There was one daughter named Yi Ah-gi (이아기; 李娥其) who was born in 1618, and was the only surviving child of the crown prince.

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

  • Father: Gwanghaegun of Joseon (조선 광해군; 4 June 1575 – 7 August 1641)
  • Mother: Deposed Queen Yu of the Munhwa Yu clan (폐비 유씨; 15 August 1576 – 31 October 1623)
    • Grandfather: Yu Ja-Sin, Internal Prince Munyang (유자신 문양부원군; December 1541 – 7 February 1612)
    • Grandmother: Internal Princess Consort Bongwon of the Dongrae Jeong clan (봉원부부인 동래 정씨; 1541–1620)
  • Consorts and their Respective Issue(s):
  1. Deposed Crown Princess Park of the Miryang Park clan (폐빈 밀양 박씨; 1598 – June 1623)
    1. Unnamed prince (군; 5 July 1614 –19 December 1614)
  2. Royal Consort So-hun of the Yangcheon Heo clan (소훈 양천 허씨; 1603–?)[a]
    1. Princess Yi Ah-gi (현주 이아기; 1618–?)

Notes

  1. ^ Daughter of Heo Gyun and niece of Heo Nanseolheon.

References

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