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Yi Un file photo [6553]

Yi Un

SurnameYi
Given NameUn
HouseYi
Born20 Oct 1897
Died1 May 1970
CountryKorea, Japan
CategoryMilitary-Ground
GenderMale

Contributor:

ww2dbaseYi Un was born at Deoksu Palace in Seoul to Korean Emperor Gojong and his second wife Princess Sunheon. At the age of 3, he was given the title of Prince Imperial Yeong, and at the age of 10 Crown Prince. In Dec 1907, he went to Japan to begin his studies. On 28 Apr 1920, he married Japanese Princess Masako of the Nashimoto branch of the Japanese Imperial Family. On 24 Apr 1926, upon his father's death, he became King Yi of Korea; note that unlike his father who held the title of emperor, his title was only that of a king, and his title was held only as a pretender as Korea had been fully annexed into Japanese borders by 1910. After his death, he was posthumously given the title Crown Prince Euimin; being known as a crown prince instead of a king reflected his status as a powerless leader of his country.

ww2dbaseBetween 1935 and 1937, Yi served in the Japanese Army as the commanding officer of the 59th Regiment. From 1937 to 1938, he taught at the Military Academy and the Military Preparatory School. In 1939, he was attached to the Northern China Area Army. Between 1939 and 1940, he was the commanding officer of the 2nd Imperial Guards Brigade. Between 1940 and 1941, he was the head of the 4th Depot Division. In 1941, he was the commander of the Japanese 51st Division. Between 1941 and 1942, he was attached to the Inspectorate-General of Military Training, then between 1942 and 1943, to the 1st Air Army Headquarters. In 1945, he was the commanding officer of the 1st Air Army, and then was promoted to the Supreme War Council.

ww2dbaseAfter WW2, Yi requested President Rhee Syng-man to allow him to return to Korea, but it was denied. In Nov 1963, President Park Chung-hee invited him to return. Sick from cerebral thrombosis, he lived at Nakseon Hall, Changdeok Palace in Seoul, Korea, remaining mostly in bed. He passed away in 1970 and now rests in peace at Hongyureung in Namyangju, near Seoul.

ww2dbaseYi was the last person in Korea to hold the title of Crown Prince. His son, Yi Gu, or Prince Imperial Hoeun (posthumously), claimed the throne until his death in 2005, but did not hold the crown prince title as his father did not wield kingly powers.

ww2dbaseSource: Wikipedia.

Last Major Revision: May 2007

Yi Un Interactive Map

Photographs

Portrait of Prince Imperial Yeong Yi Un of Korea, circa 1904; portrait taken in JapanPortraits of Emperor Sunjong of Korea (right), Prince Imperial Yeong Yi Un (center), and Empress Sunjeong (left), circa 1904
See all 26 photographs of Yi Un

Yi Un Timeline

20 Oct 1897 Yi Eu was born in the Deoksu Palace in Seoul, Korea.
20 Jul 1907 Yi Un was made Crown Prince of Korea.
25 May 1917 Crown Prince Yi Un graduated from the Japanese Army Academy.
25 Dec 1917 Crown Prince Yi Un was promoted to the rank of second lieutenant in the Japanese Army.
28 Apr 1920 Crown Prince Yi Un of Korea married Japanese Princess Masako of Nashimoto.
29 Nov 1923 Crown Prince Yi Un graduated from the Japanese Army War College and was made the commanding officer of a company in the Japanese 2nd Infantry Regiment.
24 Apr 1926 Crown Prince Yi Un was ostensibly made King Yi of Korea.
1 Aug 1935 Crown Prince Yi Un was promoted to the rank of colonel in the Japanese Army and was given command of 59th Infantry Regiment based in Utsunomiya, Japan.
1 Mar 1937 Crown Prince Yi Un became an instructor in the Japanese Army Academy.
2 Aug 1937 Crown Prince Yi Un was made the commandant of the Japanese Army Preparatory Academy.
15 Jul 1938 Crown Prince Yi Un was promoted to the rank of major general in the Japanese Army.
15 Dec 1938 Crown Prince Yi Un was attached to the Japanese Northern China Army.
2 Jul 1939 Crown Prince Yi Un inspected troops in Qingdao, Shandong Province, China.
1 Aug 1939 Crown Prince Yi Un was made the commanding officer of the Japanese 2nd Brigade.
25 May 1940 Crown Prince Yi Un was made the commanding officer of the Japanese 4th Division.
2 Dec 1940 Crown Prince Yi Un was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general in the Japanese Army.
1 Jul 1941 Crown Prince Yi Un was made the commanding officer of the Japanese 51st Division.
12 Aug 1941 Crown Prince Yi Un was assigned to Jinzhou, Liaoning Province, China.
16 Nov 1941 Crown Prince Yi Un was attached to the training department of the Japanese Army.
20 Nov 1941 Crown Prince Yi Un was assigned to Guangdong Province, China.
5 Dec 1941 Crown Prince Yi Un toured Keijo (now Seoul), Korea.
1 Aug 1942 Crown Prince Yi Un was attached to Japanese 1st Air Army.
20 Jul 1943 Crown Prince Yi Un was made the commanding officer of Japanese 1st Air Army.
1 Apr 1945 Crown Prince Yi Un was made a member of the Supreme War Council of Japan.
3 May 1947 Crown Prince Yi Un lost his Japanese royal status.
18 Oct 1947 Crown Prince Yi Un lost his Japanese citizenship and became a stateless person.
18 May 1957 Crown Prince Yi Un gained Japanese citizenship.
7 Jun 1957 Crown Prince Yi Un's son Prince Yi Gu graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Massachusetts, United States.
16 Mar 1959 Crown Prince Yi Un suffered from cerebral thrombosis.
17 May 1959 Crown Prince Yi Un arrived in Japan.
6 Jun 1960 Crown Prince Euimin and Princess Masaka (Bangja) arrived in New York, United States.
6 Aug 1960 Crown Prince Euimin and Princess Masaka (Bangja) arrived in Japan.
26 Mar 1961 Crown Prince Euimin and Princess Masaka (Bangja) arrived in Hawaii, United States.
7 May 1961 Crown Prince Euimin and Princess Masaka (Bangja) arrived in Japan.
3 Aug 1961 Crown Prince Euimin was admitted into the St. Luke's Hospital in Tsukiji, Tokyo, Japan.
15 Dec 1962 Crown Prince Euimin and Princess Masaka (Bangja) gained Korean citizenship.
22 Nov 1963 Crown Prince Euimin arrived in Korea.
1 May 1970 Yi Un passed away.




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