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{{Short description|Claimant to the Korean throne (born 1962)}}
{{for|the South Korean poet|Yi Won (writer)}}
{{BLP sources|date=December 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name         = Yi Won
{{nobold | {{Ubl
  | {{native name|ko|이원|italics=no|paren=omit}}
  }}}}
| image        = 이원 황사손.jpg
| caption      = Yi in 2018
| succession   = Head of the [[House of Yi]] <br /> (disputed)
| reign-type   = Period
| reign        = 16 July 2005 – present
| predecessor  = [[Yi Ku]]
| birth_date   = {{birth date and age|1962|9|23|df=y}}
| birth_place  = [[Hyehwa-dong]], [[Jongno District]], [[Seoul]], South Korea
| father       = Yi Gap
| mother       = Yi Gyeong-suk
| spouse       = Cho Tŭng-hak
| issue        = Yi Kwon<br>Yi Yeong
| full name    = Yi Sang-hyŏp
}}
{{Infobox Korean name
|title=Yi Won
|hangul=이원
|hanja=李源
|rr=I Won
|mr=I Wŏn
}}

'''Yi Won''' ({{Korean|hangul=이원}}; born Yi Sang-Hyeob;{{Citation needed|date=June 2024}} 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]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Sung-Un |first=Choi |date=2010 |title=Reviving JOSEON |url=http://www.investkorea.org/InvestKoreaWar/work/journal/content/content_print.jsp?code=4670408 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111008010626/http://www.investkorea.org/InvestKoreaWar/work/journal/content/content_print.jsp?code=4670408 |archive-date=8 October 2011}}</ref>

== Biography ==
Yi Won 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 District, [[Seoul]]. He 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 ({{Korean|hangul=이권|labels=no}}), born in 1998; the other son, Yi Yeong ({{Korean|hangul=이영|labels=no}}), born in 1999.{{Citation needed|date=December 2020}}

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. After the death of [[Yi Ku]], the [[Jeonju Lee Royal Family Association]] made him the heir of the late prince;<ref name=chosun20050818 /> Yi Won was later announced to be the director of the association on 27 June 2007.<ref name="rfo">{{cite web |script-title=ko:역대 총재 |url=http://www.rfo.co.kr/director1.htm |website=전주이씨대동종약원 |access-date=18 June 2020}}</ref> Officially, as noble titles aren't recognized by the [[Constitution of South Korea]], Yi Won is by birth a citizen in South Korea.

He currently lives in an apartment in [[Wondang]], [[Goyang]], South Korea with his family.{{Citation needed|date=September 2024}}

== Adoption controversy ==

According to the chairman of the association, Lee Hwan-ey ({{Korean|hangul=이환의|hanja=李桓儀|labels=no}}), in his last meeting with Yi Ku on 10 July, Yi Won was allowed to become his heir and Yi Ku signed for granting permission. Following the death of Yi Ku on 16 July 2005, the [[Jeonju Lee Royal Family Association]] appointed Yi Won as the next Head of the Korean Imperial Household and as such he inherited the title of Hereditary Prince Imperial (''Hwangsason'') from Yi Ku. Another meeting held on 21 July, within the association, was to determine whether Yi Won could be the successor of Yi Ku.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sin |first1=Hyeon-jun |script-title=ko:끊어진 조선황실 후계 40대 회사원이 잇는다 |url=https://m.chosun.com/svc/article.html?sname=news&contid=2005072170015 |access-date=7 June 2020 |date=21 July 2005}}</ref> Eventually, Yi Won's status as Yi Ku's successor was confirmed by the Jeonju Lee Royal Family Association as of 22 July 2005.<ref name=chosun20050818>{{cite news |script-title=ko:황실 후손 생활 담은 다큐 만들고파 |url=https://m.chosun.com/svc/article.html?sname=news&contid=2005081870331 |access-date=7 June 2020 |publisher=[[The Chosun Ilbo]] |date=18 August 2005}}</ref>

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 until 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.<ref name="koreajoongangdaily.joins.com">{{Cite web|url=http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=2831239|title = Coronation of Korea's new empress leads to royal family controversy| date=22 October 2006 }}</ref>

==Ancestry==

{{ahnentafel
|collapsed=yes |align=center
|boxstyle_1=background-color: #fcc;
|boxstyle_2=background-color: #fb9;
|boxstyle_3=background-color: #ffc;
|boxstyle_4=background-color: #bfc;
|boxstyle_5=background-color: #9fe;
|1= 1. '''Prince Yi Won'''
|2= 2. Prince Yi Gap
|3= 3. Yi Gyeong-suk
|4= 4. [[Yi Kang|Prince Yi Kang]]
|5= 5. Lady Ham Kae-pong
|6=  
|7= 
|8= 8. [[Gojong of Korea]] 
|9= 9. Lady Jang of the [[Deoksu Jang clan]]
|10= 
|11=  
|12= 
|13= 
|14= 
|15=  
|16= 16. [[Heungseon Daewongun|Yi Ha-eung, Grand Internal Prince Heungseon]] 
|17= 17. [[Sunmok Budaebuin|Grand Internal Princess Consort Sunmok of the Yeoheung Min clan]]
|18= 18. Jang Jwa-geun (b. 1819)
|19= 
|20= 
|21= 
|22=  
|23= 
|24= 
|25= 
|26= 
|27= 
|28= 
|29= 
|30= 
|31= 
}}

===Patrilineal descent===

{{chart top|text-align=left|Patrilineal descent}}

# Yi Han, d. 754? 
# Yi Jayeon
# Yi Cheonsang
# Yi Gwanghui
# Yi Ipjeon
# Yi Geunghyu
# Yi Yeomsoon
# Yi Seung-sak 
# Yi Chung-kyung
# Yi Kyung-young
# Yi Chung-min
# Yi Hwa
# Yi Jinyu 
# Yi Gung-jin 
# Yi Yong-bu 
# Yi Rin
# [[Yi Yang-mu]], d. 1231
# [[Yi Ansa|Yi An-sa]], d. 1274 
# [[Yi Haengni|Yi Haeng-ni]]
# [[Yi Chun]], d. 1342 
# [[Yi Jachun]], 1315–1361
# [[Taejo of Joseon]], 1335–1408
# [[Taejong of Joseon]], 1367–1422
# [[Sejong the Great|Sejong of Joseon]], 1397–1450
# [[Sejo of Joseon]], 1417–1468
# [[Crown Prince Uigyeong]], 1438–1457
# [[Seongjong of Joseon]], 1457–1495
# [[Jungjong of Joseon]], 1488–1544
# [[Deokheung Daewongun|Grand Internal Prince Deokheung]], 1530–1559
# [[Seonjo of Joseon]], 1552–1608
# [[Prince Jeongwon]], 1580–1619
# [[Injo of Joseon]], 1595–1649
# Grand Prince Inpyeong, 1622–1658
# Prince Boknyeong, 1639–1670
# Yi Hyuk, Prince Uiwon, 1661–1722
# Yi Sook, Prince Anheung, 1693–1768
# Yi Jin-ik, 1728–1796
# Yi Byeong-won, 1752–1822
# Yi Gu, Prince Namyeon, 1788–1836
# [[Heungseon Daewongun|Grand Internal Prince Heungseon]], 1820–1898 
# [[Gojong of Korea]], 1852–1919
# [[Yi Kang|Prince Yi Kang]], 1877–1955
# Yi Gap, 1938–2014
# Yi Won, b. 1962
{{chart bottom}}

==See also==

*[[House of Yi]]
*[[Joseon dynasty]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==

* [http://blog.joins.com/media/folderlistslide.asp?uid=sh_p&folder=4&list_id=7417763 Coronation of Korea's new empress leads to royal family controversy]
* [http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?bicode=040000&biid=2005072528898 English Donga article mentioning Yi Won]

{{s-start}}
{{s-hou|[[House of Yi]]|23 September|1962}}
{{s-culture}}
{{s-break}}
{{s-vac|last=[[Yi Ku]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Director of the [[Jeonju Lee Royal Family Association|Jeonju Lee<br>Royal Family Association]]|years=27 June 2007 – present}}
{{s-inc}}
{{s-pre}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Yi Ku]]}}
{{s-tul|title=[[Emperor of Korea]]|years=16 July 2005 – present
|reason=[[Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty|Empire abolished in 1910]]}}
{{s-inc|heir=[[Yi Kwon]]|heir-type=Heir apparent}}
{{s-end}}

{{House of Yi}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Yi, Won}}
[[Category:Pretenders to the Korean throne]]
[[Category:House of Yi]]
[[Category:1962 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Gyeonggi Province]]
[[Category:People from Jongno District]]
[[Category:Korean anti-communists]]
[[Category:Korean princes]]
[[Category:New York Institute of Technology alumni]]